232 Mobile 2006 Boom and Arm Control Bosch Rexroth AG Bosch Rexroth AG Boom and Arm Control
xroth AG Bosch Rexroth AG Boom and Arm Control
Function
Increasingly stringent demands placed on boom and arm controls range
from more precise positioning to an increase in the working speed during
handling operations. The interaction of components offered by Rexroth
allows movements to be controlled in nearly all applications and opera-
tional states.
Cost
The modular principle for pumps, valves and electronics in conjunction
with application-specific features of individual products allow a holistic
examination of the individual systems and therefore represent the eco-
nomic basis of competitive machines.
Mobile 2006 233
Compact, stable and integrated
Modular Boom and Arm Control
The principle of boom and arm control can be found in completely different
fields of mobile applications. The basic principle is the same for all applica-
tions. The working point is located at the end of the arm and must be moved
in the three coordinate directions X, Y and Z. This movability is achieved with
a slew function and several folding and/or extension functions. Nevertheless,
depending on the machine type, the requirements differ so strikingly that dif-
ferent technical solutions may be required. But the commercial aspect must
also not be neglected with these technically optimized systems. For this rea-
son, Rexroth developed the M4 valve family for arm and boom control. Struc-
tured according to the modular principle, the valves can be used as standard
components for optimized solutions and can hence cover the required func-
tionality of the individual machine types.
Andreas Wolf
Lohr (D)
234 Mobile 2006 Boom and Arm Control Bosch Rexroth AG

1 Arm control
applications
1.1 Forestry machines
(Cut-to-Length system)
Harvesters and forwarders (Fig. 1) are
high-tech machines that are operated
by intensively trained personnel. High
performance, optimum efficiency and
best possible comfort are the key re-
quirements. Moreover, under extreme
climatic conditions, applications in
the forest put stress on the mechanics
and control technology of the ma-
chine, which must also be examined
under environmental aspects. For for-
estry machines that perform handling
functions, energy savings and high
Fig. 1: Forestry harvester: Harvester head at the boom arm.
dynamics are as important as load
pressure-independent control, which
gives the operator the perception that
he or she has the machine always un-
der control.

1.2 Concrete boom pump

The boom of a concrete pump (Fig. 2)
is used on construction sites. At the
beginning of work, the machine must
be leveled on its outriggers. For the
hydraulic system this means that the
pump flow must be switched between
the outriggers and the distributor
boom. For safety reasons, this must be
realized with a selection feature that
renders the parallel operation of the
outrigger and the boom impossible.
Fig. 2: Concrete distribution boom, positioning of the hose.
The operation of the distributor
boom places stringent demands on
the accuracy of movements, since Here, sensitivity and the direct re-
persons always stay at the end of the sponse of the control have priority,
distributor arm boom at the hose. The whereas dynamics are less important.
hose must be guided with low clear-
ance above the concrete placing area.
Bosch Rexroth AG Boom and Arm Control Mobile 2006 235

1.3 Arm control for drilling rigs

Drilling rigs (Fig. 3) are pioneers.
They are often operated on undevel-
oped areas, rough terrain or under
ground. Every drilling process is a leap
in the dark. The entire knowledge of
the soil to be drilled is only valid until
the drilling process reveals the actual
conditions on site. Performance, fast-
ness and precision are the prerequisite
for a great output of the drill. This
requires the interaction of completely
different components such as pump, Fig. 3: Core drilling rig.
control and safety valves that feature
the necessary ruggedness and dynam-
1.5 Fire ladders and rescue plat-
ics, while offering cost-effective sys-
forms
tem integration. Safety aspects must
also not be overlooked here. The transport or rescue of persons by
means of fire ladders and rescue plat-
A precise drill hole is the result of forms (Fig. 5) necessitates a high level
an exact orientation of the drill arm of machine safety. This is also reflect-
and automated positioning saves ed in the corresponding standards.
cost here. This can be accomplished The classification of the machine is
by integrating the arm controls simply based on European standard EN 954
via CAN bus into the control concept (safety-related parts of controls) and
of the entire system. This allows the IEC 61508 (functional reliability of
automation of complete functional Fig. 4: Shoulder mower. electrical/electronic/programmable
sequences and relieves the operator electronics for safety-relevant sys-
sustainedly from high workload. tems). During operation, the outrig-
ger and the ladder or arm must not
1.4 Shoulder mowers be actuated simultaneously. The indi-
Shoulder mowers (Fig. 4) are work- vidual functions must be monitored,
ing equipment, which is continuingly either by sensors on the actuators or
in use in the summer season. When by position sensors on the hydraulic
traveling on roads to the next loca- control units. Reliability, stability and
tion, the arm is folded in. Making the Fig. 5: Fire brigade rescue platform. controllability are further vital criteria
equipment ready for mowing should for operation.
be accomplished as swiftly as possible
During mowing, it is always required
to avoid unnecessary idle times. When
to drive around obstacles, for which
the machine is at a standstill, the
ease of operation is a must. This is
boom arm, at the end of which the
also supported by a load pressure-in-
mower head is fitted, is brought to the
dependent hydraulic system.
working position. After positioning
the boom is hydraulically unloaded
and mowing can be started.
236 Mobile 2006 Boom and Arm Control
1.6 Truck-mounted cranes
Truck-mounted cranes (Fig. 6) are
machines that feature the widest ap-
plication spectrum. The installation
on the chassis of a truck requires the
use of outrigger systems in order to
ensure stability during operation. The
systems are supplied via a hydraulic
selection axis, which is regarded as the
pillar of safety technology on a truck
mounted crane. Fitting a lifting work
basket turns the truck-mounted crane
into a person lift, which must also
meet the relevant safety requirements
(see also section 1.5).
The great flexibility of the truck
mounted crane machine concept is
significantly supported by versatile
attachments. A loader fork or grip-
per system allows the use for han-
dling construction materials or in
municipal or forestry applications.
The utilization of hoist winches, for
example in the carpentry trade, satis-
fies the markets needs with regard to
positioning operations. All of these
demands of the applications described
before are placed on the truck mount-
ed crane.
What the machine types described
have in common is the mechanics
(the arm) on the one hand, and the
hydraulic control technology on the
basis of the M4 valve on the other.
2 Classification of the
machine requirement
The types of machine operation can
generally be classified in three main
categories.
Fig. 6: Truck-mounted crane performing positioning tasks.
2.1 High working speed during
handling operation
This operating mode is very com-
mon for heavy-duty machines in
forestry applications as well as for
truck-mounted cranes for construc-
tion material handling and in the field
of loading and handling. The task is
to load or unload goods as quickly as
possible and then to change the loca-
tion. The shorter the loading time,
the higher the efficiency of the ma-
chine. The objective of high working
speeds is expressed in the following
requirements for the machine control:
High dynamics of the machine and
hence short response times of the
control system: The operator must
feel that the machine responds im-
mediately to his control signals.
Stability: The operator can only
work trouble-free and consequently
increase his efficiency with a non-
vibrating machine.
Bosch Rexroth AG
High power density and good sys-
tem efficiency: Both have a direct
effect on the operating cost of the
machine and form the basis for ev-
ery customers decision to buy.
2.2 Positioning accuracy
Concrete distributor booms and
truck-mounted cranes are two classic
examples of applications with posi-
tioning operations. Here, the focus
is clearly on accuracy. The kinematic
relation between the hydraulic cylin-
ders and the arm, which can have a
reach of more than 60 meters, result
in a high transmission ratio between
the movement of the cylinder and
the attachment at the end of the arm.
Translated to control technology, this
results in the following requirements
for the hydraulic system:
Sensitive control and accuracy
during positioning: Both can be
achieved with a progressive charac-
teristic curve of the control spools.
Bosch Rexroth AG
Independent movements: Here,
Load-Sensing systems (LS) allow the
load pressure-independent, parallel
operation of all actuators thanks to
the use of individual pressure com-
pensators.
Short response times: Possible
thanks to Rexroth components that
are matched to each other within
the system.
2.3 Safety during operation
The topic of safety plays a role when-
ever persons stay or work within the
working range of a machine. A typical
application is the operation of lift-
ing work baskets on lifting platforms
or as attachment on truck-mounted
cranes and tele-handlers. The require-
ments are even more stringent when
it comes to saving lives such as with
rescue platforms or turntable ladders.
The standards mentioned before are
also applicable here and describe the
operating principles for achieving the
various safety levels. But the technical
details and the execution are left to
the machine manufacturer. Based on
these requirements, the following is
valid for the control system:
Monitoring of the individual func-
tions: The central control must
recognize whether malfunction has
occurred in order that countermea-
sures can be initiated.
Safety circuits: to deactivate a faulty
function.
Reliability: Failures during op-
eration must be avoided (example:
rescue platform) or emergency
operation must ensure the further
operability.
Stability: It is a precondition for op-
eration in this field.
Boom and Arm Control Mobile 2006 237
Controllability and positioning: Re-
quired to have the machine always
under control.
The machine descriptions and clas-
sifications of the operating principles
show that a clear distinction is not
possible. For this reason, different ap-
proaches to solutions have to be made
Fig. 7: KFA fixed displacement pump for direct for the individual machine types.
mounting to the power take-off.
3 Application-related
solutions
Rexroth defines the different machine
requirements in its Application Cen-
ters and pools them in the Product
Management. This structure allows
the utilization of experience gained
with the entirety of applications.
Fig. 8: KVA variable displacement pump for 3.1 Pumps for boom operation
system with stringent efficiency requirements.
Depending on the application and
machine size, the oil is supplied by a
fixed or variable displacement pump.
A decisive factor for the selection of
the pump type is on the one hand the
required pressure and on the other
hand the installation space situation
on the machine. In the field of trucks,
for example, KFA fixed displacement
pumps (Fig. 7) or KVA variable dis-
placement pumps (Fig. 8) are mainly
Fig. 9: A11VO high pressure variable displace- used. On drills, forestry and concrete
ment pump.
machines, swashplate units of types
A11VO (Fig. 9) and A10VO (Fig. 10)
are common solutions. Together with
valves from the modular M4 system,
LS controllers are employed, which
can be combined with hydraulic horse
power controllers, if required.
Fig. 10: A10VO medium pressure variable
displacement pump.
238 Mobile 2006 Boom and Arm Control Bosch Rexroth AG

However, the trend here is towards Shock/Anti-cavitation valves Two port sizes
electrically adjustable pumps. The Adjustable / xed G1/2, G3/4
Pilot Cover (B)
power consumption of the pump can Hand lever
be determined with the help of the End elements Tongue
LS-unloading
following data: Standard
P-, T-, LS-ports
Control signal of the pump, which Pilot cover (A)
corresponds to the swivel angle or Electrohydraulic
the displacement. with integrated
electronics
Signal of the BODAS pressure sen- Mechanic
sor PR2 (Fig. 11). Electrohydraulic
Hydraulic Inlet elements
Speed of the pump or the diesel en- Closed Center
gine, respectively (including trans- Open Center
Central inlet
mission ratio).
LS pressure relief valves
The hydraulic power of the boom can Fixed / electroproportional
be electrically limited depending on
Fig. 12: Modular M4 valve system.
the application or load cycle so that
the power made available by the die-
sel engine can be shared with other
hydraulic actuators in line with the
requirements.

Fig. 11: BODAS pressure sensor PR2. Fig. 13: Hydraulic pilot Fig. 14: Control block M4-15 with on-board electronics EPM2 of
control device 4TH6. protection class IP69K.

3.2 Modular M4 valve system Encapsulated hand lever in two ver-

The sum of experience has led to the sions (following, non-following).
modular valve system M4 (Fig. 12), Hydraulic actuation by means of
which is the core element of the arm joystick TH6 (Fig. 13).
and boom control. The modular con- Electrohydraulic operation by
struction kit was structured so that all means of RC control electronics.
types of operation can be implement-
Integrated electronics EPM2
ed individually or in combination:
(Fig. 14).
Purely mechanical operation by
means of a tongue.
Bosch Rexroth AG
The requirement of manual override
can therefore be met for safety-rel-
evant applications. Moreover, the use
of load-lowering valves (Fig. 15) also
contributes to safety and controllabil-
ity of the machines.
Fig. 15: Load-lowering valves by Rexroth.
Fig. 16: VRBC load-lowering valve for meter-
out control on the boom.
Flow control
Flow control by means of LS valves
has become a widely accepted solu-
tion in all types of boom controls. The
load pressure-independent control by
means of individual pressure compen-
sator of the M4 series offers known
advantages:
Sensitive control through progres-
sive spool characteristics.
Parallel, load pressure-independent
movements of the arm.
Supply pressure relief function by
means of pressure control valves
in the LS circuit and hence energy
Boom and Arm Control Mobile 2006 239
savings during operation in the A novelty here is that the load lower-
maximum pressure range. ing valves have been supplemented by
Reduction of losses for operation a meter-out function. They continue
with variable displacement pumps. to assume the function of a pipe
burst safety valve, but the control of
The functions of the boom are sub-
the outflowing fluid is separated in
jected to constantly differing loads.
functional terms. The task of load
Due to the kinematic situation, this
lowering valve type VRBC (Fig. 16)
results also in pulling loads. These
is to compensate for the pressure in
cannot be handled by a pure meter-in
the cylinder in order that the pressure
control. The specifications laid down
applied to the control valve remains
in the Machinery Directives for the
constant. By changing the cross-sec-
individual machine types allow dif-
tion of the control spool in the M4,
ferent solutions for coping with pull-
the oil is metered out. In this way,
ing loads. For forestry applications
the function is controlled by way of
there are no valid safety regulations in
the outflow fluid (Fig. 17). In order
force, since no additional personnel
to avoid an unnecessary pressure
is allowed to work within a range of
restraint due to simultaneously act-
about 70 meters around the machine.
ing meter-in controls, the control
Controlling of the load can be accom-
spool must be adjusted accordingly.
plished with the help of adjusted tank
This system results in a significant
pre-loads by means of the control
improvement in the control charac-
spool of the M4 block.
teristics and hence greater stability, in
For all other machines, a load lower- particular for truck-mounted cranes.
ing valve is prescribed for safety rea-
sons that provides additional protec-
tion in the event of a pipe burst.
Fig. 17: Sequence control chart.
240 Mobile 2006 Boom and Arm Control
Pressure control
For some machines, a pure flow con-
trol is not the optimum solution. In
forestry applications, for example, the
pressure must be perceivable for some
functions, which can be achieved with
a special pressure control spool. Here,
the load pressure opposes the pilot
pressure of the directional valve via a
small PIN spool. As the load pressure
increases, the pilot spool opening is
reduced, which results in a lower ve-
locity of the actuator. The characteris-
tic curves (Fig. 18) show that the pres-
sure perception and consequently the
torque control can be influenced with
different control spools. This solu-
tion is employed already today in slew
controls and remarkably reduces the
slews susceptibility to vibration. The
combination of the pressure percep-
tion through a 6-way system with the
controllability of the LS system offers
the following advantages:
Elimination of the stick-slip effect
on the slew.
Sensitive controlling of the func-
tion.
Simple optimization of machines by
changing the PIN spools.
This hydraulic solution can also be
realized very elegantly electronically
by means of an LS system. The ar-
rangement of the pressure compensa-
tor upstream of the control spool and
signaling of the section load pressure
to the pressure compensator offers the
possibility of influencing the section
load pressure. This is also possible by
fitting an electroproportional pressure
relief valve of type KBPS (Fig. 19).
Fig. 18: Hydraulic pressure control of valve
series M4 by means of PIN spool.
As the control signal of the directional
valve rises, the control signal of the
pressure relief valve increases as well.
This causes the hydraulic effect of
moment control as described before
and offers additional advantages:
Free adjustability of the relation
between the control signal of the di-
rectional valve and of the KBPS.
Ease of optimization of the machine
function without having to convert
the hydraulic system.
Fig. 19: Pressure control through overriding
electroproportional pressure setting on the
section pressure compensator.
Bosch Rexroth AG
Utilization of the returning oil
In view of the fuel prices today, energy
saving is an increasingly important
topic. This is valid in particular for
machines employed in handling
operations. The question is how to
reduce the power requirement with-
out restricting the performance of
the machines. One possibility is the
utilization of the oil flow returning
from the actuator. In this context, the
modular M4 construction kit includes
a regenerative spool. The returning
oil is fed via the control spool to the
supply side so that the pump has to
provide a smaller oil flow, which re-
duces the energy requirement of the
machine as a whole.
ATEX version for potentially explo-
sive atmospheres
Especially drills and mining machines
are operated in potentially explosive
atmospheres. In this area, the require-
ment profile of machines is extended
by the topic of explosion protection,
which is specified in detail in stan-
dards. Rexroth supplemented its mod-
ular M4 system to cover these require-
ments (Fig. 20) so that it complies
with Explosion Protection Directives
and types of explosion protection ac-
cording to EN 13463:
Field of application according to
Directive 94/9/EC IM2, II2D and
II2G.
Type of explosion protection: De-
sign safety c according to EN
13463-5 for mechanical and hy-
draulic controls.
Bosch Rexroth AG Boom and Arm Control Mobile 2006 241

The M4 directional valve in the

For variable displacement pumps For fixed displacement pumps
standard version complies with the
Directives. The actuating assemblies
are adjusted in accordance with the
standard. With the electrohydraulic LS-block LS-block
version the user has the possibility of
realizing a multitude of system de-
signs.

Fig. 20: ATEX variant of M4-15. Fig. 21: Safety circuit, which shuts down the central LS controller.

Safety circuits
To increase safety, very simple means
are sufficient. The modular M4 sys-
tem offers the possibility of switching
the LS signal off. The 3/2 directional
on/off valve is integrated directly
in the inlet elements (OC and CC)
(Fig. 21). The LS connection of the
control block to the variable displace-
ment pump or the 3-way pressure
compensator, respectively, of the OC
inlet is normally closed and the load
signal unloaded to the tank. In this
case, the system is automatically set to
stand-by pressure. However, the hy-
draulic system should be designed so
that the stand-by pressure cannot ini-
tiate any movements of the machine.
In the case of concrete distribution
booms, this cannot always be realized
in the interaction with load lowering
valves. Moreover, the outrigger and
the boom control must not be oper-
able simultaneously. The modular M4
system meets this requirement with
Outrigger
Technical data
Main
functions For variable and fixed displace-
ment pumps
All types of operation
Emergency stop via hand lever
Maximum flow, adjustable via
stroke limitation on covers
OC or LS consumer on external
C-port possible
Position in control block is free
choosable
Fig. 22: Selection axis for supplying the outrigger control, the boom control and for emergency
shutdown.
a selection axis. In principle, this is a or externally to outrigger output C
directional valve axis which features (Fig. 22). In the neutral position, both
a different connection internally. The outputs are unloaded to the tank, that
pump flow is applied to this section. is, neither flow nor pressure are avail-
Depending on the position of the di- able. Since the identical actuating kits
rectional valve spool, the flow is made are used, emergency operation is pos-
available internally to the M4 sections sible by means of a hand lever control.
242 Mobile 2006 Boom and Arm Control
Requirements with regard to safety
are more stringent, as soon as it comes
to the carriage of passengers. These
requirements are laid down in the
standards mentioned before. Depend-
ing on the system design, it is required
not only to switch the flow off, but
also to monitor this deactivation pro-
cess. In summary, the modular M4
system offers the following advan-
tages:
Integration of the safety function in
the control block and hence reduced
piping effort.
Combination solutions for cost-op-
timized systems.
Position signal of shutdown as a ba-
sis for a SIL2 system.
On-board electronics of the second
generation
On-board electronics (type EPM1)
have proven in many applications. For
example, M4 control blocks with OBE
have been in use in an aluminum
mill for more than two years. Even
the high electromagnetic radiation of
the melting furnaces has not resulted
in any failures, which underlines the
quality of the electronics.
Meanwhile, Rexroth offers the sec-
ond generation of OBE, type EPM2
(Fig. 23). It substitutes EPM1, is
compatible and offers the following
advantages:
Supply voltage from 9 to 32 volt,
and therefore no different versions
for 12- or 24-volt board voltage.
Type of protection IP69K due to the
use of a plug that has proven in the
automotive sector.
Signal inputs:
CAN bus (2.0B, ISO11898).
Voltage (0 to 10 volt).
PWM (8 to 200 Hz)10 volt.
Daisy-chain cabling of the CAN
version and hence reduced cabling
effort on the machine.
Callable characteristic curves and
ramp times.
Plug-and-play function for servic-
ing and repairs.
Integrated position sensor for safety
monitoring and closed-loop con-
trol.
Fig. 23: EPM2 on-board electronics of the
second generation.
Bosch Rexroth AG
The functions integrated additionally
can meet future requirements already
today. The selection of CAN protocols
was extended to include the following
versions:
J 1939.
CAN Bosch Rexroth.
CANopen:
Device profile CiA DSP401 (I/O).
Device profile CiA DSP408
(hydraulics).
SIL application specific (EPM2).
The electrification of machines goes
on. The requirement of retrieving in-
formation from the hydraulic system
is increasing and can be met by the
wider use of sensors for pressure or
position monitoring. These are usu-
ally analog sensors. Because the num-
ber of analog inputs of digital central
control devices is limited, depending
on the system, additional I/O convert-
ers are required, which means extra
expenditure. Here, the EPM2 offers
the possibility of reading in analog
signals via a 4-pin plug-in connector
and making them available via the
CAN bus. An I/O converter is there-
fore not required.
Bosch Rexroth AG
Special features of the modular M4
system
In summary, the modular M4 system
offers the following options, which
are, at present, unique on the market:
Non-following, encapsulated hand
lever and hence reduced hysteresis.
Identical actuating kits for both
sizes, 12 and 15, and consequently
reduced spare parts stocking for the
user.
Application-related elements from
compact hydraulics.
Overriding pressure control in hy-
draulic or electrohydraulic version.
Highest electrical protection class of
OBE: IP69K.
Plug-and-play function for simple
replacement of the OBE in the case
of repairs or servicing.
Integrated two-color LED for trou-
bleshooting.
Analog input on the integrated
EPM2 electronics.
TV-tested hardware and software
for safety-oriented applications
(SIL).
3.3 Electronic systems
The BODAS system (Fig. 24) allows
the very swift and cost-efficient real-
ization of comprehensive electronic
controls for a multitude of applica-
tions on a modular basis. This can be
illustrated by the example of a drill
control based on the BODAS control
device RC6-9. The software variant
VACE extends the scope of functions
of the BODAS standard software VAC
specifically for drilling equipment.
Boom and Arm Control
Fig. 24: BODAS system: A part of the compre-
hensive hardware program. The photo shows
RC control devices, the DI2 display, sensors
and EJ manual control device.
While positioning the boom, the
valves are controlled so that the erec-
tion and orientation process is con-
trolled continuously through to the
automatic adjustment in the vertical
position. This prevents possibly dan-
gerous maloperation during the erec-
tion phase. Controlling of the slew has
been extended by an automatic return
function that allows the drill rods to
be returned automatically and pre-
cisely to the drilling hole position. An
integrated depth measuring feature
for the bore round off the functional-
ity of the BODAS standard solution
VACE. All of the data acquired in the
control device during the entire drill-
ing process are made available for
evaluation via the CAN bus.
They can be conveniently represented
graphically on the BODAS display
DI2. Thus, Rexroth offers a com-
prehensive standard solution off
the shelf , which can be individually
adapted and extended thanks to the
BODASdesign module.
Mobile 2006 243
4 Conclusion
This paper presents only an excerpt
of the modular M4 system. Each ap-
plication has its own requirements,
which can be met by means of special
inlet and end elements. The modular
system is therefore extended project
by project.
In the future, the functionality of
machines will increase mainly with
the help of electrohydraulic systems.
A first step is the disconnection of the
hydraulic LS connection between the
control block and the variable dis-
placement pump. In the future the LS
signal can be electrically transmitted
and fed to the pump. This will open
up further possibilities of optimizing
the machine. In a next step, electro-
hydraulic flow matching (EFM) will
follow, with which a variable displace-
ment pump with swivel angle control
(EP) and a directional valve with
OBE will be combined. The pump
flow will be adjusted on the basis of a
calculated flow that is demanded by
the directional valve. Preconditions
for such systems are powerful central
computers that are suitable for mo-
bile applications and are offered by
BODAS.
Additional information on this is
available in the specialist article
regarding Electrohydraulic Flow
Matching.
Rexroths application know-how in
the field of controls and the custom-
ers expertise in the field of the ma-
chines form the best basis for future
cooperation and common success on
the market.