Deep-R technology, a new surface hardening process for the special treatment of weld seams, combines an already familiar technique with state-of-the-art calculation methods. "Deep rolling has long been used as a forming process to positively influence the edge zone properties of hydraulic cylinders. The Deep-R technology supplements this with a calculation algorithm adapted to it," explains Dipl.-Ing. Stephan Wirsing, owner of Industrieforschung Wirsing. The use of modern software products and the ability to calculate according to the latest theorems and algorithms, in close cooperation with Acona, ultimately led to the transfer of an innovative solution approach into a process-safe and future-proof industrial application.

"Deep-R technology can make a significant contribution to optimizing hydraulic cylinders and their surrounding constructions," says Dr Andreas Feuerhack, senior engineer at the Chair of Manufacturing Process Technology at the WZL, which has extensively tested the technology in a series of tests lasting several months and finally verified its effectiveness.

More durable and more powerful

Using this process, manufacturers can make their machines up to 100 percent more durable, up to 25 percent more efficient or save up to 35 percent in volume and weight during construction. "A combination, i.e. an improvement in all three areas, can also be planned and implemented individually," says Philipp Kampel, Managing Director of Acona Hydraulik. Doubling the service life of hydraulic cylinders is particularly lucrative for industry. "Newly produced cylinders achieve up to 100 percent more strokes than comparable products over the course of their application," says Kampel. Repairs and optimizations of existing hydraulic cylinders on the secondary market also ensure that the service life of older machines is extended and mean that they do not have to be replaced unnecessarily with new machines.

Hydraulic cylinders often have to deliver enormous power. "With the same dimensions, our process offers an enormous increase in performance. For example, the operating pressure of hydraulic cylinders can be increased from 350 bar to 430 bar using our technology," reports Kampel and adds what makes the process special: "We have made the technology calculable and were able to introduce it as a decisive factor in the design formula of our products.