High-Pressure Water Hydraulics: Fire-Resistant System Solutions with KAMAT Plunger Pumps
KAMAT water hydraulics are the gold standard for powering industrial machinery in extreme environments. Unlike conventional oil hydraulics, our systems use pure water or water-based HFA fluids as the working fluid. Our oscillating high-pressure plunger pumps achieve over 90% mechanical efficiency and are designed for heavy-duty applications, with a pressure range of up to 4,000 bar and power ratings of up to 3,500 kW.
Key benefits:
- Inherent safety: Water is a non-flammable medium that completely eliminates the risk of fire in critical areas, such as mining and steel mills.
- Environmental compliance: There is no soil contamination in the event of leaks, and disposal costs are significantly reduced compared to mineral oils.
- System rigidity: The low compressibility of water allows for faster and more precise switching cycles of the actuators.
Our efficient and safe high-pressure solutions for water hydraulics – Unique design features
- Modularity & Materials: Use of highly corrosion-resistant materials (duplex, super-duplex) and one-piece forged pump heads.
- Cavitation Prevention: Design with low NPSHr values to prevent vapor bubble formation at high flow rates.
- Maintenance Efficiency: Service-friendly design allows for the replacement of wear parts without lifting equipment and without disassembling the gearbox.
Adaptable Hydraulics for Global Industries
KAMAT designs solutions in which power generation and power utilization are spatially decoupled. Thanks to freely routable high-pressure piping, power units can be integrated into existing plant layouts with a high degree of flexibility.
Applications of our system technology:
- Steel & Metal Industry: High-pressure supply for forging presses as well as precision descaling systems for the highest surface quality.
- Rolling mill technology: Hydrostatic relief of plain bearings at pressures up to 3,500 bar.
- Mining: Power supply for hydraulic shield support and tunneling systems (MA/ATEX-compliant).
- Other sectors: Process hydraulics for the automotive, plastics, wood, and rubber industries.
Water hydraulics as an ecological and safe drive system
KAMAT specializes in the development of water-hydraulic systems, which are used in many industrial sectors for environmental or safety reasons. The power of water is utilized in many areas to optimally protect people and the environment:
In addition to environmental considerations, the primary reason for using water in hydraulic systems in mining is the safety of the people working there.
In the field of metal processing as well, for example in hydraulic presses and forges, the use of such systems significantly reduces the risk of fire and explosion. Descaling with high-pressure pumps from KAMAT is essential to meet today’s requirements for rolled materials.
Your Project, Our Expertise: Working Together to Find the Optimal High-Pressure Solution
Every hydraulic system has specific requirements regarding pressure, fluid, and operating environment. Benefit from our decades of experience in the design of water-hydraulic systems. Our engineers support you worldwide, from the initial technical design through to commissioning.
- Customized consulting: We’ll find the right pump configuration for your application.
- Technical clarification: Support with NPSHr calculations, material selection, and interface integration.
- Quick response: Direct contact with our experts in Witten.
FAQ – Water Hydraulics & Expert Knowledge
Our pumps are designed for clean water as well as HFA fluids (water with small additive content for corrosion protection). Thanks to special materials, even “contaminated” fluids with particles up to 350 µm can be handled.
In typical hydraulic applications, pressures range between 300 and 500 bar. Technically, our plunger pumps can achieve pressures of up to 3,500 bar and power outputs of up to 3,000 kW.
Maintenance work can be carried out directly on site. Thanks to the well-designed system, no lifting equipment or hydraulic tightening tools are required for replacing wear parts.
Yes. Our units can be adapted to virtually any environment and comply with numerous explosion protection standards such as ATEX and MA.
Water hydraulics refers to the transmission of energy, force, and signals using water or water-based fluids (HFA) instead of mineral oils. While oil hydraulics dominates standard applications, water hydraulics is used wherever extreme pressures up to 3,500 bar, absolute fire safety, or environmental compatibility are required. KAMAT uses oscillating plunger pumps, which inherently achieve significantly higher efficiency than centrifugal pumps.
Switching from oil to water offers three key advantages: safety, as water is non-flammable and essential in industries with heat sources or mining; environmental protection, since leaks do not cause environmental damage or costly cleanup; and performance, as water’s lower compressibility results in a “stiffer” hydraulic system with more precise control and switching behavior.
Compared to hydraulic oil, water has almost no lubricating properties and can promote corrosion and cavitation. KAMAT addresses these challenges with stainless steel components, special hard metal or ceramic plungers, and one-piece forged pump heads. Additionally, our systems are designed with low NPSHr values to minimize cavitation risks.
Yes. A key feature of KAMAT technology is its high tolerance for particles. Our plunger pumps can handle contaminated fluids with particle sizes up to 350 µm, reducing filtration effort and increasing service life in harsh environments such as mining.
By using plunger pumps, KAMAT water hydraulics achieves mechanical efficiencies of over 90%. Since our systems are optimized for variable frequency drive (VFD) operation with a control range of 1:10, flow can be precisely adjusted to demand. This avoids energy losses from bypass control and protects the entire system.
