A soft touch

Control functions are undergoing a sweeping change as electronics take charge of hydraulic functions, helping to spark substantial growth in software and a shift to distributed intelligence.

Companies large and small have changed their software development programs to more standard approaches that focus heavily on software reuse. As the transition to electro-hydraulics occurs, the evolution is picking up speed.

“The control platforms we are developing now are quite a bit different than those of even two years ago,” said Greville Hampson, CEO at Axiomatic Technologies.