The compact valve helps reduce cab noise and improve machine flexibility. Image credit: Eaton

A compact, modular valve from Minnesota-based Eaton helps reduce cab noise for mobile off-highway equipment in the construction, agriculture and material handling industries. The ASV60 Steering Valve is also designed to improve machine flexibility and intelligence, and allows machine designers to tailor equipment steering performance to operator’s driving habits or operating conditions.

The valve can be used in conjunction with an orbitrol control in an electrohydraulic steering assembly, or in a fully electronically actuated steer-by-wire system. It can be mounted on an orbitrol controller, or can be remote-mounted wherever space exists on the machine, allowing for more flexible machine design and reduced cab noise.

Machine designers were able to remove front- and rear-mounted steering wheels during prototype testing. A joystick and steer-by-wire system was used to allow the operator to control the machine from a 180-degree rotating seat. The valve also enabled removal of the hydraulics from the cab, significantly reducing operator noise.

The ASV60 Steering Valve is designed to meet Performance Level d under ISO 13849-1 (which dictates a probability of dangerous failure per hour of ≥10^-7 and <10^-6, or 0.00001% to 0.0001%). An optional load reaction valve for operating off-road vehicles on the road is also available.