Digga’s award winning excavator power head employs Eaton pumps and valves to help boost productivity

To overcome these design shortfalls, Australian manufacturer of earthmoving equipment attachments Digga of Brisbane set out to design a compact, high-capacity power head that was significantly more tolerant of operator errors and substantially enhance productivity. Integral to this design by Digga engineers was a technique that would control the rapid decompression of oil that is characteristic of the screw anchoring process.

To achieve these goals, Digga worked closely with Eaton’s Hydraulics Group and experts at Eaton’s Jinning, China, plant to “tweak” the 6000 Series motors selected to power the company’s new ‘I-Drive’. The result, an award winning design!

Each I-Drive uses multiple Eaton 6000 Series disc valve motors rather than the more traditional radial piston type. The compact, geroler-based 6000 Series motors use rolls to seal the space between the rotating “star” and stationary gear ring. This makes them inherently more efficient than gerotor designs, because of both better sealing and the bearing effect of the rollers.

With this design, a rotary disc is used to direct fluid into the void between the star and ring, causing the star to rotate, which gives the motor its name. This configuration accommodates high flow rates and high pressures while providing excellent starting and low-speed torque characteristics.

Digga also designed a sophisticated manifold using Eaton screw-in cartridge valves (SICV), and a unique flow-reversal bypass valve, dubbed a “swoosh”
valve by Digga engineers, to control screw anchoring decompression. This novel SICV-based manifold controls the flow to the four motors which allows the operator to selectively engage and disengage them to provide variable speed and torque capabilities.

The largest Digga I-Drive, a 1,000 l/pm unit, has three available operating modes, high speed/low torque, mid-speed/mid torque, and low speed/high torque. Smaller units rated at 375, 500, and 750 l/pm are also available in either single/dual or three-speed configurations.

Digga designed the I-Drive to survive in the rugged environment of a construction site. It requires no complex hose, valve or filtration arrangements, no third hydraulic line and no case drain. In service, the design has been proved to be virtually “bulletproof” and immune to operator errors that can damage less robust power heads. The I-Drive can utilize the full hydraulic flow capabilities of an excavator producing 1000 l/pm to deliver a maximum torque of 300,000 Nm – which is actually more hydraulic power than most excavators can provide. So the I-Drive has a built-in margin of safety while delivering up to 300 percent greater productivity than currently available alternative systems.

Digga plans to offer an extended warranty on the I-Drive and certain other products. They credit Eaton’s global footprint and reputation for quality products and comprehensive support as a major advantage for Digga wherever it competes.

The Digga I-Drive was recognized with an “Australian Design Award” in 2009.
The Australian Design Awards is a division of Standards Australia whose mission is to present to the Australian public and the world the best examples of Australian Design and Innovation, and the high quality of design expertise available to manufacturers in Australia and Internationally.”