SERENADE Technologies
The term SERENADE refers to Shimadzu gear pumps that feature low noise and low vibration. The SERENADE Technologies used in SERENADE pumps refers not only to the technology used to achieve low noise and vibration levels in the pumps themselves but also to the mass-production technology for achieving low noise, low vibration, and high durability, and to the inspection technologies needed to provide stable, high-quality products.
Background to the Creation of SERENADE
Gear pumps are the core components of hydraulic systems, driving cylinders, and other actuators using hydraulic pressure. In addition to being used in forklifts, truck liftgates, and other transport equipment, gear pumps are used in various fields, including the construction industry, where they are used in equipment such as power shovels.
In recent years, measures are being taken to reduce the noise of machines equipped with hydraulic systems, including the shift to electric forklifts (i.e., switching power sources from engines to electric motors). Accordingly, there is a need for measures to reduce the noise and vibration levels associated with gear pumps.
Three Technologies Supporting SERENADE
Gear pumps use rotating sets of gears to drive the inlet and outlet of oil. Temporal fluctuations in the flowrate of the discharged pressurized oil (discharge flow pulsation) are known to be a source of noise and vibration.
Accordingly, SERENADE achieves low noise and vibration levels by reducing the backlash (the gap between teeth created when the gears mesh), a cause of discharge flow pulsation, to as close to zero as possible.
To reduce backlash in this way, it is necessary to manage the backlash with micrometer-level accuracy. Since the systems consist of many components besides gears, applying this to mass-produced gear pumps is not easy.
SERENADE surmounts these issues and achieves stable mass production using the following three technologies: (1) technology for the high accuracy machining of various parts including toothed gears, as well as technology for managing information on these parts; (2) technology for assembling managed parts with high accuracy and stable quality; and (3) technology for evaluating the performing of the completed gear pumps.
