Drive by wire

Electronic Control System for Skid Steer Loaders

Drive by wire
Electronic Control System for Skid Steer Loaders

Introduction
The popularity of skid steer loaders is still growing
and the trend will continue as well in the future,
due to the compact size and excellent
manoeuvrability of these machines. Starting from
the classical US markets, these construction
machines have now also become established in
Europe and Asia. Around 90,000 such machines
will be built worldwide this year and the figure is
rising at a rate of roughly 10% per year. The
installed power and service weight of this class of
loaders are constantly reaching new dimensions.
Today, these machines are also used in the
extraction industry and in multi-shift operation.
This trend in particular, plus the fact that more and
more of these machines are being operated by hire
contractors, has prompted Rexroth to develop a
new electronic control system for the travel drive.
Before discussing this system in more detail. At first
let us have a brief look at the control systems
available on the market (Fig. 1/2).

Control system
Direct mechanical control

MD

approx. 50%

Pilot-operated mechanical control HW

approx. 35%

Direct hydraulic control

DG

approx. 15%

Electronic control

DE

Prototypes

Fig. 1

Operating weight
Effective load
Dimensions

Control Systems
Direct mechanical control
Most of the skid steer loaders feature this type of
control for the variable displacement pumps. With
this system, the two axial piston pumps are
controlled directly by means of two levers. The
actuating force on the lever increases as a function
of the swivel angle and pressure.
Pilot-operated mechanical control
With this type of control, a pilot valve is adjusted
in accordance with the stroke via levers and/or a
Bowden control. The pump is then adjusted via the
control pressure determined in the pilot valve.
Every movement of the control lever corresponds
to a certain pump displacement. The actuating
force on the lever is importantly lower than in the

Michael Frasch / VMT3/E

Brueninghaus Hydromatik GmbH
Elchingen Plant
Phone +49 (0) 7308 / 82 25 20
Fax
+49 (0) 7308 / 53 38
E-Mail michael.frasch@bru-hyd.com

RE 00 207/10.00

Market share

3200 kg
800 kg
Length
Width
Height

Power
Travel speed
Tractive effort

3,4 m
1,7 m
2,0 m

59 kW
1st gear
2nd gear

12 km/h
18 km/h

35 kN

Fig. 2: Performance data of prototypes

case of a pump with direct mechanical control, but

complex mechanical installation is still required.
Direct hydraulic control
In this case, the control pressure in the control
chambers of the travel pumps is specified via a
joystick with integrated pressure reducing valves.
Since the joysticks are almost of ergonomic design

and the low actuating forces required are not

dependent on load, this type of control is also
permiting fatigue-free operation over extended
periods of time. The disadvantage of the system is
lying in the complex hose connections required for
the hand-operated accelerator lever.

79

Drive by wire
Electronic Control System for Skid Steer Loaders

A new development by Rexroth

electronic drive by wire control
With this system, the control signals from the new
electronic signal generator M-Control are
processed by a type MC6 microcontroller and
forwarded to the proportional pressure reducing
valves integrated into the new compact pump
A20VG (Fig. 3/5). This concept offers a number of
advantages:
Ergonomically designed joysticks ensure
optimum handling
Low actuating forces regardless of load
Functional operation through switches in the
joystick
Optimum utilization of the available power
Speed-dependent steering
Variable lever resolution depending on speed
Compact components permit freedom of
design
Control system can be individually adjusted
to the momentary driver
Not dependent on temperature
Load limitation control
Easy maintenance with fault diagnosis and
fault memory
With S-curve or C-curve, as requested

M-Control

A20VG
Variable
displacement
double pump

MCR
Radial
piston motor

MikroMicrocontroller
controller
MC

MCV
Control block

Fig. 3

Advantages of electronic control

Ergonomically designed joysticks
Low actuating forces regardless of load
More convenient

Functional operation
Individual adjustment of the control system
Optimum utilization of power
Speed-dependent steering

Optimized functionality

Individual adjustment of the control system

Improved precision controllability
S-curve or C-curve
Load limitation control

Reliable operation

Not dependent on temperature

Freedom of design

Maintenance

Diagnostic function
Recall current operating data
Less fuel consumption

Protection of the environment

Less noise
Less tyre wear

Fig. 4

80

RE 00 207/10.00

Drive by wire
Electronic Control System for Skid Steer Loaders

Forward

Right

Left

Reverse

Of all the advantages mentioned above, attention

has to be drawn in particular to the freedom of
design, the load limitation control and the variable lever range.
Due to the new signal generator M-Control, this
element can now be integrated directly into the
safety-bar armrest without requiring complex hose
connections. The compact A20VG variable
displacement pump is creating further space in the
machine (Fig. 6). By using these components, the
floor of the loader can now be encapsulated, thus
reducing the level of noise.

M-Control

Microcontroller
MB1 B1

B2 MB2

MCV
A10VO
1PF2G2

X1 X2 MA1 A1

G A2 MA2 X3 X4

Fig. 5: Circuit diagram of the A20VG45DE

Fig. 6

RE 00 207/10.00

As these machines are more and more applied

owned by hire contractors, they are also operated
by drivers with very different skills. Electronic
control is a useful aid for inexperienced machine
operators in particular. The engine is frequently
overloaded by inexperienced drivers when digging
into the heap, as power is consumed by both the
travel drive and the implement hydraulics at that
moment. Without the necessary fingertip control,
the engine will normally stall or the machine will
become embedded in soft ground. The integrated
load limitation control is preventing the engine
being strained or stalled; the extent to which the
wheels dig into soft ground is similarly reduced.
Load limitation control also makes it possible to
set the engine speed selected via the handoperated accelerator lever to less than the
maximum speed of the engine. In this way, fuel
consumption and emissions can be reduced while
maintaining almost the same amount of goods, as
the full power of the engine is usually needed for
a brief moment only. Variable resolution of the lever
stroke over the ground speed is another feature
of the electronic control. The momentary ground
speed can be set as the new maximum speed via
a switch in the joystick and the lever resolution is
now spread to the new maximum speed. This is
resulting in considerably better precision
controllability and is important when working with
trench milling units or when pushing off and
levelling.

81

Drive by wire
Electronic Control System for Skid Steer Loaders

Variable displacement double pump A20VG

M-Control

Microcontroller
Radial piston motor MCR
Fig. 7

Components (Fig. 7)
Signal generator
The M-Control has been specially developed by the
Rexroth Hydraulics division for use in mobile
machines and is characterized by a robustly
mounted control lever, large range of ambient
temperatures and a high protection class for the
electronics. Movement of the lever is detected via
contactless sensors based on the magnetoresistive
principle and processed by an internal
microprocessor. A potential of 0.5 to 4.5 Volt is
used as the output signal. Up to four switches for
special functions can be integrated into the
ergonomically shaped hand-operated lever.
Microcontroller
A number of different microcontrollers are
available, depending on requirements, i.e. the
number of inputs and outputs required. The
MC6H/32 and MC6E/32 controllers developed by
the Brueninghaus Hydromatik division for
applications in mobile machines are designed for
programmable control of electroproportionally
adjustable axial piston pumps. In addition to the
pump control, other electrical actuators can also
be controlled by the microcontroller, including
actuators for switching travel motors over from
working to transport speed or for applying and
lifting the parking brake.

82

Prospects
Travel pump
A compact medium-pressure tandem pump has
been developed by Brueninghaus Hydromatik for
use as travel pump. Two A10 rotary groups are
arranged back-to-back in the new A20VG 45. The
advantage of such an arrangement lies in the
extremely compact size. The A20VG is roughly 16%
shorter than the standard tandem pump
A10VG 45 + A10VG 45. The internal feed pump
has been omitted, since the implement hydraulics
pump normally acts as supply via a flow divider or
via a pressurized return line. The pump is controlled
via separate proportional pressure reducing valves
for each control chamber. The A20VG is also
available with direct hydraulic control with and
without DA control cartridge (Fig. 6).

Electronic control systems for the travel drive will

be a genuine alternative to the former drive
concepts, particularly for machines in the upper
performance range. Sooner or later, electronically
controlled travel drives will prove their value,
particularly as electronic systems have taken over
major control and monitoring functions in more
and more construction machines. Electronic control
of an LUDV control block for the implement
hydraulics has already been realized in a prototype
in combination with a load-sensing variable
displacement pump, but the system is not yet ready
for production in series.

Travel motors
As a rule, a radial piston motor of type MCR with
constant displacement will be used for each side
of the vehicle. These motors then drive the wheels
via chains or gear wheels. Multi-speed radial piston
motors are used here as higher ground speeds are
increasingly being demanded, particularly for
larger compact loaders. The new 4-port radial
piston motors no longer have a preferred direction
of travel and are therefore ideal for mobile loaders.
The division ratio of Vgmax to Vgmin is normally
2:1, but other ratios can also be supplied.

RE 00 207/10.00