The electro hydraulic actuator drives the hydraulic pump through the electric motor, generating hydraulic pressure up to 3000 psi. The control valve can adjust the flow rate up to 20 liters per minute, and the actuator cylinder performs linear motion up to 1000 pounds or 360-degree rotational motion.
Next, we will specifically understand how the electro hydraulic actuator works by analyzing market trends, core components, and the working process.
Market Trends
Electric hydraulic actuators are widely used in many industries due to their precision and reliability. According to the forecast made by MarketsandMarkets, the electric actuator market is likely to grow at a compound annual growth of 5.8% from 2023 to 2028. In such a way, the market size is expected to grow from $4.5 billion in 2023 to $6 billion in 2028. One of the important drivers is the revolution of the automotive industry that is becoming electrified. As reported by Tesla and BYD’s technical departments, new energy vehicles equipped with such actuators demonstrated a reduction of about 30% in the brake response time. In 2023, the electric hydraulic actuators experienced an increase in the new energy vehicle market by 20%.
Overall, the industrial automation has benefited greatly from hydraulic actuators. ExxonMobil’s 2023 annual report indicates that the use of electric hydraulic actuators led to the production line’s efficiency grew by about 12% and the annual maintenance costs decreased by close to $5 million. The pharmaceutical industry represented by Pfizer also acknowledged the benefits of the application of such actuators. It was reported that the production pass rates increased by nearly 8% thanks to the introduction and applications of the electric hydraulic actuators. Therefore, many different industries are reliant on high-precision and high-reliability automation equipment that leads to such high growth rates of the electric hydraulic actuator market.
What are the core components
Major components of an electric hydraulic actuator include:
Electric motor: This is the component that converts electrical energy into mechanical work, and has a power within a range generally between 350W-850W to be able to offer enough performance. For example, an electric motor with efficiency of up to 95% can be used for industrial application from Rotontek [Source: Rotontek Product Manual].
Hydraulic Pump: Provides necessary hydraulic pressure. The hydraulic pumps manufactured by Rotontek are available in a high efficiency value that can be up to 90% and they deliver safe work capability even for extreme environments [Source: Rotontek Product Manual].
Control Valve: Controls the flow and direction of hydraulic oil carrying up to 20 l/min, allowing a dynamic system response tailored to different operational requirements. Rotontek control valve can provide exact flow regulation under 3000 psi and loose throughput error is less than 1% [Source: Rotontek Product Specifications].
Actuator Cylinder: It converts hydraulic pressures to linear and rotational motion, provides up to 2 or 3 tons of force along a straight path and enables full range 360-degree operation for rotary motions [Source: Product Data from Rotontek].
Sensors and Feedback Loops: Precise control of positioning should be achieved, with an error margin within 0.1mm which increases the accuracy and reliability of the system as a whole. Rotontek’s sensor system offers up to 99% accuracy [Source: Product Data from Rotontek].
Specific working process of electro hydraulic actuator
Signal Input
The electrical signals are sent to the actuator. It can send signals on an automated production line up to 100 times per second in order to provide real-time control and immediate response (source: Industrial Automation Journal).
Motor Start
The hydraulic pump is started by an electric motor. The power of the hydraulic pump is generally about 100~500 watts to guarantee a reliable power supply. A study from Hydraulic Technology Journal reveals that even a 500-watt electric motor can deliver the necessary power to move the hydraulic pump at flow rates reaching up to 20 liters per minute with optimal system performance.
Hydraulic Pressure Generation
The hydraulic pump brings about 3000 psi from the hydraulic system. This pressure can support most industrial applications as heavy-duty operations providing stability at high-pressure per product data from Rotontek.
Flow Regulation
Control valve to comprise the flow and direction of hydraulic oil up to 20 liters/min which supply nature reply adaptive changes in different operating requirements. The 2023 report from the Automotive Industry Association notes that at an automotive assembly facility, fine-tuning of a control valve allowed for up to a 20% increase in production speed on one line, therefore improving manufacturing efficiency drastically.
Motion Execution
There is a hydraulic oil entering into the actuator cylinder, forcing it to do linear or rotary motion. The cylinder in the actuator is able to support up to 3 tons and achieve a full-range rotation of 360 degrees. In practice, this allowed the actuators to dig 15 percent more effectively on an excavator as stated in their annual report.
Feedback Adjustment
Motion control is managed by sensors that monitor movement and provide feedback to ensure precise positioning. With a rate of up to 99%, the error range is only within approximately 0.1 millimeters among these sensors. In the 2023 Precision Manufacturing Journal, sensors had generated high-precision monitoring that guaranteed the stability of product quality and decreased defect rate by about ten percent on any precision manufacturing production line.
