ALS Walvoil, optimal pressure management

The Adaptive Load Sensing (ALS) system designed by Walvoil in collaboration with Dieci Srl, a company specialising in the production of telescopic handlers, has won a Technical Innovation 2021 award. Originally tested on a Dieci Agri Plus 42.7 GD VS EV02 model, the ALS, which also received the "Blue Award" for sustainability at EIMA, was then applied to an Agri Farmer 34.7 GD, on display in the quadriportico area during the five days of the Bologna event. Adaptive Load Sensing - explains Walvoil in a technical note - is a technology that can modulate the "Stand-by margin" value according to the real working needs of the machine, varying it automatically, as and when required. In other words, ALS is able to optimise the pressure generated by the pump because only the pressure actually required by the machine is produced, avoiding the delivery of higher quantities (according to what is known as the "Stand-by margin") which inevitably end up being partly lost. Adaptive Load Sensing - explains the manufacturer - consists of a directional control valve, an electronic joystick, and an electronic control unit with customisable modular software developed by Walvoil. The control unit collects information from the operator's actions on the machine's controls and sensors, and acts on the Load Sensing device, adapting the hydraulic pressure differential to the maximum efficiency value required by the vehicle, while an electro-hydraulic device installed on the directional control valve minimises energy dispersion in the telehandler's hydraulic system. This not only improves the efficiency of the vehicle but also reduces wear and tear and fuel consumption. The Agri Farmer 34.7 GD, a more compact and lighter machine compared to the Agri Plus on which the system was originally tested, is equipped with a single fixed displacement pump and is able to exploit the advantages of Walvoil's innovative technology even more effectively, especially as regards load losses when the machine is stationary and during high-speed travel. Moreover, in the auxiliary drive phase, the judicious stand-by management of the Load Sensing DPX circuit combines energy savings with improved controllability and greater precision in the movement of the vehicle. According to the manufacturer, tests carried out on Dieci's Agri Farmer 34.7 GD have shown that the use of ALS can reduce fuel consumption by between 5% and 6%, reducing energy loss by 28% during boom operations and 45% during vehicle movement. Furthermore, in the positioning accuracy test, the machine's productivity was increased, with a 14% increase in operating cycles for the same amount of time. The ALS system - Walvoil points out - is highly compatible because it can be easily applied even to older telehandlers.