100% Employee Owned, Founded 1954

Search
Close this search box.
Cross Logo Horizontal

Consolidate a Pump and Directional Valve for Compactness and Simplicity

David Saunders | August 3rd, 2016

Engineering is about finding the simplest and best approach to a complicated problem.

In the modern fluid power world, we have access to a myriad of advanced solutions for almost any application the market can come up with. Some modern hydraulic pump features include electro-proportional displacement control, torque control, automotive control, pressure override, built in filtration, CA control… the list goes on. The challenge lies in deciding which features truly add value and which are irrelevant for your task.

Reduce Plumbing and Labor Cost by Combining a Pump and Directional Valve

Consolidate a Pump and Directional Valve for Compactness and Simplicity 1

Cutaway of a modern feature packed heavy duty pump

Have you ever been the one to come up with a solution that seemed perfect at the time, until some seemingly obvious alternative was presented by a colleague or outsider? I know I have. It’s accompanied by that painful “duh” moment. Then, the person building your design is upset that you made them jump through extra hoops and management is disappointed that you spent more money than you had to.

Don’t be the person to over complicate the situation.

You can spend all sorts of time comparing specifications and prices on separate items to plumb together and accomplish your task. If you work in the recycling industry, a basic circuit requires a fixed pump, a relief valve, a directional valve, and an actuator. There are plenty of options and mounting configurations for each of these. An elusive option that usually beats everything else is Eaton’s V20D.

Consolidate a Pump and Directional Valve for Compactness and Simplicity 2

Schematic of a V20D with built in check valve, relief valve, and D05 directional valve

For flow rates from 7 to 20 gpm (assuming 1800 rpm input speed), you can have a ready built circuit with the V20D. The front portion is the same as a standard V20, which is a well accepted, quiet, and reliable vane pump. The rear portion of the pump is the key because it comes with an integral D05 mounting pad for direct bolt-up of a directional valve.

There are standard cartridge valve cavities included that are designed to accept the appropriate check and relief valves. All that’s left is to add your actuator, reservoir, filtration, mounting components, and connect four hoses. There are no intermediate connections between any of the valving. This frees up space, saves in labor cost, eliminates hosing, gets rid of a sub plate, and reduces leak points.

Consolidate a Pump and Directional Valve for Compactness and Simplicity 3

Front and Rear portions of the V20D

The engineering department gets credit for a simpler design, assembly folks build more units because of decreased build time, the warehouse is happy because they have to stock fewer parts, and accounting has good financial results because of an overall lower cost. Plus you get to be the smart one who came up with the perfect solution.

See how our team can help improve quality, increase efficiency, and reduce risk.

Related Posts

Contact our Team

Hang Tight! We're Searching... Searching... Searching...

We’re looking through thousands of pages to find the most relevant information.

In the meantime, enjoy these fun facts…

Did you know… Cross Company is an ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan). Our ESOP started in 1979 and as of 2006, we are 100% employee-owned! Learn more about our ESOP and how that benefits both team members and our customers.
Did you know... the precision measurement group at Cross was founded in 1939 by our current CEO's grandfather, Jim King. That's a whole lot of calibration!
Did you know... A fingerprint weighs about 50 micrograms. We know, we weighed it! The residue left from a finger can actually make a difference in weight results which is why we wear gloves when we calibrate weights. For reference, a sheet of paper is about 4.5 grams, that’s 4.5 million micrograms.
Did you know… Cross Company has grown significantly since our start in 1954. Over the years we've acquired 26 companies! Today, our five groups have expertise in everything from industrial automation to precision measurement, and industry knowledge going all the way back to 1939.