KineSys drive systems

With around 10,000 employees worldwide, HYDAC is one of the leading suppliers of fluid technology, hydraulic and electronic equipment. The KineSys team is your partner for expertise in drive solutions relating to kinematic systems.

The name KineSys is based on a combination of the words kinematics and system.

KineSys variable-speed drives (DVA) are the perfect example of symbiosis between hydraulics and electronics. Thanks to the integrated closed-loop control, the drive motor can be adjusted according to requirements. This results in a major potential for energy savings, as energy is only made available if it is actually needed. Energy savings of up to 70% are possible, depending on the machine cycle. The condition-optimised adjustment of the KineSys solution reduces the power dissipation to a minimum. It also drastically reduces the complexity on the hydraulic side.

As they are easy to integrate and need no maintenance, HYDAC electric cylinders (HEZ) allow simple implementation of linear movements. The HEZ function is achieved with the following set-up:

A (gear) motor drives the spindle via a coupling that is mounted in the bearing housing via ball bearings. The threaded nut converts the rotary movement of the spindle into a linear movement, as the nut housing is secured against turning with plain bearing guides. The piston rod is driven by the connection with the nut housing. The motor's direction of rotation therefore causes the piston rod to extend or retract. The spindle’s rotational speed and the pitch of the thread determine the translational speed. The inside of the HYDAC electric cylinder is protected from environmental influences by a sealing system. To fasten the power unit, there is a pivot bracket on the bearing housing and a rod end bearing on the piston rod, for example.

The CO3 power unit is a very inexpensive compact hydraulic supply unit based on a variable-speed drive and full integration of the frequency inverter and cooling system. The main fields of application for this plug & play solution are machine tools - especially lathes.

The reason why variable-speed drives are considered particularly energy-efficient and quiet is that both the required flow rate and hydraulic power (and therefore the electric power) are provided to the consumer as needed. The hydraulic flow rate and rotational speed of the motor drops and the noise level of the fan and hydraulic pump is minimised. When no power is required, the drive train can even be switched off completely. This means that a variable-speed drive is much more quiet and energy efficient than conventional drives with a constant motor speed.

Electric cylinders (HEZ) are “self-contained axes”. The risk of environmentally harmful leakage is eliminated. Unlike a hydraulic system, no oil is taken in from a tank and fed into the hydraulic cylinders through all kinds of components. In an HEZ, no fluid “medium” is used to transmit force. This function is performed by the motor, transmission and spindle. The rotational movement of the motor is converted into a linear movement. Grease lubrication alone is needed to protect the components and reduce the internal friction. Harm to the environment can be prevented by using electric cylinders.

With variable-speed hydraulics, drive power, noise emissions, tank size and the frequency of maintenance can be reduced, helping to save even more resources in system operation.

When using electromechanical cylinders, oil no longer needs to be used as an operating fluid – the potential for contamination is further reduced.

HYDAC KineSys also aims to bring valuable materials back into the usage cycle. Our cover for the CO3 power unit is made from left-over packaging foil with aluminium content, which would otherwise be burnt, for example.

Variable-speed hydraulic and electromechanical cylinders are effectively adjusted to processes and contribute to increased performance. This reduces the complexity and increases the functionality.

Hydraulic and electromechanical drive systems are adapted to the application's functionalities. The energy requirement is precisely adjusted to the required cycle. This is how the drive power is provided as needed. The significantly lower power loss means that the hydraulic oil cooling is often no longer necessary. This has a twofold effect. Less energy is required for the hydraulic drive and energy is no longer required for cooling.

By switching from resistance control to displacement controlled hydraulics (variable-speed hydraulics), cooling can be omitted in many cases as there is significantly less heat input in the system. With electromechanical drive cylinders, no additional cooling is needed.

The drive controller acts as a central connection point for energy and communication and enables control, closed loop control, monitoring and remote control of the drive system. In addition, the clever combination of the drive controller and software allows the production process to be clearly monitored down to the component level and stored for quality purposes.