Workshop 4: Electrohydraulics

This workshop best serves those with some hydraulic background, preferably having taken Workshop 1: Industrial Hydraulics or Workshop 2: Mobile Hydraulics. It is a must-take workshop for anyone dealing with modern hydraulic systems. From maintenance and technical personnel to designers and engineers - this workshop imparts the fundamental knowledge base to build expertise in this rapidly growing branch of the fluid power industry.

This workshop requires an understanding of basic hydraulic systems as taught in the Industrial Hydraulics or Mobile Hydraulics workshops. The course reviews basic electrical concepts and progresses to open- and closed loop hydraulic control circuits. A study of proportional and servo valves combined with transducers commonly used in closed loop circuits will augment the fundamental concepts. The main emphasis is on theory and hands-on performance of electrohydraulic systems. This workshop combines the theory of various types of proportional and servo systems with laboratory hands-on experiments in a simple and easy to understand format. It is an excellent preparation for the International Fluid Power Society Certification Examinations for Hydraulic Specialist,.

Workshop Outline

Basic Principles

• Electrical and hydraulics comparisons
• Basic electricity
• Hands-on laboratory activities

Amplifier Theory and Laboratory Activity

• Basic amplifier theory
• Proportional amplifiers
• Servo amplifiers
• Hands-on laboratory activity

Control Concepts

• Open and closed loop circuits
• Proportional vs. servo valves
• Applications

Proportional Systems

• Types and operation of proportional valves:
  • Proportional pressure control systems
  • Proportional flow control systems
  • Proportional directional control systems
• P.I.D. theory and demonstration
• Tuning proportional systems: accuracy/response
• Hands-on activities; proportional valves

Servo Valves

• Types and operation of servo valves
• Sensors and transducers operations/applications
• Tuning servo systems:
  • Accuracy
  • Response
  • Stability
• Hands-on laboratory activities; servo systems:
  • Gain adjustment
  • Bias adjustment
  • Current limiter
  • Ratio adjustment
  • Dither adjustment
  • Hands-on servo systems troubleshooting lab