Boom stability control technology consists of hydraulic and electronic components integrated into a system that reduces hydraulic boom oscillation up to 75% and boom settling time up to 90%. Indeed, these are impressive numbers coming from Eaton’s Hydraulics Div., Eden Prairie, Minn. The technology improves the performance, productivity and safety of boom-equipped machinery, such as concrete pump trucks, fire rescue vehicles, aerial work platforms, hydraulically controlled cranes, and agricultural sprayers, and enables active ride control for various construction equipment.
It’s all made possible by a proprietary control algorithm and Eaton’s CMA mobile valves, which feature active damping technology using the valve’s onboard sensing and independent metering capabilities to detect vibration and automatically stabilize the entire boom structure. Benefits include:
- rapid boom deployment and point-to-point movement
- enhanced placement accuracy
- a safe environment for those working from or around the boom
- high overall productivity for quicker project completion.
“Our boom stability technology delivers a whole new level of control, which we believe will be standard on next-generation boom-equipped platforms,” says Mike Rannow, engineering specialist, hydraulics, at Eaton. “In addition to performance and productivity gains, this technology has the potential to reduce labor costs, decrease component wear and maintenance downtime, and enable the use of lighter, less-costly boom structures.”
