Domin turns to Renishaw for Additive Manufacturing of hydraulic valves
March 24, 2021
Domin, a manufacturer of hydraulic valves and systems, headquartered in Bristol, UK, has used Additive Manufacturing technology from Renishaw for the production of a first-of-its kind high-performance servo valve. The innovation represents the company’s first step towards drastically reducing CO2 emissions from the fluid power industry, with every valve capable of saving one tonne of CO2.
Domin was founded in 2012, aiming to disrupt the fluid power industry by improving the range of technology available and increasing sustainability. Whilst recent decades have seen swathes of technology introduced across all industries, Domin believes that there has not yet been a single innovation that has caused significant enough change in the fluid power market.
Domin turned to metal Additive Manufacturing, and using the Renishaw RenAM 500Q, a four-laser AM system designed for serial production applications, Domin was able to increase its productivity, achieve design freedom and reduce cost per part in such a way that AM presented a compelling case for use in hydraulic manufacturing.
“There is a pressing reason disruption is needed — sustainability. In the US, the fluid power sector alone wastes about 300 million tonnes of CO2 per year through system inefficiencies,” stated Marcus Pont, Chief Executive Officer of Domin. “To put this into context, this is about the same as the total output for all CO2 emissions in the UK. More efficient technology could make a real difference to global emissions.”
“Additive Manufacturing is proving to be a key enabler in many markets,” added Bryan Austin, Director of Sales, Additive Manufacturing Group at Renishaw. “The productivity that Renishaw’s technology enables means metal 3D printing is broadening into markets where it was previously uneconomical. Domin has showcased how AM can be used to make products better, faster and cheaper than traditional manufacturing would allow.”
Domin’s electrohydraulic valves are designed for the most demanding servo applications and are marketed as small, light, affordable and high-performance products that are easy to configure online, offering good power density and dynamic performance. Pont sees this product range as just the first step in creating change in fluid power systems.
Long term, Domin plans to start manufacturing and selling complete systems. It is already working on some high-profile projects, which Pont says includes developing a new suspension system with Aston Martin Lagonda.
