Hydraulic Technology Applied in European Excavators

The mobile hydraulic excavator has influenced high pressure hydraulic development more than any other type of equipment. Since the introduction of the first hydraulic excavators in Europe the search for higher operating pressure while retaining compact components, has been critical in the development of more powerful hydrostatic drives. A major breakthrough was achieved when variable displacement axial piston pumps equipped with horsepower control and multiple spool directional control valves (monoblocks) were made available to excavator manufacturers. With the ability of these hydrostatic components to handle higher operating pressures, and the on-going development for larger pumps and actuators, the production of bigger and more powerful hydraulic excavators has become possible.