Yiin-Kuen Fuh, Pei-Yu Chien, Wei-Cheng Chang, Chih-Pin Chiang, Yuan-Chu He, Kuo-Wang Liu, Imang Eko Saputro, Intan Mardiono
This study proposes an accelerated engagement strategy for hydraulic wet clutch (HWC) systems used in high-tonnage industrial presses, integrating an auxiliary hydraulic actuator with a two-stage pressure control mechanism. The strategy initiates piston movement via the auxiliary actuator prior to the main pressure buildup, thereby reducing mechanical impact, suppressing pressure spikes, and improving overall system responsiveness and stability. A physics-based lumped-parameter model is developed to simulate the dynamic behavior of piston displacement, chamber pressure buildup, valve-regulated flow transitions, and accumulator-assisted flow compensation, and is analyzed using a system-level dynamic simulation approach. To validate the effectiveness of the proposed strategy, a high-resolution test platform is constructed, and experiments are conducted on an 800-ton industrial press. Results indicate that the early activation of the auxiliary actuator reduces clutch engagement time by up to 81.48% and significantly suppresses transient pressure spikes, with simulation errors maintained within 3.20%. The key contributions of this work include: (1) the proposal and validation of an application-driven engagement enhancement strategy for HWCs; (2) the establishment of an integrated simulation–experiment validation framework for engagement dynamics; and (3) the provision of quantitative insights for intelligent control and predictive maintenance in heavy-duty hydraulic systems. Graphic abstract: (Figure presented.) © Der/die Autor(en), exklusiv lizenziert an Springer-Verlag GmbH Deutschland, ein Teil von Springer Nature 2025.
Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Central University, Taoyuan City, 320317, Taiwan; Department of Mechatronics Engineering, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung City, 824005, Taiwan; Department of Mechanical Engineering, Chung Yuan Christian University, Taoyuan City, Taiwan; Shieh Yih Machinery Industry Co., Ltd, Taoyuan City, 333014, Taiwan; Industrial Engineering Study Program, Institut Teknologi Sumatera, Terusan Ryacudu Street, South Lampung, 35365, Indonesia