Liebherr Advances Force Measurement for Hydraulic Cylinders

Liebherr, of Nussbaumen, Switzerland, and one of the world’s largest construction equipment manufacturers, recently announced its development of a new type of force measurement in its hydraulic cylinders that helps measure static as well as dynamic tensile and compressive loads precisely and dynamically.

At its facility in Kirchdorf an der Iller, Germany, Liebherr’s components product segment increasingly focuses on sensor solutions and their efficient use in hydraulic cylinders. One driver, for example, is force measurement within the cylinder. It is always advantageous when precise and dynamic values of the forces prevailing within the hydraulic cylinder are required. This is the case when monitoring loads in excavators and cranes. Users can avoid dangerous situations during crane operation and improve the machine’s efficiency. The prevailing force in the cylinder is conventionally determined indirectly via the oil pressure. These measured values are prone to error due to internal friction, for example. This is why Liebherr relies on direct force measurement via strain with the force measurement sensor.

The internal measuring points track both tensile and compressive forces, regardless of lateral forces and torques.

Liebherr force measurement on the hydraulic cylinder is a functioning sensor prototype. It stands out in particular due to its high diversity in application. During the design phase, Liebherr’s development team checks and takes into account individual adaptations with regard to the operator’s wishes and needs. This allows Liebherr to offer customized solutions.

Improved force measurement brings further advantages, including, for example, increased performance of assistance systems through optimized sensitivity. Thanks to highly dynamic and precise measurement, longer service life is also possible in the future. This will play a decisive role not only in condition monitoring but also in downsizing.

For more information, visit www.liebherr.com.

• fluid power
• force measurement
• hydraulic cylinders
• hydraulics
• Liebherr