Volvo Construction Equipment and Norrhydro develop digital hydraulic actuator

Volvo Construction Equipment and Finland’s Norrhydro have developed a digital hydraulic actuator that increases productivity while radically cutting fuel bills and CO2 emissions in construction applications. Volvo Construction Equipment claims, if widely adopted, the new technology could help the industry meet its sustainability ambitions while at the same time improving machine performance.

While the full details of the technology are closely guarded, the Norrhydro patented system, NorrDigi, uses a multi-chamber digital hydraulic actuator that improves system efficiency that much of a machine’s hydraulic system can be discarded or downsized. It removes the need for a main control valve – the heart of a traditional hydraulic system – along with excessive pump capacity, piping and hoses. It uses less energy and offers the prospect for downsizing the engine capacity.