Public Funding for JOHN Hyde Engineering Limited

"Off-road work vehicles such as excavators, wheel loaders and forklift trucks use hydraulic systems for propulsion and for work functions, such as digging and lifting. The ""analog"" technology of conventional hydraulics suffers from comparatively poor efficiency, and is difficult to interface to computer controls. Pure electric drives however struggle to meet the high forces and powers required at acceptable cost in this tough environment. The industry urgently needs new solutions to deliver the major CO2 reductions demanded by society, at a cost the market will accept. This project aims to introduce to the market a disruptive technology called ""Digital Displacement"", a fundamental re-invention of hydraulic power for the digital age. Combining rugged mechanics with electronics and embedded software, these intelligent machines are digital from the ground up. Energy losses are reduced dramatically, and new efficient system architectures are made possible, enabling energy to be recovered and re-used. This is already proven to lower fuel consumption between 20% and 40%, and has potential for more than 50% reduction when fully developed. Whether machines are powered by engines or electricity in future, it offers the most efficient way to control the high-force multi-axis movements of heavy machinery. These new machines will offer significant operating cost reductions due to reduced fuel consumption and higher productivity, without requiring expensive or rare materials or exotic production processes to manufacture. By developing a family of modular products for UK and global vehicle manufacturers, the project will bring those benefits to a wide range of off-road vehicles. The project combines the technology of UK digital hydraulic pioneer Artemis Intelligent Power, with the experience and scale of Danfoss Power Solutions, one of the world's leading Tier 1 suppliers to the off-road vehicle market. By developing the practical skills needed to deploy and service and this new technology at Robbie Fluid Engineering, a forward-looking small business, and the scientific and technical skills needed to develop it in partnership with the University of Edinburgh, it will position the UK at the centre of a ""digital revolution"" in the off-road vehicle industry."