Hydraulics motors convert hydraulic pressure into force that is able to generate great power. Hydraulic devices are able to create force through the use of fluids, vacuums, and pressure. The motor is the actuator that converts the pressure of the fluid into torque and rotational energy.
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Hydraulics motors are often part of a hydraulic drive system or hydraulic transmission along with hydraulic pumps and cylinders. The fluid physically pushes a hydraulic cylinder or motor and drives the machinery to create force. In concept, a hydraulics motor should be interchangeable with a hydraulics pump because they perform opposite functions. This is not the case, however, because most pumps cannot be backdriven. Hydraulics motors are able to produce much more power than other motors of the same size and for this reason are used for larger loads than electric motors. Hydraulics motors are most commonly used in aircraft, heavy duty vehicles, industrial lifting and in machinery that requires strong pressurized actions. Additionally, hydraulics motors are frequently used to power automated manufacturing systems. Hydraulics motors are also used in trenchers, automobiles, construction equipment, drives for marine winches, waste management and recycling processes, wheel motors for military vehicles, self-driven cranes, excavators, forestry, agriculture, conveyor and auger systems, dredging and industrial processing.
Hydraulics motors are fairly simple machines that are composed of a reservoir, a pump and rotating machinery. The pump is powered by a small pneumatic engine and drives the hydraulic motor. Oil or water usually serve as the pressurized fluids that create motion. Fluid is pushed from an inlet valve to an outlet valve through a series of gears, rotating screws, turning vanes or cylinders. The liquid in motion causes the rotating components to turn very quickly and generate mechanical energy because the gears, screws, vanes or cylinders are linked to the machinery. The energy is transferred from the motor to the operating system. After traveling through the motor, the oil is returned to a reservoir, where it is filtered and reused. There are three kinds of hydraulics motors: gear, vane and piston type. Each is identified by the design of the rotating component inside. Hydraulic gear motors are the least expensive and have the ability to operate at high speeds. However, they are also the noisiest of the hydraulic motors and are relatively inefficient at low speeds. Hydraulic vane motors are the most popular general purpose motor while piston pumps are the most expensive. They perform well at high torque, low speed operations in high system pressure applications and can be either axial or radial.
