At this year’s iVT Expo, hydraulic technology suppliers showcased how intelligence and connectivity are reshaping pumps, valves, and system architectures.
As mobile machine technology moves towards more electrified, intelligent designs, hydraulic systems are keeping pace. Data-driven controls and connected components are reshaping the way hydraulic systems are designed, monitored, and maintained. At the iVT Expo in Chicago in August, experts showed how sensors, smart electronics, and predictive algorithms are being embedded into pumps, valves, and systems.
From the show floor to several presentations at the NFPA Advanced Hydraulics Conference, fluid power manufacturers introduced and highlighted advances in their tech that will deliver smarter, more efficient, and more connected hydraulic systems.
Smart pumps with built-in intelligence
In his presentation, Mark Preissig, General Manager – North America, discussed how the Casappa Power Systems – CSP and CSD onboard digitalization solutions for pumps integrate smart sensors, on-board electronics, and advanced algorithms to deliver insights and control for OEMs. It is an evolution of the Load Sensing flow sharing system and allows for management of the machine’s hydraulic system.
“All the characteristics of pump pressure you normally want to see — load-sense, inlet, outlet, case drain — are all there naturally, combined with active monitoring and swashplate angle,” Preissig said. “The housing on the right contains our OBE processor as well as a Bluetooth transmitter. The enclosure on the top is essentially Casappa’s proprietary lab-on-a chip environment which contains temperature and fluid condition monitoring in a micro scale.”
This powers two main offerings: smart power and smart data.
Smart power creates “real-time closed-loop displacement control for the pump,” Preissig noted, using both internal signals and CAN bus inputs from the OEM. The system enables power management solutions that “perfectly match the expectation for the machine, the OEM, and the operator.” OEMs can configure profiles such as anti-stall torque control, economy fuel modes, or extreme breakout modes — flexibly adapting machine behavior through integrated pump intelligence.
Smart data leverages Casappa’s sensor suite to support cycle monitoring, anomaly detection, performance analysis, and predictive analysis. “What we want to resolve is … an array of sensor data that’s out there, flow, pressure, temperature, rotation, speed, fluid conditioning, all coming from different sources today, giving OEMs an obstacle for just configuration, specification, maintenance, acquisition, all those things ongoing forever in the life of that design,” Preissig said. “We’re trying to get away from that with one simple solution, incorporating all of these into one pump environment, communicating in the same way with those devices that a dispersed solution would.”
Plugging this into the Casappa app allows users to conduct pump condition monitoring, cycle acquisition and identify a particular machine function, whether it is digging, driving, lifting, etc., and monitor it and look for definitive characteristics that may create conditions which are adverse to either safety or the well-being of the machine. “We learned to establish operating condition alarms, parameterization of all of those sensor inputs that says something is out of spec, something’s going in the wrong direction,” Preissig said.
“We’re talking about knowing when static parts, rotating parts, and the regulation function of the pump will fail,” said Preissig, noting that Casappa’s predictive algorithms draw on decades of endurance testing, warranty data, and correlation studies of pumps operating under varied oil types, contaminant levels, pressures, and temperatures.
The result is not just raw sensor readings but contextual intelligence. Casappa’s algorithms calculate hydro-mechanical efficiency, duty cycle severity, and mean time to replacement, giving OEMs a deeper understanding of system performance and component life. “It’s identifying not only what’s going wrong in that surface fatigue mode, but translating back to failure modes within the pump,” he said.
To deliver this intelligence in the field, Casappa developed the Smart Data Service Tool, a mobile app and diagnostic interface. Through Bluetooth or CAN bus, users can visualize pump condition, resolve alarms, log data, and perform firmware updates. While not a full replacement for high-speed diagnostic tools, the app provides “a centralization of conditions critical to system operation from just one source.”
Instead of OEMs sourcing multiple discrete sensors for flow, pressure, temperature, and fluid health, Casappa integrates them into a single pump environment. “From one component — which you’d be buying anyway — we can offer so much more value at a collaborative level that’s not found in dispersed technology,” he said. This reduces wiring complexity, improves diagnostic accuracy, and streamlines system integration.
Valves merge control and configurability
During his presentation, Cory Fisher, Director of Strategic Sales, Sun Hydraulics, highlighted Sun’s various electrohydraulic valves designed to merge proven cartridge valve technology with integrated electronics and digital configurability. Fisher explained that the goal is to add value to the operator experience, and gives OEMs greater flexibility, easier system integration, and a foundation for connected hydraulics.
“What we’re focused on is making valves that are smarter, more adaptable, and easier to integrate — so OEMs can spend less time on the plumbing and more time on the machine,” Fisher said.
Sun integrates electronics directly into their valve bodies. This allows OEMs to configure ramp times, flow profiles, and operating modes via CAN bus or mobile tools, reducing hardware variations across platforms.
The intelligence also extends to diagnostics. Valves can monitor coil health, detect wiring faults, and provide performance feedback in real time. “Say the operator is having a problem. They request on their app support, and they get connected to that tech support individual, and when they get connected that tech support person can see the entire CAN network. They can see data logging. They can even ask the operator to turn their camera on,” Fisher said.
Having this camera connection allows users and tech support to find and diagnose a problem. Users can draw on their screen to pinpoint where a problem might be, allowing tech support to help find problems. This also saves time if an in-person visit is required of tech support, as they can better prepare for the work they will have to do on the machine.
Sun emphasized that this approach simplifies assembly and reduces wiring complexity while enabling new levels of machine customization. OEMs can use one valve type across multiple applications, then tailor software settings for specific machines. From an operator standpoint, the same valve can deliver economy, precision, or high-power modes — all defined digitally rather than through circuit redesigns.
The Cygnus platform also aligns with broader industry shifts toward data-enabled hydraulics. By streaming performance information to machine controllers or cloud systems, the valves support condition monitoring, service efficiency, and predictive maintenance strategies.
Fisher positioned Cygnus as both a continuation of Sun’s cartridge valve expertise and a forward-looking platform. “Cygnus, at its heart, is a tech support tool that turns your cell phone or the operator’s cell phone, into your connection device,” he said.
Bringing AI and IoT into the picture
Adam Livesay, co-founder of Elevāt, shared how IoT and AI technologies are transforming the mobile machinery industry through ecosystem collaboration, smarter components, and data-driven services.
Livesay began by highlighting the shift from fragmented, “wild west” telematics projects to scalable, business-driven IoT solutions. “IoT has really revolutionized fluid power,” he said. “We’re seeing a lot more smarter components, a lot more options for telematics, gateways and devices … now it’s very pointed business value solutions.”
Falling sensor costs, better connectivity, and tighter regulations have helped move IoT from experiment to enterprise-ready systems. Related to this, hardware deployment has grown dramatically. This has accelerated adoption across OEMs and suppliers. Livesay said that most companies are now on their “second, third, or fourth revision of telematics or IoT,” with many OEMs integrating machine data directly into cloud platforms and ERP systems.
The rapid rise of AI is also reshaping operations. Elevāt is preparing to launch its first AI service with several OEMs and expects to see more AI offerings at CONEXPO in March. “One of our engineers told me that on his trip from Oregon to Seattle, he did 500 lines of code with the help of Copilot — work that normally would have taken two weeks,” Livesay noted, emphasizing the dramatic efficiency gains. Unlike IoT, which required years of education and adoption, AI has entered the industry swiftly because it’s already embedded in daily life.
Livesay detailed partnerships with Cummins, Hydraforce, and IDEX Fire & Safety. With Cummins, Elevāt has progressed from simple telematics to edge AI and predictive analytics, aiming to reduce costly downtime. With Hydraforce, Elevāt has worked on smart valves and sensors, ensuring OEMs have multiple connectivity options.
IDEX needed a connected solution for fire and safety equipment like the Jaws of Life. Elevāt built a customized platform, enabling live system monitoring, preventive maintenance, and automated service workflows. “This is about shaving off seconds to save lives,” Livesay explained. Firefighters can now track pump pressure, flow, and tool usage in real time, improving readiness while easing administrative burdens.
Elevāt’s mission, he concluded, is to help OEMs and their partners harness IoT and AI to build smarter services, reduce downtime, and generate new digital revenue streams. “We’re trying to take this next generation of service, these very complex machines, and work together with our partners’ knowledge to provide better value to OEMs and end customers,” Livesay said.
Work trucks gain intelligence
At Bailey International, load-sensing, variable displacement pumps for work trucks are one of their newest lines, said Daniel Strati, North American Sales Manager.
Here, a load-sense control device is integrated into the pump and works with a machine controller, which delivers information to the hydraulic system. The valve regulates the pump flow according to its functions and needs. The load-sensing pump with intelligence inside allows the pump to communicate with the system, to better deliver what the system needs in terms of horsepower, for example, Strati said.
“We can offer a sensor that actually can tell the machine controller how fast it’s going,” Strati said. This allows the pump to regulate its flow while heat, noise and pressure loss are also reduced, Strati said. The truck engine power output is optimized, allowing for longer life for components, saved energy, and a better environmental compliance.
Casappa S.p.A.
casappa.com
Sun Hydraulics
sunhydraulics.com
Elevāt
elevat-iot.com
Bailey International
baileyintl.com
