Report

Teaser, summary, work performed and final results

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - MIDRAULICS (Modular Intelligent Hydraulics)

Teaser

HYDRONIT is a company established in 2003 whose core business focuses on research, development and production of smart modular hydraulic power packs and relevant components for the mobile industry, for which we strive for excellence. We operate in 50+ countries with daughter...

Summary

HYDRONIT is a company established in 2003 whose core business focuses on research, development and production of smart modular hydraulic power packs and relevant components for the mobile industry, for which we strive for excellence. We operate in 50+ countries with daughter companies located in China, the UK and the US. Our passion for hydraulics power and our commitment with our customers let us reach €4,5 million turnover in 2017, 60% of which coming from exports (as of 2018 Q2, we project 10% growth for 2017, which will let us achieve € 5.0 million turnover). Hydronit has always pursued a full new concept of hydraulics consisting on building modular solutions that integrates all necessary pieces of knowledge (electric/electronics on top of hydraulics), removing the need to resort to multiple subcontracts to produce the final equipment. Following this philosophy, we have been developing MIDRAULICS, a programmable intelligent mini and micro power pack for the mobile industry (e.g. industrial, construction and agricultural vehicles and equipment). MIDRAULICS will provide our customers in the mobile application sector: 1. Full control distribution of hydraulics (100% compared to conventional systems with no integrated control); 2. Total safety thanks to a better control of the solution components and power; 3. Huge energy saving, as a results of the following factors: 86% less material for wiring; 10 % electric power savings in on-off applications thanks to start stop features; 30% electric power savings in variable speed applications through use of Inverters and brushless motors. Environmental friendliness, thanks to reduction of metallic enclosures (no need for sensor housing) and Cable reduction (through use of wireless or fieldbus communications) Thanks to MIDRAULICS, we expect to generate about €6.87 million accumulative revenues during the first 5 years of business (conservative scenario), achieving a RoI ≥ 1.58.

Work performed

The MIDRAULICS project requires the use of electronics and electronic related specialities within a company specialised in hydraulics (which is mainly mechanics). This has been the real only challenge of the complete period.
Electronic and Mechanics has subjected to completely different timing and time schedules were respected, but slightly reorganized.
The main activities of the projects have been:
TECHNICAL ACTIVITES:
• identifying a location for the mechatronic department.
• installing furniture and finding personnel (software and mechanic engineers),
• defining technical specifications for mechanics:
â—¦ main hydraulic collector,
â—¦ mechatronic cover of the electronic board,
â—¦ special drive shaft,
â—¦ 3way-pressure compensator,
â—¦ sensor installation screw,
• defining technical specification for the electronic:
â—¦ I/O list, safety and fieldbuses requirements,
â—¦ define overall dimensions to match with the mechanics (and vice versa),
• coordinating activities of internal co-operators and external subcontractors,
• producing static and dynamic prototypes of the mechanic part,
• producing a working electronic controller able to fit inside the limiter room of the mechanics,
• producing a working firmware and libraries in order the electronics to work as planned,
• producing an application software to start test and trials.

All the above-mentioned activities have been executed and have been successful: the results will be exposed from 23 to 26 November 2018 in SPS Drive trade fair in Hannover.

COMMERCIAL ACTIVITIES:
• registering a specific brand for the new offer,
• activating a specific website and web domain, including sales and support e-mail,
• creating a conference room in Hydronit’s facilities and related furniture,
• creating keynotes for presentations,
• editing and printing a complete catalogue including the complete MIDRAULICS ecosystem,
• selecting and apply for trade fairs,
• starting sales-engineers formation,
• visiting dealers and OEM.

Final results

MIDRAULICS introduces the first generation of programmable active hydraulic power pack, pressure and flow sensors, amplifiers, drivers, gateways, electric and electronic connector ALL IN ONE. The importance of this project goes beyond the specific business opportunity as this is the perfect opportunity to position ourselves as the worldwide reference provider of hydraulic mechatronic solutions for the targeted hydraulic segments, starting with our primary focus: safety and quality driven hydraulic segments, which will definitely boost our growth.
The first year of activities in MIDRAULICS project is closed and it is finally possible to sum up the activities as: it works, it is producible, and it is sealable.
More details will follow in the next pages but, in few words, the first period of the project allowed Hydronit to acquire and apply new skills in electronic applied to hydraulics. In order to do so, we have introduced a new team of technicians within a new structure called “mechatronic department”, which is in charge of the project itself and start the design.
For the first time in the history of our company, a complete design concept has been adopted: mechatronics as a whole single project, which means mechanic (hydraulic) as a service of the electronic, and electronic as a booster of the mechanic part. Power and logic together for the first time in the history of the mini and micro-powerpack. Somebody told “power is nothing without control”. We did it.
Control means logic, software, thus we introduced software based hydraulic applications through a software specialist which joined our team “just in time” to test the early prototype of electronic controller.
New skills, in a new department for a new service that Hydronit is offering to its customers.
The commercial aspect of the mechatronic service is probably the most critical and will be handled in the next months: dissemination is an activity which requires skills in machine development, which is including but not limited to hydraulics. In few weeks, internal training to our sales engineer will start and new salesman will join the company.

Website & more info

More info: http://www.xdraulics.com.