Sorting Out the Difference Between M2M and IoT

Today, planters typically drive tractor pressure to high-pressure standby, generating excess heat and reducing fuel efficiency when tractor remotes are used to power fans, compressors and fertilizer pumps. Hydraulic downforce systems can also require high pressure at low flow driving the tractor to maximum pressure. 

Multiple planter systems are typically controlled using the main tractor directional valve. The tractor pump usually operates at max pressure during planting creating: 

• Excess heat 
• Reducing fuel efficiency 

The Parker application solution Dedicated low volume piston pump for hydraulic downforce  

By using a dedicated pressure-compensated pump driven by the tractor’s PTO to power the planter hydraulic downforce system, the tendency for the tractor pump to operate at high-pressure standby is reduced, thereby reducing a major contributor to excess heating and poor fuel consumption. Pump should be low displacement, sized to handle downforce flow needs. Pump also provides supply pressure to operate the Power Beyond pump. 

The pump has a secondary function by providing a pressure source for a proportional pressure control valve which can be intelligently controlled via the tractor power beyond load dense port. 

    Intelligently controlled tractor pump through power beyond 

By intelligently controlling a tractor pump by using the tractors power beyond option, the planter has complete control of the pump providing freedom to design and control the planter as desired. Pressure sensors at the fan and fertilizers functions allow for intelligent electric load sense, removing the need for additional hoses.

    Potential Energy Savings

By separating the hydraulic downforce from the other planter functions, the tractor and planter power usage is optimized, reducing heat and therefore improving overall efficiency and component life. By controlling the tractor pump directly the planter is free to control the fan, fertilizer, and other accessory functions more intelligently.

The Parker component solution  

Parker's extensive knowledge of the agriculture industry and understanding of the challenges farmers face help to shape integrated products and services that simplify installation and equipment service, reduce noise and drive performance. Doing so enables farmers to improve efficiency, reduce operating costs and comply with industry regulations, so they can focus on their critical role in our society. 

The P1M-28 is a low displacement pump that is ideal for providing only the flow needed for downforce systems at the pressure required.  The P1M Series delivers higher speeds and efficiency that increases machine productivity, reduces costs, and extends pump life in a robust, compact envelope. 

Parker’s EPR series of valves is an ideal valve choice when Intelligently controlling load sense systems for hydraulic devices up to 285 bar (4,000 psi).   

The EPR valve’s market-leading performance features the capability to handle flow rates up to 60 lpm (15 gpm) and can control pressures as high as 285 bar (4,000 psi). For systems with pressures less than 70 bar (1,000 psi), a slip-in style is available, otherwise a threaded screw-in style connection is available for systems with pressure in excess of 70 bar (1,000 psi), making the EPR a versatile addition for numerous applications. 

The Parker Global Mobile Systems engineering team and Hydraulic Pump and Power Systems Division's application engineering experts are available to assist our customers in designing and implementing new systems to meet your application needs.

 

This article was contributed by David Schulte, P.E., senior systems engineer, Parker Hannifin Corporation.   

 

 

 

 

 

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Defining Our Unique Contribution to the World

The safe navigation of ships in challenging marine environments is a testament to the skill of the crew and the performance of the equipment they use. In offshore applications, the ambient environment can become hugely unpredictable, with wildly fluctuating temperature, humidity and vibration. This puts instrumentation and automation equipment under extreme duress, at a time when the performance of such systems is most critical to operators. 

Fortunately, mandatory marine type approval exists to ensure that safety-critical apparatus installed on any classified vessel is fit for the task at hand. The stringent UR-E10 test specification from the International Association of Classification Societies, for example, provides strict criteria for the test requirements for electrical, electronic and programmable equipment intended for control, monitoring, alarm and protection systems for use in ships and other offshore applications.  

At its heart, UR-E10 demonstrates the ability of equipment to function as intended under specified testing conditions - which is a comforting thought in marine and other offshore environments, no doubt, as the waves swell and the weather closes in. 

 

Designing for stringent standards 

For equipment suppliers, meeting the requirements of UR-E10 is a result of considered design at every stage of the product development process, with engineers working hard to ensure that equipment meets strict electrical, Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) and environmental performance expectations. For UR-E10, specifically, there are a whole host of multi-point tests covering varied aspects of performance including an external power supply failure test, Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) and surge immunity, dry and damp heat, vibration and flame retardancy, to name but a few. 

Achieving marine certification is, therefore, no mean feat. That’s why here at Parker, we are pleased to announce that the Pro Display 10 human-machine interface has now achieved UR-E10 and also fulfills Electromagnetic Comapatility (EMC) requirements for installations in general power distribution zones providing customers with a space-saving, cost-effective and reliable Human Machine Interface (HMI) solution for marine and other offshore applications.  

As well as guaranteeing performance in the harshest conditions, the Pro Display 10 comes with a full set of functions to support marine crews. The rugged 10-inch display module features multi-touch capability for ease of operation, even in the roughest of seas. The touchscreen interface enables rapid and accurate interaction with the display’s apps, although the platform can also be controlled using remote buttons or a pulse wheel if preferred.  

Furthermore, the use of in-plane switching (IPS) screen technology results in crystal clear images with impressive colour reproduction from wide viewing angles – a particularly important consideration in the highly variable light conditions that may be encountered in marine environments. 

 

Intuitive software delivers results 

In terms of software development, Pro Display is an app-based platform and provides tools for fast and advanced application development. Parker’s UX Toolkit enables better usability for customer HMI applications, by bringing modern features such as dynamic user interface, fluid UI animations, and easy-to-use and intelligent data management. With Pro Display, marine customers can deploy customized HMI functions such as machine functionality, diagnostics, data monitoring and visualization and work management. 

Moreover, Pro Display 10 can be a central HMI unit in a system or serve as a stand-alone display. A wide variety of communication interfaces supports versatile use within marine applications. For example, four CAN buses and Ethernet support communication for various systems in the application.  Besides the two analog camera interfaces, a number of IP-cameras can also be connected to via Ethernet switch or a WLAN access point. 

 

Meeting marine and offshore expectations 

The result, then, is a product that performs at the highest levels in the harshest conditions. And that’s what marine crews and offshore operators demand as they combine their skills and experience with cutting-edge technology to ensure safety at sea. 

 

Learn more about Parker Pro Display HMI solutions.

 

This article was contributed to by Mikko Konttila, Mobile Hydraulic Systems Division Europe, Electronic Controls Business Unit Parker Hannifin Manufacturing Finland Oy.

 

 

 

 

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By replacing the previously used steering cylinders with Parker’s sliding spline rotary actuator technology, Huron Manufacturing was able to solve the issues that were inherent with the hydraulic cylinders. By incorporating helical, hydraulic rotary actuators to steer the four tracks on its Easi-Pour Compact 880 slipform paver, Huron Manufacturing was able to provide its customers with a machine that accomplishes what used to require multiple machines. 

The compact Easi-Pour machine can be used for large or small jobs ranging from tight radius curbs, gutters, and sidewalks to surface grade preparation and trimming. 
 

“Our customers are impressed with what this Easi-Pour can do – which is essentially everything. They can buy the less expensive Easi-Pour, yet get the same versatility found in larger slipform pavers ... While it’s rare that a contractor attempts a radius as tight as two feet, this machine can actually turn and hold grade even tighter than that.”

— Murray Serfling, engineering manager at Huron Manufacturing 

 

Finding the right steering solution

Huron Manufacturing replaced the previously used steering cylinders with Paker's Helac sliding spine rotary actuator technology. Hydraulic cylinders offered a turning radius of only 60° - 30° left and 30° right – compared to the 180° of rotation offered by the rotary actuator. The former steering configuration also required multiple mechanical linkage components that needed to be machined and welded together, which is characteristic to this type of design. Parker’s rotary actuator technology offers a cylindrical housing that contains all moving parts safely inside. The rotary actuators not only become the steering unit for all four tracks but provide the support of the load and the hydraulic turning power as well.

Huron Manufacturing also had maintenance and machine performance issues with the steering cylinders from all the pivot pins as well as the pins to keep bearings mounted between caster plates. The machine operators needed to make sure the pins were kept tight, and the bearings had to be greased regularly. The machine wouldn’t operate properly if the pins holding the bearing loosened. With the Parker solution bearings, seals, and torque-generating elements are all completely sealed and lubricated by the hydraulic fluid inside the actuator housing, resulting in low maintenance and zero leakage. The use of mechanical drives – chains and linkages – with the cylinders also limited the vertical and horizontal positioning of the tracks. However, the rotary actuators provide steering feedback through a transducer mounted at the end of each actuator.

 

The Easi-Pour in action

The Easi-Pour Compact 880 pours barriers to 42 inches high, paves up to eight feet widths, and handles any tasks that fall in between these specifications. After an accompanying transit mixer pours concrete mixture into its conveyor hopper, the Easi-Pour’s auger moves materials across the machine to a slipform mold that’s located at road level. As the paver travels forward, a hydraulic vibrator helps shape the concrete in a mold, guided by a stringline sensing system also manufactured by Huron. The stringline system automatically ensures perfect steering and grade by incorporating five sensors – two steering, two grade, and one cross-level control. The 880 machine also comes with a grade trimmer with a standard width of 51 inches to trim high spots from the road surface.

Huron’s Easi-Pour matches up well against industry alternatives. In addition to the tighter turning radius, this low-profile machine allows the operator excellent visibility of all the machine’s operations. It features the industry’s largest concrete hopper, yet requires no breakdown for transport. All Easi-Pours feature four-leg stability, and all legs are capable of hydraulically sliding to accommodate essentially any paving configuration. Most importantly, safety, durability, and long life are engineered into every Easi-Pour.

 

Fully hydraulic operation

The Easi-Pour Compact 880 is entirely hydraulically operated and does not come with any mechanical drives. Hydraulics in the form of helical, hydraulic rotary actuators are used to operate its four-track steering system. The actuators are rated to 3,000 psi. The four tracks are driven hydraulically through two-speed piston motors – low speed during forming operations, and high speed for travel around the job site.

The track drives are rated to 4,500 psi with a total flow of 49 gallons per minute (GPM). The hydraulic driver trimmer drive uses a closed-circuit piston pump operating at pressure to 4,500 psi, with flow to 36 gpm. The machine’s conveyor and hopper auger are driven by a gear pump with a manual hand valve to regulate speed. The conveyor and hopper’s operating pressure is 2,500 psi, requiring up to 25 GPM flow from the gear pump. Elevation and steering pressures of the machine top out at 2,200 psi, supplied by a pressure compensated, open-circuit pump. 12-V solenoid valves are used to control all the functions performed by the pressure-compensated pump.

 

Additional benefits

The advantages of the actuator technology go far beyond eliminating the cylinder steering. 

 

“We’ve used Helac actuators for two other machines in the past, including our milling and mining machines for 4-wheel steering and conveyor positioning. The products continue to be durable and reliable and are incredibly easy to design into any of our machines,”

— Murray Serfling, engineering manager at Huron Manufacturing 

 

Helac actuators improved the overall appearance of the Easi-Pour 880 machine with their clean package that’s compact and doesn’t interfere with other functions. Improved performance of the slipform paver was an additional benefit of the rotary actuator.

The torque output generated by the Parker's Helac L30 Series actuator gave the Easi-Pour machine the power to make much tighter turns than many comparable machines in the industry. The quality of the pour also improved because the height of the drive tracks could be independently controlled without impacting the steer capability. 

 

Actuator operation technology

The cutaway above shows the initial position of piston and output shaft. Pressurized fluid entering inlet port A displaces the piston; a stationary ring gear causes the piston to rotate clockwise. At right, teeth on the output shaft mesh with those on the ID of the piston, causing the shaft to rotate clockwise relative to the piston. Pressurizing port B returns the piston and shaft to their initial positions.

 

Operating technology is the key to the benefits of Parker’s hydraulic rotary actuator. Its design affords a unique combination of features not found in other rotary positioning components – high torque and moment loads, high angles of rotation, and compact configurations. Its sliding-spline operating technology is designed to replace multiple components and function as a rotating device, mounting bracket, and bearing, all in one. The design of Parker’s rotary actuators systematically converts linear piston motion into powerful shaft rotation. Each actuator is composed of two moving parts – a central shaft and piston. Helical spline teeth on the shaft engage matching teeth on the piston’s inside diameter. When hydraulic pressure is applied to the piston, it moves axially, while the spline causes the piston and output shaft to rotate simultaneously.

 

To learn more about Parker’s hydraulic rotary actuators, please visit our website.

 

This article was contributed by Jessica Howisey, marketing communications manager and Daniel Morgado, applications engineer, Helac Business Unit, Cylinder Division

 

 

 

 

 

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