Short response times make electrorheological fluids (ERF) particularly suitable for the control of high dynamic applications. This paper deals with the usability of these controllable fluids and furthermore with the essential components to build up electrorheological cylinder drives. Hands-on experiences are explained in order to support the design of such systems. A design concept developed at IFAS has been applied to a new cylinder drive. The concept considers a total modularisation of the drive and the electrorheological valves. This paper demonstrates the advantages of this concept when using ERF.

Keywords: electrorheological fluid, response time, design concept, power supply, electrorheological properties, yield stress, cylinder drives, dynamic applications, modularisation, valve design