Dynamically Control Travel and Working Hydraulic Functions
The hydraulics industry hasn’t seen significant change in decades: with mature technology and widely accepted rules of thumb, most machine builders and operators have come to accept that today’s hydraulics are as good as it gets. But what if software—not hardware—held the next breakthrough in hydraulic control? By integrating electronics and software, traditional mechanical open loop pump controls for pressure compensation, load sense, horsepower, and displacement can now be combined into a single pump. The Bosch Rexroth Electronic Open Circuit (eOC) system redefines what’s possible in working hydraulics by giving machine builders and operators the power to dynamically configure Bosch Rexroth pumps in real-time. With the electronification of axial piston units, hydro-mechanical control functions and interfaces are transferred into software to enable customizable control modes and adjustable hydraulic pump dynamics during operation.
Using just a laptop, machine builders can set and change pump dynamics, monitor performance, and optimize machine operation safely and efficiently, all while the machine is running. With eOC dynamic pump control, complexity in the hydraulic system is handled via software, revealing new potential for mobile machines by making them more productive, more responsive, and easier to adjust to operating conditions.
eOC Features and Benefits
Productivity and Performance
- Improved machine performance and productivity
- Precise, adaptable power control
- Improved disturbance response
- No need for live configuration work
Flexibility and Customization
- Variable control parameter
- Variable machine dynamics
- Eliminated reliance on fixed mechanical controls
Logistics and Simplification
- Improved machine performance and productivity
- Precise, adaptable power control
- Improved disturbance response
- No need for live configuration work
Efficiency and Energy Savings
- Variable control parameter
- Variable machine dynamics
- Eliminated reliance on fixed mechanical controls
eOC Pump: The Central Component for Simple Hydraulic Control
The heart of the Electroic Open Circuit system is the integration of sensors and software that work together to electronically control open-circuit hydraulic pumps. The system includes a swivel angle sensor and pressure sensors that precisely monitor pump behavior and ensure proper control of setpoint values for torque, pressure, or flow. By replacing many traditional hydraulic control components with intelligent software, eOC pump control allows for variable pump dynamics, independent control of hydraulic parameters, seamless switching or combining of control modes in operation, and real-time configuration through a laptop or CAN interface.
eOC Software for Mobile Machine Optimization
The eOC software communicates via a CAN interface to continuously adjust pump output based on real-time application data, allowing for precise control of machine behavior under changing load conditions. Users can modify control modes individually or together during operation, adjusting the pump’s dynamics and control strategy to match application needs. Pressure, torque, flow, and the swivel angle are controlled independently in an electronically closed control circuit. The constant adaptation to the hydraulic power and available engine torque increases the overall productivity of working machines and optimizes energy consumption.
A Focus on Travel Drive
The Electronic Open Circuit architecture offers a fresh approach to travel drive systems in compact mobile machinery. Using a secondary control concept achieves the functionality of a closed-circuit travel drive while maintaining the layout of an open circuit—requiring just one pump for both travel and working hydraulics. This secondary approach significantly reduces system complexity: travel direction and brake valves are no longer needed, and the component count is minimized. All complexity is shifted into the eOC software, which simplifies system integration, improves machine responsiveness, and creates more design freedom.