Renishaw AM system chosen for hydraulic valve production

Bristol-based Domin, a fluid power specialist, has invested in a RenAM 500Q additive manufacturing system at its new Technogy Centre to meet growing demand for its high-performance and energy-efficient hydraulic valves.

Domin will use the system to design and manufacture a competitive range of servo proportional hydraulic valves, aiming to save the industry one gigatonne of CO² by 2030.

Metal AM allows Domin to design complex geometries with internal features, such as highly efficient, stiff structures, that would not be possible using conventional subtractive manufacturing methods. Now, the fluid power specialist can produce single parts with a good strength-to-weight ratio, while also reducing waste. Domin has also combined AM with other innovations like high-speed motor control, modern electronics, big data and connected technology, to create a range of four servo proportional hydraulic valves.

Domin designed the new range of hydraulic valves to satisfy the rigorous demands of fluid control systems in industries including automotive, aerospace and manufacturing. It will use Renishaw’s RenAM 500Q system to build the valves at its new Technology Centre in Pucklechurch, near Bristol, where it is consolidating its manufacturing from one Polish and two UK facilities.

Domin CEO Marcus Pont said: “We designed these servo valves to achieve a better-performing, more sustainable product at a lower price point. The success of these valves in a broad range of applications means demand is outpacing what we can supply. Renishaw is the go-to choice for coupling productivity with quality, and we expect that the increased capacity the new AM system provides will allow us to maintain low production turnround times and deliver consistently high quality to our growing customer base.”

Bryan Austin, director of AM sales at Renishaw, said: “With four high-power 500W lasers able to access the whole powder bed surface simultaneously, the RenAM 500Q system achieves significantly higher build rates than previous systems, which vastly improves productivity and lowers cost per part.

“This productivity enabled Domin to take its range to market competitively. Their valves require high precision machining to achieve tight tolerances and accurate positioning, and use high-grade materials to ensure strong chip shear and durability. Domin wants to manufacture them at scale and our RenAM 500Q system makes meeting these requirements possible.”

Renishaw’s RenAM 500Q system also features an intelligent gas flow system that provides superior removal of process emissions from the laser path, resulting in a stable processing environment that has measurably driven up quality standards to levels not previously achieved with metal AM technologies.

Mr Pont continued: “Most hydraulic systems today only operate at 23% efficiency, resulting in the wastage of billions of kW/hrs every year. Globally, hydraulics produces twice the CO₂e emissions of the aerospace industry. Over its lifetime, each of these game-changing valves has the potential to save multiple tonnes of CO₂e, and with them we can spearhead the advance of the fluid power industry towards a sustainable future.”

Mr Austin concluded: “Domin is a great example of cutting-edge British engineering, and exactly the kind of innovator that is going to help ameliorate the climate crisis. These high-performance valves show how AM is increasingly suitable for high-specification, high-production applications where it was previously uneconomic.”

For further information on the RenAM 500Q system, visit the website here.