Truck & Off-Highway Engineering - June 2022 - 20

EXECUTIVE VIEWPOINTS
Electric mobile machines won't
abandon hydraulics
Bosch Rexroth executive stresses that electrification in off-highway applications
must make optimum use of both next-gen electric and hydraulic technology.
by Enrique Busquets
The 700-volt segment has
seen a rapid expansion of
electrified machines that can
efficiently, productively satisfy
the operational requirements
of heavy-duty sectors.
E
quipment manufacturers in every major
global market are launching full-electric and
diesel-electric vehicles to respond to increasing
market demands, reduce carbon
footprints and stay competitive with state-of-the-art
technologies. The push for electrification does not
mean the eventual complete replacement of hydraulics
with electric motors, however. Instead, the industry
will work toward electrifying off-highway platforms
in the most efficient ways possible, to make
maximum use of the advantages provided by hydraulic
and electric technology.
Heavy-duty construction, agricultural and working
machines that typically use diesel engines to power
their drivetrains and hydraulics now are rapidly being
electrified. Some construction-equipment suppliers
now offer a complete line of heavy-duty machines
that are entirely battery electric. This class of
equipment often is referred to as the high-voltage
machine class.
Multiple industry drivers are powering this electrification
movement:
Total cost of ownership: As electrification expands,
battery-electric and diesel-electric drivetrains are
more competitive. Combined with the widening availability
of electric charging stations and the impact of
20 June 2022
fossil-fuel cost inflation, electrified
heavy-duty machines are becoming
more feasible.
Serviceability: Electric motors and
Enrique Busquets, director
of mobile electronics and
electrification at Bosch Rexroth.
" It's clear that
hydraulics has a
vital role in these
[electric] machines,
due to the reliability
and power density
that only hydraulics
can supply. "
drivetrains are inherently simpler machines
compared to combustion-engine
systems. Their reliability and ability
to operate with longer duty cycles
with less maintenance and repair
make them much more productive
and cost-effective to use, especially
since they can deliver the same power
and performance in demanding work
environments such as construction
sites and agricultural fields.
Controllability: An electric motor offers
instantaneous torque control,
which may result in fine-tuned control
of the drivetrain with a superior level
of productivity, compared to combustion
engine and hydraulic drivetrains.
Electric system control algorithms
give operators the ability to manage
battery life through proper power
distribution in a simpler manner. In
addition, controllability of hydraulicTRUCK
& OFF-HIGHWAY ENGINEERING
ALL IMAGES: BOSCH REXROTH
Truck & Off-Highway Engineering - June 2022

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