Advantages And Features Of Pilot Pump

A pilot pump in an excavator is a smaller pump that works alongside the main hydraulic pumps.  There are two main reasons why a pilot pump is used.

1.Energy Efficiency :The pilot pump is used in low flow situations. When the excavator is not doing a lot of work, the main pumps can be shut down to conserve energy. The pilot pump is capable of supplying enough hydraulic fluid to operate the excavator's control functions without having to run the large main pumps.

2.Pilot Control:The pilot pump also provides hydraulic fluid to operate the excavator's control system. The pilot control system uses pressure and flow to move the spools in the main hydraulic control valve. These spools then direct the high pressure flow from the main pumps to the excavator's actuators, which power the arm, bucket, tracks and swing mechanism.

Excavator Pilot Pump

Pilot pumps are typically gear pumps because they are  low cost, reliable and well suited for providing low pressure, high volume flow.