Products & Solutions

Resource Efficiency

More power, less fuel

DYNAVIS® technology by Evonik targets the lifeblood of construction equipment—hydraulic fluid.

Be it spectacular skyscrapers, offshore wind parks on the high seas, or multi-lane freeways, many man-made wonders would not be here today without hydraulic-drive construction equipment. As for expanding the capabilities and efficiency of this essential equipment, there’s still ample potential for improvement—as DYNAVIS®, Evonik Industries‘ new additive technology, clearly shows.

The six yellow teeth bite indefatigably into the huge mass of rocks and rubble, leaving deep holes in the heap. Within a matter of seconds, the big shovel swings over to a truck, into the belly of which it disgorges its load. The earth-mover digs itself into the earth again and again: shoveling, lifting, pivoting, and dumping. The yellow and black colored monster's hydraulics do the herculean work until its operator, Mr. Friedel Brandt, maneuvers the massive excavator into the park position. The earth-mover grinds to a stop with its very last grunt for the day, and yet another test is over now. And once again, DYNAVIS® has proven itself as an essential additive technology for hydraulic oils.

Test series conducted, benefits confirmed

In the quarry located in Hackenheim (Germany), Brandt is satisfied and climbs down from the driver's cab. He's the master of 26 metric tons, 200 horsepower, and two hydraulic pumps, each with an operating pressure of 350 bar. "I can tell a good oil from a bad one right away. It comes naturally to me," he says. Now in his 50s, he has been in the driver's seat for more than 30 years. The construction equipment operator turned his hobby into his job. He's been conducting diverse test series for Evonik for more than a year now. These tests document the productivity and fuel efficiency achieved with hydraulic fluids formulated with DYNAVIS® technology.

Hydraulic fluids work optimally only within a specific temperature range. Under cold conditions or with rising operating temperatures, construction equipment output decreases. At about 90°C, many oils reach their limits, resulting in equipment that's hard to steer, and in the worst case, cannot be effectively controlled at all —simply because the oil has become too thin. Machine fatigue like this can bring a construction site to a complete standstill. A horror scenario for all building contractors!

Enhanced efficiency, reduced CO2 emissions

DYNAVIS® technology imparts to hydraulic fluids a wider range of operating temperatures. The hydraulic commands given by the machine operator are carried out faster, and more responsively, in spite of extremely demanding conditions. Performance and fuel efficiency improve and CO2 emissions fall. DYNAVIS® technology can boost the efficiency of hydraulic equipment by more than five percent. "It makes a huge difference if I can complete 100 hydraulic movements rather than 80 movements a single timeframe," said Brandt.

The new DYNAVIS® technology is gaining an ever stronger footing in the market. "We're conducting business with all major oil companies, including TOTAL," said Dr. Oliver Eyrisch, who is in charge of global marketing activities for DYNAVIS® technology. The French oil multinational recently launched its next-generation, high-performance hydraulic fluid with oil additives made by Evonik. "In the process, we draw on our decades of experience, and our highly integrated technology platforms. DYNAVIS® technology is our seal of quality. In this way, we are winning over new applications and markets, for example, in the mining industry, and for industrial applications such as injection molding, and even for rice harvesting machines."

Brandt sees this all very pragmatically. "I gain an extra one or one-and-a-half hours each single day, thanks to DYNAVIS® technology, and if that lets me save 20 to 30 liters of gas each day, well that's just great, too." He is right.

Further information