Hydraulic control systems are controls that use fluid-based operation rather than electronics or pneumatic power.

Hydraulic control systems rely on Pascal’s Law which states that liquid pressure will remain equally distributed within a sealed system. The internal fluid moves throughout the machine’s inner workings when control units within these systems are shifted; transferring force throughout the system to shift gears or influence motion.

Many modern machines rely on either hydraulic controls or a hybrid electric-hydraulic system. Some of the main advantages to using these systems are the ability to: handle very large loads or forces, handle sudden changes in load and deliver precise and accurate handling in more specialised applications.

A machine’s operation can be influenced in a number of ways. The most basic involves manual control, where a human or robotic users activates a switch, lever or steering wheel to drive hydraulic fluid throughout the system to achieve the desired action.