A hydraulic manifold directs hydraulic fluid and pressure to different areas of a hydraulic system. It features actuators that are either manually operated or manipulated by electronic actuators. Each valve in the manifold operates in both a push and pull motion, and there can be more than one manifold on a given hydraulic system. The manifold commonly has four actions: raise the bucket, lower the bucket, roll the bucket backwards, and roll the bucket forward. Each manifold valve consists of a cylinder, a spring, and a rubber diaphragm.
A hydraulic manifold is a device used to direct the flow of hydraulic fluid and pressure to different areas of the hydraulic system. Typically made from billet steel or aluminum, the hydraulic manifold features actuators that are either operated manually through the use of levers or switches or manipulated by electronic actuators that can be activated by a computer or switch somewhere on the machinery . Actuators on a hydraulic manifold act to control or modulate hydraulic valves that open and close to create the desired flow path of hydraulic fluid.
Some hydraulic systems, such as the types used on a backhoe loader, are hydraulic cylinder systems that operate on pressurized hydraulic fluid. The fluid is pressurized by a hydraulic pump which feeds the fluid through a series of hydraulic lines. The hydraulic manifold directs fluid to individual hydraulic cylinders by closing valves in one area of the manifold and opening others. This movement of the hydraulic fluid is controlled by an operator who pulls and pushes control levers attached to the hydraulic manifold. Each valve in the hydraulic manifold operates in both a push and pull motion, with the hydraulic fluid pressurized and released by the manipulation of a control lever.
On a given hydraulic system, there can be more than one hydraulic manifold. In the case of a typical backhoe tractor, there are commonly two manifolds: one that controls the front bucket and the other that controls the rear excavator hitch. The front manifold usually consists of a two-lever manifold or a single joystick-type controller. In both cases, the manifold commonly has four actions: raise the bucket, lower the bucket, roll the bucket backwards, and roll the bucket forward. Moving a control one way completes one operation, such as raising the bucket, and moving the control the other way completes the opposite reaction, such as lowering the bucket.
Each manifold valve consists of a cylinder, a spring and a rubber diaphragm. As the valve is manipulated by the control lever, the cylinder is directed in one fluid path or another, each directing a particular action. The spring located inside the valve holds the valve in the neutral position and prevents fluid from entering or leaving the valve and manifold. There is often a setting on the hydraulic manifold that increases or decreases the amount of hydraulic pressure entering the manifold, speeding up or slowing down the reaction to the movement of a control lever.
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