Innovative Designs and Control Circuits for Proportional Valves

Proportional valves for hydraulic and pneumatic applications are well developed and the technology behind it can be considered mature. The paper focuses on valves that are already on the market as well as on developments which can be observed at universities and their institutes or departments. For both fields - meaning hydraulics and pneumatics - the trend of integrating digital electronics into the components is treated and discussed. Developments accompanying these innovations include miniature, micro and low power valves as well as standards to drive these valves directly from a field bus. However, also innovations on the mechanic, electric or fluidic side on valves are remarkable and will be introduced to the reader.