Vickers

Vickers is one of the most historically significant brands in the hydraulics industry and has been synonymous with pioneering achievements in the field of hydraulic pumps, motors, and valves for over a century. Founded in the 1920s by Harry Franklin Vickers, the company had a lasting impact on the development of modern hydraulics, particularly through the invention of the industrially viable vane pump. Today, the brand is carried on as part of the Danfoss Power Solutions portfolio and remains present in numerous existing systems as well as new projects.

History and Origins of Vickers

The history of Vickers begins in 1921, when Harry Franklin Vickers founded the Vickers Manufacturing Company. Vickers is regarded in the industry as one of the fathers of modern industrial hydraulics, as he developed key components of today’s hydraulic systems and brought them to industrial maturity. Among his earliest and most influential innovations is the vane pump, for which he filed a patent application in the 1930s. U.S. Patent US1989900A, issued in 1935, describes a rotary vane pump with symmetrically balanced suction and discharge channels, which reduced bearing load and significantly increased service life.

Pioneering Achievements in Hydraulics

In addition to the vane pump, Vickers also developed early power steering systems and pilot-operated pressure valves. These inventions were quickly adopted in industrial manufacturing, mechanical engineering, and mobile applications. The combination of mechanical precision and precise control of hydraulic fluid within the pump and valve housings was groundbreaking at the time. Vickers made hydraulics available for broad industrial applications by designing components that were robust, easy to maintain, and efficient.

Vickers Product Portfolio

Vickers’ product portfolio covers a wide range of hydraulic drive technology. The best-known product groups include hydraulic pumps, hydraulic motors, valves, cylinders, accumulators, and complete hydraulic power units. These components are found in both industrial hydraulics and mobile hydraulics, such as in construction machinery, agricultural equipment, and marine applications.

Hydraulic Pumps

Vickers is particularly well-known for its vane pumps. The V10 and V20 series are among the most widely used vane pumps in the industry and can be found in countless existing systems. These pumps feature hydrostatically balanced pressure plates and hydrodynamic lubrication, resulting in long service life and minimal wear. The VQ, VQH, and VMQ series expand the range to include higher pressure ratings and lower noise levels. VMQ vane pumps are particularly valued for their smooth operation.

In addition to vane pumps, the Vickers product line also includes axial piston pumps. The PVB, PVH, and PVQ series cover open circuits in industrial and mobile applications. The PVH series is one of the best known and is frequently used in industrial plants. The X20 series represents a newer generation with higher power density and improved efficiency.

Hydraulic Motors

On the motor side, Vickers offers M-series vane motors, S26-series gear motors, and axial piston motors from the Duraforce and Hydrokraft lines. The HMA, HMF, HMV, and HMR series are designed for demanding applications that require high torque at low speeds. The MFX and MVX series are also used in industrial and marine applications.

Valves and Control Components

Vickers manufactures a wide range of hydraulic valves. These include solenoid- and mechanically-operated directional control valves, pressure valves such as relief and pressure-reducing valves, and flow control valves for speed and flow regulation. These valves conform to standard CETOP and ISO mounting patterns and can be integrated into hydraulic systems designed in accordance with DIN EN ISO 4413.

Technology of the Vickers Vane Pump

The vane pump is the technological cornerstone of the Vickers brand. As early as the 1920s, Harry Franklin Vickers recognized that a rotary pump with balanced pressure forces lasts significantly longer than conventional designs with one-sided loading. The principle of the hydraulically balanced vane pump reduces the radial forces acting on the rotor and noticeably reduces the load on the bearings.

Design and Operating Principle

A Vickers vane pump consists of a rotor with radially movable vanes that run in slots in the rotor. The rotor rotates within a so-called pressure ring or cam ring, which is arranged eccentrically relative to the rotor. This eccentricity creates a cavity that alternately expands and contracts with each revolution, generating the pumping action. The fluid is drawn in through suction channels and discharged through discharge channels. In the designs patented by Vickers, the suction and discharge channels are arranged symmetrically, causing the pressure forces to cancel each other out.

Pressure-Compensated Vane Pumps

Vickers also developed pressure-compensated vane pumps in which the cam ring changes its eccentricity when the system pressure reaches a setpoint. A compensator valve detects the outlet pressure and shifts the ring toward a concentric position, thereby reducing the flow or lowering it to zero. As a result, the system consumes only the energy required by the current flow rate. This design is widely used in industrial plants where fluctuating flow rate requirements and long periods of downtime at constant pressure occur.

Company History and Brand Development

Over the decades, Vickers underwent several changes in ownership but always maintained its technical reputation as a brand name. In 1999, the Eaton Group acquired Vickers’ hydraulics division and continued to market the products under the name Eaton Vickers. In 2021, Eaton sold its hydraulics business to Danfoss Power Solutions. Since then, the brand has been marketed as Vickers by Danfoss. The acquisition by Danfoss ensured the continuation of the established product lines and brings together the expertise of two long-established hydraulic manufacturers under one roof.

Implications for Existing Systems

Vickers components are installed in a very large number of existing systems. Hydraulic power units from the 1980s and 1990s, equipped with Vickers V- or VQ-series vane pumps, are still in operation today in many production facilities. For maintenance technicians and maintenance teams, this means that replacement parts, cartridges, and service kits for these series must continue to be available. HK Hydraulik supports operators in procuring the appropriate Vickers components and in identifying replacement parts when original documentation is no longer available.

Vickers in the Context of Current Standards

Hydraulic systems that use Vickers components must be designed and operated in accordance with DIN EN ISO 4413. This standard establishes general safety requirements and application rules for hydraulic systems and their components. Among other things, it requires that pumps be installed in a manner that allows for access for maintenance, that shaft alignment and axial loads remain within the manufacturer’s specifications, and that pressure spikes in the system be controlled. Vickers products are designed for use under these conditions. For example, pressure-compensated pumps help prevent pressure spikes by automatically reducing the flow rate before the pressure reaches critical levels.

Maintenance and Servicing of Vickers Components

The maintenance of Vickers pumps and valves follows the standard principles of hydraulic maintenance. Since many Vickers series feature a cartridge design, wear parts such as vanes, cam rings, and pressure plates can be replaced as prefabricated cartridges without having to disassemble the entire pump housing. This reduces downtime and simplifies logistics.

Cleanliness of the Hydraulic Fluid

As with all hydraulic components, the cleanliness of the hydraulic fluid is critical to service life. Contaminants in the fluid cause scoring on the sliding surfaces of the vanes and cam rings. ISO 4413 requires adequate filtration and regular monitoring of fluid cleanliness. Vickers vane pumps are sensitive to particle contamination because the clearance dimensions between the vanes, rotor, and pressure plates are small. Properly sized filter protection and adherence to the oil change intervals recommended by the manufacturer are therefore essential.

Wear Detection

Signs of wear on Vickers pumps include decreasing flow rate, increased noise, or erratic operation. In pressure-compensated designs, a malfunctioning compensator valve can cause the pump to lose pressure or unexpectedly drop to zero flow. Such symptoms require a targeted diagnosis, in which the compensator and the control manifold are checked first before the entire cartridge is replaced.