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HUSCO Uses MathWorks Products to Create Intelligent Valve Controllers for 20-Ton Excavator
Model-Based Design Cuts Development Time by More than 50%
A 25-ton excavator with hydraulic functions controlled by HUSCO’s INCOVA system.
NATICK, Mass. - (17 Jun 2008)
The MathWorks today announced that HUSCO International, a global leader in the development and manufacture of hydraulic and electrohydraulic controls, used MathWorks products to create a sophisticated “smart” valve for a 20-ton excavator using Intelligent Control Valve (INCOVA) technology.
Using Model-Based Design and MathWorks products, such as Simulink, Real-Time Workshop, and xPC Target, enabled HUSCO engineers to design and develop the control system for a new valve in less than three months, 50 percent faster than prior designs. With Simulink, HUSCO engineers were able to develop a robust control system design that can be integrated with a broad range of valve applications, each having different numbers of cylinders. Using Real-Time Workshop to generate code from the Simulink model, HUSCO engineers were able to implement engineering design changes within an hour, roughly eight times faster than previous projects. As a result, HUSCO is able to fully leverage their investment in the design on future projects.
“By electronically controlling the valves with our INCOVA technology, we increase excavator efficiency by a number of measures,” said Darren Hartman, software team leader at HUSCO International.“The control, however, requires optimization and debugging, which is not safe on a live excavator. By working in Simulink, we could model and simulate the design, make adjustments to optimize performance, and generate production code—all from our desks.”
“Model-Based Design enables engineers to develop, implement, and verify their software designs in a single environment through the use of graphical models for the algorithms and production code generation,” said
For the INCOVA project, over 20 HUSCO engineers in three countries collaborated and communicated effectively through the adoption of Model-Based Design. “In the past, our systems engineers had to consider hardware details, such as the number of bits of accuracy, and worry about communicating the design to the software engineer. With MathWorks tools for Model-Based Design, the system engineer can focus on controls, not on the details of the target hardware,” said Hartman.
About The MathWorks
The MathWorks is the world's leading developer of technical computing and Model-Based Design software for engineers and scientists in industry, government, and education. With an extensive product set based on MATLAB® and Simulink®, The MathWorks provides software and services to solve challenging problems and accelerate innovation in automotive, aerospace, communications, financial services, biotechnology, electronics, instrumentation, process, and other industries.
The MathWorks was founded in 1984 and employs more than 2,000 people worldwide, with headquarters in Natick, Massachusetts. For additional information, visit www.mathworks.com.
MATLAB and Simulink are registered trademarks of The MathWorks, Inc. See www.mathworks.com/trademarks for a list of additional trademarks. Other product or brand names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.
About HUSCO
HUSCO is a privately owned manufacturer that provides motion control components and systems to the off highway and automotive markets. HUSCO employs more than 1,000 employees globally, of which approximately 700 are located in Wisconsin. For more information, please visit www.huscointl.com.
Press Contacts
| Dave Smith The MathWorks, Inc. Tel: (508) 647-7427 Fax: (508) 647-7001 E-mail: dave.smith@mathworks.com |
Sean Audet Text 100 Tel: (617) 723-1044 E-mail: mathworks@text100.com Web: www.text100.com |
