Feb 23, 2022
New teaching format in the "Control Development" practical course is well received by students
Components of the practical course
As part of the module "Fluid Mechatronics in Mobile Applications", a completely newly developed practical course started for the first time at the chair in the winter semester with the experiment "Control Development". "With the newly designed teaching format, we are meeting the increased demands on the training of future engineers for the development of mobile working machines and are promoting practical hardware-oriented software development", says Denis Ritz, responsible for this practical course.
Implementation in the PC lab
In the practical course, the students learn basic approaches to building an electrohydraulic control system. After the theoretical knowledge has been taught, the students have to link the real components (joystick, TTC580 mobile control unit, pressure reduction valves) to form a functioning control chain. An important component of this is the development of suitable application software in the PC pool, which is adapted to the components of the system. This will then be implemented in an electrohydraulic training system and tested for functionality.
"The practical course is a good mix of theory and practice. By testing the self-developed software on the test bench, we get direct feedback on how it works or whether we made mistakes in programming and implementation and how we can improve it", is the unanimous opinion of the students.
Software testing on the hardware rig
The practical course complements the lecture series "Mobile Hydraulics" held by Professor Jürgen Weber (TU Dresden) and "Controls, Software Development and Safety in Mobile Applications" held by Mr. Erik Lautner (Hydac Software GmbH). In addition to the existing mobile hydraulics practical focus on load-sensing systems, hydrostatic steering systems and the associated valve technology, another important aspect of mobile hydraulics applications will thus be highlighted in a practical manner.
Our special thanks go to Hydac Software GmbH for developing the experiment, as well as to the Bosch Rexroth AG, the Hansa-Flex AG and the Hydac International GmbH for their support in setting up and equipping the practical course.
