Excavator hydraulic system and accessories
Hydraulic innovation and accessory revolution. Unlock the all-around combat power of modern excavators
In the current era, mini excavators can complete the three processes of crushing, grabbing, and leveling in narrow alleys with just one mini excavator. And all of this credit comes from the seamless collaboration between the hydraulic system and the quick change tool.
At a construction site in Shandong, three crawler excavators are carrying out pipeline laying operations. It is noteworthy that one of the 0.8-ton mini excavators switched four types of attachments continuously within 2 hours - from digging trenches with a bucket, switching to hydraulic shearing for steel reinforcement skeleton treatment, then vibrating and compacting backfill soil for construction, and finally using a spiral drill to complete support drilling. Behind this efficient conversion is the deep integration of hydraulic systems and accessory control technology.
The evolution of hydraulic systems: from force transmission to intelligent control.
Hydraulic technology is undergoing a transition from mechanical transmission to electronic intelligent control. The latest hydraulic system patent developed by Liuzhou Liugong creatively splits the oil supply unit into a main oil supply unit and a rotary oil supply unit, and precisely manages the oil circuit connection and disconnection through a switching valve. When the switching valve is closed, the system independently supplies oil to the main fuel supply unit and performs a composite action; When the valve is opened, the dual unit joint output power increases the efficiency of the medium-sized crawler excavator by 15% and reduces fuel consumption by 8% under composite working conditions.
The electro-hydraulic proportional control technology has brought revolutionary breakthroughs. Liugong has obtained the patent for the accessory flow control system (CN222415455U), which allows the operator to directly input the target flow value through the coordination of the solenoid valve group and the instrument, achieving millimeter level action adjustment. This technology has particularly improved the performance of mini excavators in precision operations - when dealing with municipal pipeline laying, the error in the movement speed of attachments is controlled within 0.2 meters per second.
The breakthrough in material technology is equally exciting. The popularization of high-strength alloy steel hydraulic cylinders has reduced the weight of components with equivalent performance by up to 30%. For mini excavators that require frequent transitions, lightweight means higher mobility and lower transportation costs. The application of new environmentally friendly sealing materials enables hydraulic systems to maintain zero leakage in extreme environments ranging from -35 ℃ to 80 ℃, significantly extending the service life of crawler excavators in harsh mining conditions.
"Previously, the valve had to be screwed for half an hour to adjust the flow, but now it is OK to set parameters on the touch screen." Fu, a teacher who operates a 1.0 ton mini excavator, sighed after trying out the new system.
The diversity of attachments makes small excavators become 'Transformers'
The diversification of attachments is completely changing the boundaries of single machine operations. According to the classification of working conditions, modern attachments have formed four major systems:
Excavation processing system: In addition to the standard bucket, the inclined bucket achieves precise slope trimming by adjusting the angle through hydraulic pressure; The soil loosening device adopts a curved main board design, which increases the efficiency of hard rock crushing by 40%; The screening bucket enables on-site classification of excavated materials and reduces secondary transportation costs in soil and rock separation operations.
Crushing and Demolition System: The hydraulic crushing hammer is driven by a combination of hydraulic and pneumatic systems, with an impact energy of up to 1500 joules; The dual cylinder hydraulic shear is equipped with a synchronization device and a speed increasing valve, which can easily cut H-shaped steel beams; The crushing pliers become the main force in building demolition through the interlocking movement of movable and fixed jaws.
Special Operations Department: At a photovoltaic construction site in Jiangsu, small excavators equipped with spiral drilling machines achieve "vehicle to hole completion", completing 300 pile holes per person in a single day; The amphibious tracked excavator has been successfully applied in the Yangtze River waterway regulation by incorporating a floating box into the track wheels.
The efficiency of attribute switching has become a core competitiveness. The Caterpillar CW series quick connector adopts a wedge-shaped vibration free design, which compresses the tool replacement time to within 30 seconds. The dual safety design of its front axle hook and spindle locking mechanism completely eliminates the risk of accidental detachment of attachments, which is particularly critical for mini excavators that often operate in narrow spaces.
Rapid development in performance redefines construction boundaries
In the field of large equipment, XCMG's "cast integral track shoes" have reduced maintenance costs for large track compact excavators by 40% through a replaceable lining design. The dual pump collaborative technology of Liugong hydraulic system enables the 20 ton crawler excavator to achieve millimeter level micro motion accuracy during pipeline lifting operations.
The breakthrough of micro devices is equally stunning. The latest 1-ton mini excavator is equipped with an intelligent power module that can automatically match the output power according to the type of equipment: when switching the crusher, the pressure is increased by 15%, and when using the grab bucket, the flow distribution is optimized. This adaptive ability reduces fuel consumption by 22% in seedling transplantation operations.
The transformation of military technology brings unexpected surprises. Wantong Hydraulic has transplanted the electric cylinder technology of missile launch devices to micro tracked excavators and developed a hydraulic system that can withstand low temperatures of -40 ℃, successfully entering the Nordic market. In terms of intelligent maintenance, the hydraulic cylinder is equipped with sensors that monitor pressure and temperature in real time, and transmit warning faults through 5G, reducing unexpected shutdowns of mini excavators by 60%.
The night shift records of open-pit coal mines in Inner Mongolia show that crawler excavators equipped with intelligent hydraulic systems have reduced their monthly failure time from 42 hours to 9 hours per unit.
Future Development Direction: Dual track Competition of Lightweight and Intelligent
Environmental regulations are driving technological iteration. Biodegradable hydraulic oil has entered the practical stage in Europe, coupled with copper free alloy seals, reducing soil pollution caused by leaked oil by 90%. This has strategic significance for compact excavators that often operate in ecologically sensitive areas.
Lightweight is still the key to winning mini excavators. The thin-walled oil cylinder, which is popular in the American market, adopts a special process to reduce wall thickness by 30% while maintaining the same pressure bearing capacity, making the overall weight of the 1.8-ton compact excavator exceed the 1-ton mark. The application of carbon fiber reinforced composite materials in the boom further increases the load capacity of micro devices by 10%;
Intelligent control will reshape the operational experience. The AI hydraulic system being tested by Liugong Laboratory can optimize parameters through self-learning based on historical data: when the installation of a crushing hammer is identified, the pressure of the overflow valve will be automatically increased; Switching the grab bucket enhances traffic stability. In the future, the cockpit of tracked excavators may only need to select the type of working condition, and the system will autonomously match the best hydraulic solution.
The integration of hydraulic systems and accessory technology is creating new markets. In a certain industrial park in Zhejiang, Sany Heavy Industry launched a small excavator rental package with "hydraulic system+6 types of accessories", and the customer utilization rate skyrocketed by 300%. Caterpillar's intelligent quick change interface even allows different tonnage tracked excavators to share accessories - with just one set of eagle beak scissors on the construction site, it can be used between 10 ton to 30 ton equipment.
With LiuGong introducing the service model of "billing based on working hours" into hydraulic system maintenance, the industry value war has shifted from steel machinery to full lifecycle services. Mini excavators and track excavators that turn hydraulic circuits into intelligent neural networks and interface attachments into universal ports are redrawing the boundary map of construction machinery.
At the same time, we will keep up with the times and develop and upgrade our own crawler excavators. Lead our products out of China and into the world.
