Electric Actuators Present Emissions and Efficiency Benefits in Mobile Equipment
Hydraulic systems play an important part in the functionality of mobile off-highway equipment such as excavators and agricultural tractors. However, as manufacturers of these machines look to reach zero-emissions targets and improve efficiency, many are evaluating the replacement of hydraulics with electric actuator-based systems.
Currently there are only a couple of examples of fully electric machines which use electric actuation in place of hydraulic, one being in the scissor lift market and the other in the compact construction equipment market, said Kirk Martin, Sector Sales Director Mobile Machinery at Ewellix, a Schaeffler Company. He noted most projects taking place in the industry at the moment are on machines under 50 kW (75 hp).
Martin went on to say that applications with just one or two actuators are those that make the most sense to use electric in place of hydraulic. “It gets economically more challenging the more cylinders there are,” he said. Where Ewellix has so far seen electric actuators make the most sense are applications such as scissor lifts and some work trucks which do not have as many actuators as a machine like an excavator.
READ MORE: A Bright Future Ahead for Electric Actuators
In this interview with Power & Motion, Martin discusses the shift to electric actuation in mobile off-highway equipment, factors to consider when choosing to replace hydraulics and how he sees this trend progressing in the coming years.
