FAQ - PTO (Power take off) options in commercial & industrial vehicles

PTO (Power take off) options in commercial & industrial vehicles

Currently in industry there is an ever increasing demand to turn service vehicles into mobile workshops as the nature of site work becomes more complex and to ensure that any problem can be rectified with the equipment on said service vehicle.

By utilizing a PTO (Power take off) from the vehicles engine through an installed hydraulic circuit then a variety of hydraulic equipment can be powered to provide a variety of outputs , some of these examples include:

-Hydraulic generators to produce electrical power

-Hydraulic water pumps to produce high pressure water flow

-Hydraulic compressors to produce compressed air flow

-Hydraulic welding generator to provide welding current and auxiliary electricity

At Fluid Power Solutions Ltd we can offer a complete system and install to your service vehicle to give you the above outputs that can prove invaluable for site work.

PTO 1

There are multiple types of PTO’s available currently on the market , the core examples are discussed below :

1) Belt driven electromagnetic clutch PTO -

This solution enables hydraulic system operation when the base chassis has NO PTO aperture. The exact layout and operation of this PTO type will depend on the make and model of the vehicle you are looking to install the circuit on. When installed this belt driven PTO provides hydraulic power to a hydraulic pump through an electromagnetic clutch which creates hydraulic pressure and flow to power the various hydraulic attachments that you require on your vehicle. The power is taken from the crankshaft with the belt. The belt drive PTO can be installed into any vehicle and used while stationary. Vans and pick-ups are standard vehicles for the belt driven PTO.

Dynaset PTO 1

Dynaset PTO 3

Dynaset PTO 2

Dynaset PTO 1

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What are my PTO Options?

Pros :

Can be installed aftermarket on most current commercial vehicles and older models
Relatively simple installation
Most vehicles have a “off the shelf” solution
Lower cost option
Available on both front wheel and rear wheel drive vehicles

Cons :

Belt driven PTO’s are limited by the torque they can produce with a maximum of approximately 10daNm, this therefore means that the hydraulic pump size is limited to between 8.2cc to 28cc. This limits the size of the hydraulic equipment that can be powered to the following:

3.5 – 5Kva Generator (E.g Dynaset HG3/5 /HG 5 Kva)

450l/min 8 Bar piston compressor (E.g Dynaset HK450 Compressor)

30l min 250 Bar water pump (E.g Dynaset HPW250 Water Pump)

2. Factory fitted engine / transmission PTO

Many modern vehicles come with an optional “factory fitted PTO” This means that the engine has an SAE / DIN mounting point for a hydraulic pump. As power is taken directly from the engine this means that much larger hydraulic pumps can be used in the circuit therefore meaning much larger attachments can be utilised in the service vehicle.

Factory fitted PTO’s are usually only available on rear wheel drive vehicles.

If you are currently in the process of purchasing a new van we strongly recommend you purchase it with this option as there is no option to retrofit existing vans with a factory fitted PTO.

3) Split shaft PTO

This PTO option is only available in rear wheel drive vehicles and can provide the largest hydraulic power of the three PTO options. The PTO is fitted to the cardan shaft, and it can be used while the vehicle is stationary. When the splitter is activated, the power is taken from the Cardan shaft to the piece of hydraulic equipment.

In some scenarios this option can be retrofitted into an existing vehicle with no PTO.

PTO 2

Using one of the above PTO methods then this can be used to create the power to rotate the shaft of an appropriately sized hydraulic pump for the application. The hydraulic pump will create hydraulic pressure and flow to a circuit that includes the following components:

Oil reservoir
Solenoid valve / control valving
Appropriately sized filtration
Oil Cooler (optional depending on circuit demand)

This circuit then delivers hydraulic power to your chosen hydraulic equipment via suitably sized hydraulic hoses.

How does the PTO provide power to my hydraulic equipment?

PTO3

I want to install hydraulic equipment on my service vehicle , what are my next steps?

At Fluid Power Solutions Ltd we can provide a complete package for your vehicle , we offer either the following options :

Complete kit and installation – simply provide us with your vehicle details and what equipment you would like on your vehicle and we can provide a quotation for a full fitted system and hydraulic generator/compressor /water pump
Kit for user to install – if you would prefer to install yourself we can provide the components in kit form for you to install , however we recommend that this installation is carried out by appropriately qualified engineers.

PTO4

What do we need to know to quote an installation?

To learn more about the PTO installations we can facilitate or to find out more about any of the hydraulic services we can offer please contact a member of our sales team. Alternatively please complete the following form so that we can fully quote a complete installation we will need to know the following details about your vehicle:

Hydraulic Generator

1) Output Power required ? ( Either in Kva or KW - Apparent power (kVA) x power factor (pf) = actual power (kW))

2) Voltage(V) and frequency(Hz) required ?

3) IP Class e.g 23, 54 ( IP (or "Ingress Protection"), ratings are used to define levels of sealing effectiveness of electrical enclosures against intrusion from foreign bodies (tools, dirt etc) and moisture.

4) Desired use? What equipment is the generator being used with?