Swash plate rethink boosts performance

By rethinking the way that swash plate pumps are designed, Linde Hydraulics says it has been able to increase the swash angle, resulting in larger swept volumes and higher power densities.

Traditional swash plate pumps incorporate a ball on the piston end of the axial rotating group that fits into a socket on the slipper pad. By placing the ball end on the slipper pad instead, the company can fit it inside the piston, reducing the pump`s overall length and increasing the swash angle from 18 to 21 degrees.

At the same time, Linde has introduced several cost-saving measures - such as improving manufacturing techniques and using the same rotating groups in both pumps and motors - that have cut pump prices by 5-20%.

The engineers have also developed a low-noise variant of the HPR-02 pump by analysing the frequencies and amplitudes of the sound emitted by the pumps. As a result they have been able to reduce the size of pressure ripples over a wide range of pressures and inputs speeds, producing sound level reductions of 2-4dB(A).

The new pumps are available for displacements of 55-210 cm3/rev. They are rated at 420 bar but can be used up to 500 bar.