Delta Fluidpower’s Dual Input Flow Meter Assembly (DIFMA) is an exciting, new product to the market! It offers users an unprecedented level of safety and cost saving benefits to previous methods of hydraulic flow testing.
Excavator maintenance is now safer and easier with the DIFMA!
REDUCE COSTS
– Reduce fuel burn
– Increase pump reliability
– Diagnose pump problems before failure
FULL TRAINING AND SUPPORT INCLUDED
INCREASE SAFETY
– Remove personnel from the line of fire from high pressure and high temperature hydraulic oil
REDUCE THE RISK OF FLUID INJECTION INJURIES
REDUCE CARBON EMISSIONS
The DIFMA was borne out of a need for a safer way to flow test large excavators, especially Hitachi excavators after several manually operated flow meter failures and a serious incident at a mine site. Our product provides a way of removing the maintainers from the line of fire, whilst also speeding up the labour intensive and time consuming process. The added bonus was an extremely high degree of accuracy and repeatability in the testing process, with all results data logged and stored, for review either during or after the test day is complete.
The DIFMA test unit has the ability to have two pumps connected into the inlet side with a single high flow outlet back to tank. The load valves and flow turbines are capable of flows up to 600L/min with relief pre-set at 350 BAR. All control and data logging of the DIFMA’s functions are via remote control with lead lengths of around 10 meters, but longer leads are available if required. The flow meter allows personnel to be away from any high pressure during the testing process. From its inception to its current version, the DIFMA has continued to provide accurate readings with total control of the system at all times. This high quality product has had continuous refinement over three years and more than 2000 individual pump tests.
THE OLD METHOD of Hydraulic Flow Testing
Stop using this OLD method of hydraulic flow testing. This method requires the maintainer to be beside dangerous high pressure while conducting tests. With manually adjusted dials, it is difficult to generate accurate and repeatable results which means maintenance and diagnosis is more like ‘guess work’.
Many sites have deemed this testing method as high risk.
Why is the DIFMA better?
DIFMA is a Complete Mobile Test Unit!
Not just standard flow meters but a complete mobile hydraulic pump control test unit with multiple controlled pump functions including flow rate, load and auxiliary functions.
KEY FEATURES INCLUDE:
- Increased Pump Reliability – pump and pump regulators making life of component hours due to consistent and regular testing regime.
- Improved Fuel Burn Results and correct hydraulic system running temperatures are achieved due to optimised pump control system.
- Pre-defined Test Programs allow for absolute repeatability between tests.
- Inbuilt Sequencing of Control Events ensure systems are tested without shock loads or rapid pressure spikes.
- Quick and Easy setup and use.
- Extremely accurate and repeatable.
- Accurate Controls – pump load and flow control adjusted at the twist of a dial. No manual valves or taps. Required pressure and load can be achieved, held, brought to zero and back up to desired setting at the press of a button.
- Fully Data Logged – before and after results easily extracted into graphical form (see examples below) for critical analysis and interpretation. Machine histography easily tracked and traced.
- Greater insight into pump and system state.
- Compact and ergonomically designed.
- All components minimum IP66 rated.
Award Winning Safety
An earlier prototype of the DIFMA was awarded “Highly Commended” at the 2018 Queensland Mining Industry Health & Safety Conference. The product has been further developed since then, to be a world-leading integrated control device with extremely high data acquisition, repeatability and accuracy.
This graph is an example of the collective data taken from an entire pump group using the DIFMA. This was from the LHS of a Hitachi EX5600-6 before and after flow tuning the entire pump group and you can see the near 10% fuel saving (orange line) just from one side. Without this hydraulic flow tuning and the accuracy the DIFMA provides, this machine could use more than 1000 litres of excess fuel per shift, plus accelerated component wear, system damage and overheated hydraulic oil causing drastically increased ‘varnish’ levels.
This graph shows an individual pump test of the same EX5600-6 as above. The black dotted lines are the OEM set points for their pumps, which before tuning was well above the set drop off points in the higher flow rates. It shows that this one pump was requiring an extra 40kW. When combined with the other 5 pumps of the LHS, resulted in an extra 110kw demand on the engine and when multiplied across all pumps results in:
- the engine bogging down and ‘hunting’
- increased fuel burn
- not making 24hr refuel times
- lost productivity
- more downtime
- increased component wear
- higher running temps
This recording is an example of the information that can be “seen” by the DIFMA. This graph shows high flow disturbance on a pump. This pump was removed on a planned service shutdown as a preventative maintenance measure. The tear down report showed the early stages of port plate separation on the rear barrel, which would have ended in a catastrophic failure if left in service, a full hydraulic system clean, excessive downtime and the potential for further failures of other pumps in the system due to system contamination and collateral damage.
This information and data is not available using the conventional methods of flow tuning. Delta Fluidpower and the DIFMA offer unprecedented levels of insight and information for the end user to make the best possible decisions about the state of their hydraulic systems and machines.
This pump was removed before failure in service and was sent away for a tear-down. The level of port plate separation (shown here) discovered on the rear barrel would have resulted in catastrophic failure in the near future.
Delta Fluidpower can recommend a complete tuning regime that we have found to be highly successful to help maximise reliability and machine efficiency.
Delta Fluidpower can also assist with training in the use of the DIFMA, flow testing methods and analysis of results to help upskill your personnel.
Help your maintenance team take ownership of your machines while keeping them safe!
For more information please get in touch.