LUDV Control System

for Crawler Mounted Dozers and Loaders

LUDV Control System

for Crawler Mounted Dozers and Loaders

On the one hand, crawler mounted dozers and

loaders undergo heavy wear and tear due to the
service conditions they have to endure on difficult
terrain. On the other hand, these machines are
required to operate at speed and with precision
control, and also offer the driver a certain minimum
in operating comfort and convenience.
Similarly high requirements are placed on the service hydraulics, which have to be robust, reliable,
fast, sensitive and operate with no more than minimal energy loss.

System comparison
The fixed displacement pumps used in the past
have now been largely replaced by variable displacement pumps.
The reasons for this lie in the improved precision
control range and a better energy balance.

Fig. 1: Dozer

This simplified diagram shows the power consumed and utilised by the service hydraulics during a leveling operation. (Pump flow delivery for
the service hydraulics approx. Q = 170 l/min.)
The following service motions were used here as
the basis:
Dozing over distance of 100 m at approx.
12 km/h = 30 sec.
Lifting and lowering the blade at the
beginning and end of the run.
Compensatory motions applied to the blade
(Duration approx. 3 seconds, pump delivery
approx. 30 l/min)
One of the advantages of the variable displacement pump system lies in the precision control
range. The required flow distribution from the
pump can be performed in accordance with the

Edwin Harnischfeger
Rexroth Hydraulics
Lohr
Phone +49 (0) 93 52 18-32 05
Fax
+49 (0) 93 52 18-21 59
E-mail edwin.harnischfeger@rexroth.de

RE 00 207/10.00

Fig. 2: Performance

99

LUDV Control System

for Crawler Mounted Dozers and Loaders

needs of the actuator concerned independent of

load and with great accuracy. As the variable displacement pump only increases its delivery to precisely the level required, power loss is kept particularly small.
During the leveling operation without actuation of
the service hydraulics, the variable displacement
pump is kept at its minimum swivel angle, so reducing the power loss to virtually zero. In the case
of a fixed displacement pump, which on the other
hand constantly supplies a delivery flow, the power
loss is quite high.

LUDV control systems for crawler

mounted dozers and loaders
In order to accommodate the requirement for fast
operating cycles, good precision control and low
power losses, we have developed with M6-15 and
M6-22 LUDV (load independent flow distribution)
control blocks. These control blocks have been
designed with the needs of the crawler mounted
dozer and loader in mind.

Fig. 3: LUDV Control blocks M6-15/M6-22

Crawler type dozer

With crawler type dozers the emphasis is on high
lifting and lowering speeds for the blade and rearmounted scarifier. The lifting speeds are determined by the pump delivery flow. The required
velocities are achieved by virtue of the fact that the
pump delivers the oil to the smaller volume of the
cylinder. During the lowering function, it is the
larger volume of the cylinder that has to be filled
with oil. It is here that the problem of undersupply
can occur. In order to avoid cavitation, the oil displaced from the rod end of the cylinder must be
added to the pump delivery and fed into the cap
end of the cylinders.
The M6-15 and M6-22 control blocks are equipped
with a pressurising valve mounted on the tank side
which collects only the oil flowing to the tank from
the rod end and feeds it via additional anti-cavitation valves back into the non-loaded end of the
cylinder.
The fast-action lowering valves which are sometimes directly mounted on the lifting cylinders provide a direct link between the rod end and the cap
end. Faster lowering speeds can be achieved with
this connection. The float position control function
is performed by a 4-position spool or via the electrically operated float position valves.

100

Fig. 4: Hydraulic system for bulldozer

RE 00 207/10.00

LUDV Control System

for Crawler Mounted Dozers and Loaders

Crawler type loader

The service hydraulics of crawler type loaders are
similar to those of a wheeled loader.
Here too there is the problem of cavitation during
the rapid lowering operation. The cylinder arrangement in this case is, however, more favourable. The
degree of flow distribution performed at the pump
end for the lowering function can be relatively
minor because in this case the oil flowing out of
the cap end of the lifting cylinders is fed into the
rod end. The surplus oil flows via the pressurising
valve back to the tank.

Salient features of the M6-15

control block

Fig. 5: Hydraulic system for crawler loaders

Control monoblock, two section and three

section
Qmax 200 l/min, p pump side 350 bar,
actuator side 420 bar
Expandable to 7 axes through add-on of
further sections
Open centre - Closed centre LUDV
Priority valve
Preload valve
Additional anti-cavitation valve to prevent
cavitation
Pilot-controlled check valves for leak-free
load holding
Float position valve or 4-position spools

Fig. 6: Features on LUDV control block M6-15

RE 00 207/10.00

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LUDV Control System

for Crawler Mounted Dozers and Loaders

Salient features of the M6-22

control block
Control monoblock, 2 sections
Qmax 350 l/min, p pump side 350 bar,
actuator side 420 bar
Expandable to 7 axes through add-on of
further sections
Closed centre LUDV
Preload valve
Additional anti-cavitation valve to prevent
cavitation
Pilot-controlled check valves for leak-free
load holding (modified variant)
Float position valve
Dual actuator connections at the two section
monoblock

You can see from the above examples that even

with these heavily stressed machines the use of
variable displacement pump systems is quite justified. These systems are able to bring enormous
benefits in terms of their precision control capa-

bilities and energy balance. Thanks to the valves

specially developed for this application, these
machines have remained cost-efficient high performers that still enjoy considerable market acceptance.

Example application
The full control system of a crawler type dozer is
shown in this circuit diagram. The drive unit with
its diesel engine and power-regulated load sensing pump. The MHVD4-4 microcontroller that controls the travel (forward/reverse) and steering functions, and also feeds the requisite information to
the display. The pilot oil supply and the hydraulic
joystick for actuating the M6 control block.
The M6 control block incorporates the following
functions:
Blade lift - lower - float
Blade tilt
Rear scarifier lift - lower
Steering motor

Fig. 7: Features on LUDV control block M6-22

The priority function for the steering system is

implemented by a separate valve block.
In this example application, the blade lift function
must always be available with a minimum oil flow,
even when the priority actuator, in this case the
steering motor, is able to absorb more oil volume
than the pump can deliver.
Flow distribution for the individual actuators is
performed quite normally via the LUDV function.
The priority function is determined here by the pilot pressure.
A special valve was developed for this function. As
the pilot pressure for the steering motor increases,
the pilot pressure for the subordinate actuators is
decreased. This is performed by a pilot pressure
dependent pressure reducing valve. The minimum
oil flow with which the subordinate actuators are
to remain operable is adjustable.

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Fig. 8: Application dozer

RE 00 207/10.00