Applying the Electro-Hydraulic Servo Valve to Industry

The industrial control field is constantly adapting new techniques and procedures. These changes are motivated by industry's need to tum out their products faster and with greater precision. To make these improvements possible the manufacturers of mechanical, electrical, pneumatic, and hydraulic equipment are constantly developing new components and systems. Some components are developed on the basis of a general industry need and others for specific applications. The latter group of components, though designed for specific applications, become standard components as control-system designers begin to visualize how they may be applied to other control problems. The electro-hydraulic servo valve is in its transition period. The success achieved in military and machine-tool applications indicates that its potential for industrial control problems is very high. To apply the servo valve, the industrial control-system designer must become familiar with its functions, capabilities, reliability, economics, and some special considerations. These factors are quite interrelated and it is the over-all evaluation of these factors which determine its suitability. This paper hopes to assist the industrial-control field toward a better understanding of the servo valve.