Norrhydro, a Finnish company, has developed and designed a new way to control power in large machinery, including machines used in mining, such as excavators andm wheel loaders. The company states that the new technology, called NorrDigi, can improve hydraulic efficiency by up to 80%. The system is based on multi-chamber cylinders and an intelligent digital control system. The result is that the system uses every moment only the hydraulic power that is needed as opposed to the traditional hydraulic systems that produce constantly maximum pressure, which most often is not required.
The NorrDigi technology always generates the optimal force whether a load is lifted or lowered. Norrhydro is currently building a test centre in Finland for further development and prototype tests.