Posted to News on 17th Jun 2008, 17:29
Cartridge valves offer high performance and precision control
Following the successful adoption of the Moog E050 miniature cartridge direct drive valve (DDV) by the motorsport industry, Moog is now offering this technology for servo valves and servo-proportional valves to provide the twin benefits of high performance and precision motion control in other industry sectors.
The cartridge design permits high-density fitting for applications where multiple valves are required to be mounted on a single manifold or in industries where weight and space are at a premium. The weight of the cartridge DDV is said to be only one-third of that of the standard steel-bodied industrial version. However, the robust mechanical design is retained, enabling the extreme performance and environmental demands of many industries to be met, such as in mining, petrochemicals, offshore, and simulators for training and entertainment.
Servo valves using DDV technology are inherently more energy efficient than a conventional two-stage servo valve, as they have no pilot stage hydraulic flow. However, in the motorsport-developed cartridge DDV servo valve, the spool leakage has been reduced by a factor of 20 compared to the standard valve. For many applications, particularly on multi-axis machines, this enables smaller pumps and coolers to be used, and total system efficiency is improved.
This efficiency gain is a result of reduced clearances between the spool and cartridge body, thanks to Moog's latest machining processes and metrology equipment.
Saving space and weight
Rob Rivers, senior design engineer at Moog Controls, says: "The cartridge valve has proved to be an ideal solution for any application where weight or space are a prime consideration.
"We have recently dealt with enquiries from companies with diverse application needs, ranging from remotely operated submersible vehicles through to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) subject to flight qualification."
The Moog E050 Series Miniature Cartridge DDV is a motorsport development of the established Moog D633-7 design, originally developed for the injection moulding industry. This valve uses a linear electric motor, utilising rare earth magnets to actuate the flow control spool. This miniature valve has a flow capability of up to 18 l/min, which meets the majority of motorsport application requirements.
