Hydraulics & Pneumatics

Where electric servo motors handle the precision work, hydraulics and pneumatics handle the heavy lifting. Hydraulic systems generate large forces at low speeds — think presses, injection-moulding clamping, large lifting equipment — and use solenoid-operated directional control valves (DCVs) and proportional valves to steer the fluid. Pneumatic systems are cheaper, cleaner and faster but lower-force, suited to clamping fixtures, simple pick-and-place, and assembly-line indexing.

On the hydraulic side, Bosch Rexroth dominates the directional control valve and proportional-valve market — 4WE6/4WE10/4WEH-series solenoid valves, proportional and servo-proportional valves, and the amplifier cards that drive them (VT-VSPA, VT-VSPP). On the pneumatic side, ISO 5599 valve islands and pneumatic cylinders from the major brands are largely interchangeable on dimensions if not on options.

Whether you're replacing a single solenoid coil or specifying a complete proportional-valve assembly with its drive electronics, the model code (often a long string like "4WE6D6X/EG24N9K4") encodes pretty much every relevant detail — please share the full code, and we'll quote the exact equivalent or recommend a current-production replacement if the original is obsolete.