This particular valve was designed as an alternative to a previously existing solution to control a cylinder, built out of pipe fittings. The main advantage of this design over its predecessor is the time required to install it in a machine. The existing solution featured 12 components which needed to be individually assembled together before installation, while a manifold with the same functionality takes 2 bolts to be mounted on the machine and 3 fittings to connect to the hydraulic system. This drastically simplifies the machine builder’s job, reduces the number of parts they need to keep in stock, and speeds up the process.
The core idea of the valve allows for a wide range of schematics and functionalities to be implemented in a manifold while keeping the benefits it presents over the widely-used pipe fittings.
