Web-first: Manifold software simplifies design

Edited by Mary C. Gannon, senior associate editor

Comatrol, Easley, S.C., a member of the Sauer-Danfoss Group, has collaborated with Famic Technologies to make two new products available on its website — the second version of its hydraulic manifold circuit design software, EasyValve at www.comatrol.com/EasyValve, and the first version of its valve catalog for Automation Studio software, by Famic Technologies Inc., Montreal. Comatrol manufactures screw-in cartridge valves and Hydraulic Integrated Circuits (HICs).

Figure 1 – A schematic showing hydraulic manifold design and component configuration using EasyValve.

Built upon the Automation Studio Live technology, EasyValve 2.0 captures technical, commercial and application requirements to accurately document and communicate the custom HIC needs, allowing users to get exactly what they want from the first drawing, reducing the prototype cycle time by as much as half.

EasyValve’s interface allows a user to create a hydraulic circuit schematic by simply dragging and dropping from Comatrol’s digital library of cartridge valves, CETOP valves, and accessories. EasyValve 2.0 has several important improved features that are efficient and easy to use, including:

•Quickly select and configure the products, ports and machining options needed,

•Easy configuration with drop-down component selection functionality,

•Assist users in making optimal technical vs. pricing decisions, with readily available information in the Component Specifications page of each item, including the valve catalog pages,

•Capture user, technical, and HIC material information in the Project Information View,

•Capture user-critical layout information in the Manifold Layout view, and

•Outputs include a project file that stores all your work into one document [.HICS], a project summary, a schematic in DXF format and Automation Studio output [.HIX] to support user simulation needs.

According to Darren Magner, marketing manager at Comatrol, one of the main ideas behind the new software is simply to obtain more brand awareness by getting the free software into the hands of students at universities, distributors, and end-users.

“Users can do simulations with the software by putting it with a cylinder, motor, and other parts to see how it will work and operate,” Magner said. “After designing and simulating, they send to us, and we quickly make a 3D model. If it’s good, it’s ordered and sent to production, much quicker than before.”

Figure 2 - A schematic showing Automation Studio simulation and system validation from an EasyValve manifold circuit.

Finally, more than 500 Comatrol components are included in the new Automation Studio catalog, also simplifying hydraulic system design. Users will be able to design hydraulic circuits faster and better by allowing them to create and validate — by functional simulation using Automation Studio — product performance and compatibility with other system components prior to block machining.

Visit www.comatrol.com for more information.