Intelligent Hydraulics Hydraulics 4.0: Wish And Hope—Or Real Leverage?

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Hypneu GmbH

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Hydraulics is much further along concerning Industry 4.0 than many think. Why the breakthrough of intelligent hydraulics is still missing and what is needed for it.

Hydraulic systems are the backbone of many machines and plants. However, in the discussion about Industry 4.0, they are rarely at the center. Yet there are already practical solutions to make hydraulics ready for connected production. The state of the art is more advanced than many think—but also clearly limited. This article shows where intelligent hydraulics stand today, where they need to go, and why the breakthrough has not yet materialized.

Status Quo: What Works Today—And Where the Limits Lie

The digitalization of hydraulics is technically feasible. In modern units, operating data such as pressure, temperature, switching frequency, oil condition, or leakage behavior can be recorded. These data are converted into key figures using algorithms, allowing conclusions to be drawn about wear, stress, or the general operating condition.

Based on this, condition-based maintenance strategies are possible: Maintenance intervals are no longer based on rigid timeframes, but on the actual condition. Downtimes are avoided, and service operations become more plannable.

Digital assistance systems have also reached practical use. They provide targeted usage and maintenance data for operators, maintenance staff, or service personnel, reducing downtimes, misoperations, and start-up losses.

Yet despite these advances, much remains fragmented. Often, these are isolated solutions without connection to central data infrastructures or higher-level systems like MES, ERP, or cloud platforms. Seamless integration is lacking—both technically and organizationally.

What is (Still) Missing: Development Potential for the Coming Years

The sensors are largely available—the key now is intelligent networking. This requires systems that can not only capture hydraulic data but also place it in the context of the overall process. For example, what does an increased oil temperature value mean at a certain cycle rate? Only with this correlation can anomalies be detected early or maintenance needs be accurately predicted.

Another development area is the continuous, long-term data analysis. Many applications today focus on short-term snapshots. To make real predictions—such as the remaining service life of a unit—long-term data and adaptive systems are needed.

Flexible, usage-based business models such as "Pay-per-Use" are also technically conceivable but are scarcely widespread so far. Clear usage indices, which are relevant for billing and simultaneously protect operational know-how, are crucial for this. Approaches like converting raw data into abstracted status indicators show how this can succeed.

Drivers And Obstacles of Development

Technically, much is possible—but implementation often fails due to structural and economic hurdles:

• High integration effort: Hydraulic systems are often individually configured. This complicates standardization and makes the integration of digital components labor-intensive. This is a cost factor, especially for smaller machinery manufacturers or retrofit projects.

• Unclear data responsibility: For the implementation of data-based business models, transparent data exchange is required. However, many companies hesitate to share process data due to fears of losing control or leaking know-how.

• Lack of standards and interfaces: Uniform data formats and integration interfaces are often absent. This results in isolated solutions that are neither scalable nor transferable. Open architectures are necessary to seamlessly integrate hydraulic systems into IT environments.

• Economic pressure: The economic benefits of digitized hydraulic systems are often difficult to quantify. Without a clear ROI, the transformation is not prioritized in many cases—especially with existing machinery fleets.

Hydraulics can do Industry 4.0—if allowed

Technologies for networked, intelligent hydraulic systems are available. What is missing is widespread implementation. Instead of discussing fundamental feasibility, solutions are needed now that can be integrated into existing processes—economically viable, modular, scalable.

For design and development in machinery and plant engineering, this means: Industry 4.0 capability should be considered from the outset—even for hydraulics. Anyone developing new units, actuators, or machine components today must take connectivity, condition monitoring, and data integration into account early on. Only in this way can hydraulics evolve from a pure energy system to an active component of intelligent production processes—and become a true lever for availability, efficiency, and new business models.

The future of hydraulics lies in intelligent networking. Companies like Hypneu support machine and plant manufacturers with know-how, consulting, and solutions to make their systems Industry 4.0-capable—step by step, but with a clear goal. Only those who think of hydraulics as an integral part of digital processes will truly be ahead in connected production.

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