Hydraulic Manifolds for Control and Pressure Distribution

A hydraulic manifold is a central component of hydraulic systems. It serves to connect, distribute, and, if necessary, precisely control hydraulic lines.

If the hydraulic manifold has valves, it is referred to as a “control block.” Without valves, the common term is “distribution block.”

Structure of Hydraulic Manifolds

The hydraulic manifold essentially consists of a monolithic steel block, which has been extended with channels and connection threads. Since high pressures are routed through this component, its design is always very robust. The choice of material depends on the pressures applied and the hydraulic medium used.

In vehicles, for example, for ABS control, a small aluminum hydraulic manifold is sufficient. For mechanical engineering and heavy construction machinery, hydraulic manifolds made of high-strength steel are used. In addition to the wide selection of commercially available steel and stainless steel grades, there are now also special steels that have been specifically developed for the production of highly resilient hydraulic manifolds. The company Gontermann-Peipers from Siegen has done significant pioneering work in this context.

Manufacturing of Hydraulic Manifolds

The traditional manufacturing of a hydraulic manifold involves the machining of a metal block. For large series, a certain design of the hydraulic manifold can already be incorporated into the basic shapes. Essentially, however, the manufacturing of a block is limited to introducing linear bores with subsequent cutting of internal threads at the outlets.

However, additive manufacturing provides designers with a new tool that allows hydraulic manifolds to be designed much more conveniently and compactly. 3D printing enables the production of casting cores in which the channels run in arbitrarily curved and intertwined forms within the monoblock. This makes it possible to produce significantly more compact hydraulic manifolds without compromising functionality and operational safety.

Alternative Manufacturing Options for Hydraulic Manifolds?

Additive printing processes with metallic materials are neither suitable in terms of materials nor process for the production of highly resilient hydraulic manifolds. Direct printing of metal hydraulic manifolds therefore remains unfeasible for the time being. However, by taking the detour via 3D printing and metal casting, compact hydraulic manifolds with high functionality and low effort can already be produced today.