Star Hydraulics Ltd
British manufacturer of accurate and reliable electro-hydraulic servo valves; Star Hydraulics provides a cost effective, fast turnaround service/repair of EHSV’s. We offer an extensive range of flow and pressure control pilot operated servo valves, direct-drive proportional valves, servo actuators, integrated manifolds, adaptor manifold blocks and drive electronics as well as turn-key solutions.
Our valve products have a variety of manifold interfaces from single, 2-stage and 3-stage designs offering up to 1,000 l/m flow rates. With current or voltage drive signals and actual spool position available on some models. We use high strength materials for durability for use on a variety of fluid media operating up to 500 bar as well as being suitable for pneumatic applications. We flight approved designs and explosion proof models for extreme environments.
Company description:
Star Hydraulics was established in December 1983 by Paul Shillam, who recognised the need for an independent servo valve repair facility following numerous requests from servo valve users whilst working at Dowty Hydraulics.
Moog (who had given Dowty’s the licence to manufacture servo valves for Europe) initially supported Paul’s servo valve repair business by supplying Star Hydraulics with unlimited spare parts to service and repair servo valves.
It is with thanks to Moog that Star Hydraulics Ltd has grown into the successful British Manufacturing Company it is today. Without Moog’s initial support of supplying Star with spare parts, Star Hydraulics Ltd would have never been born.
Unfortunately, Moog eventually changed their policy of supplying spare parts to independent servo-repairers which effectively forced Star Hydraulics to develop their own servo components and inevitably a complete range of servo valves.
Star’s now famous Sapphire Technology™ has been proven to reduce ‘ball glitch’ – the term given to the effect on the valve’s performance due to ball wear. This in-house expertise enabled Star to investigate the repeated failures of traditional valves and the wear on a particular component, a tiny steel ball, was found to be the main culprit. Star found that by replacing the steel ball with a Sapphire ball it vastly extended the life of the servo valve.
Star’s range of servo valves have proven to be incredibly successful, coupled with hydraulic oil cleanliness & system maintenance training, plus the benefit of Star’s Sapphire Technology™, Star servo valves are doing many billions of cycles without the need for repair.
