Counterbalance Valves

STUDENT MANUAL

Counterbalance valves can be compared to elevator counterweights. A heavy elevator

car is tough for a motor to start and stop on its own.
Raising the Load Holding the Load Lowering the Load

Motor Motor Motor

Figure 1. Raising or lowering the car is tough. The motor and drawworks have a hard time starting and controlling the load.

Adding a counterweight to the same elevator system makes a world of difference! The
counterweight removes much of the effort from raising and lowering the loaded car.

Raising the Load Holding the Load Lowering the Load

Motor Motor Motor

Figure 2. Adding a counterweight makes raising and lowering the elevator car easier and safer.

A counterbalance valve works in a similar way as an elevator counterweight. Earlier, we

talked about controlling vertical loads using load locks. A check valve based load lock
is only useful for low flow applications. If there is a considerable stroke length or if the
cylinder is supporting a substantial mass, the velocity of the cylinder may be excessive

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Counterbalance Valves

and the motion may be jerky and inconsistent. The force of gravity will cause the rod of a
heavily loaded cylinder to run ahead of the fluid supply.

Check valve
piloted open

Cylinder is in
free-fall

Figure 3. The cylinder is in free fall while the check valve is piloted open

This will cause a drop in pressure on the inlet port of the cylinder to the point where the
check valve can no longer be piloted open. At this point, fluid leaving the cylinder will
force the check valve closed.

Check valve closed

by spring bias

Cylinder has
stopped abruptly

Figure 4. The cylinder stops abruptly as the check valve slams closed

What happens then? You guessed it. Motion stops and pressure builds quickly again on
the cylinder’s inlet port. This pressure also pilots the check valve to the fully open posi-
tion and high flow occurs again along with a sudden lowering motion at the cylinder.

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 Counterbalance Valves

A more effective method of securing a vertical load is with a counterbalance valve. The
counterbalance valve is sometimes referred to as a motion control valve, or an over-cen-
ter valve. All three names describe the purpose and functionality of the valve.

If an orifice is used on the gravity

drop port of the cylinder, then stroke Check
speed will always be very slow. The Valve
counterbalance valve, on the other
hand, imposes a spring loaded re-
striction on the output flow from the
actuator. Pressure must build up to a
certain level on both cylinder ports
before the valve will allow flow. Pilot Port from
opposing line
(shown not
In addition, the externally piloted pressured)
counterbalance valve has the feature
of two separate restriction pressures.
The higher setting holds the vertical
load and releases fluid only if the
pressure from actuator exceeds the
Cabin Lift Control
rating of hoses and components. This Counterbalance free
is good for handling any unexpected flow check valve
open when raising
shock loads and severe and sudden cylinders
pressure spikes.

The second, lower pressure range

comes into play when oil is entering
Figure 5. Scissor lift (cabin lift) cylinders & counterbalance
the actuator on the port opposite to
valve arrangement
where the counterbalance valve is
plumbed in. There is a cross-pilot line that effectively removes some of the spring force
resistance in the valve by supplying an external pressure from the port that is supplying
oil to the actuator.

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Counterbalance Valves

Figure 6. Counterbalance valves are commonly used to secure vertical loads against chattering, creeping and/or out-of-
control motion

Typically counterbalance valves are set with a holding pressure that is approximately
thirty percent higher than the static pressure of the heaviest normal load. This helps
keep the raised load in place with a fully closed off counterbalance poppet. If there is a
shock load to the rod in the direction of extension, or if pressure builds due to heat ex-
pansion of the fluid, the poppet in the counterbalance may crack for a brief moment.

Remember that the counterbalance largely does its work on the oil that is leaving the
actuator.

You have probably come to realize that some pressure valves such as the counterbal-
ance, the braking valve and the sequence valve have more to do with motion and direc-
tional control than they do with controlling system pressure.

Schematic Symbol

1 2 1 2 Lets have a look at the symbol for a counter-

3 3
Figure 7. ANSI and ISO symbols for the counterbalance valve
balance valve. It is similar to the symbol for
a basic relief valve except for the additional
external pilot line (3), which is connected to
the opposing actuator line. It is drawn with it’s
poppet arrow showing a normally closed state

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 Counterbalance Valves

In this state it will hold the raised cylinder in po-

sition (to a preset pressure maximum). But when
the opposing actuator line is pressurized, the pilot
(3) on the counterbalance is also pressurized. This
pre-compresses the poppet against the internal
spring, bringing the poppet to a near open or
cracked condition. This makes it possible for oil to
flow through the counterbalance from (1) to (2).

It is important to note here that when the coun-

terbalance valve receives pilot pressure on port
(3), the flow from inlet to outlet is not a free,
unrestricted flow. The flow is still variably restrict-
ed by the valve’s spring and the opposing pilot Figure 8. A counterbalance valve in action, preventing run-
pressure which constantly vary the poppet open- away as the cylinder extends
ing. This keeps the pressure differential from port (2) to port (1) steady to control any
runaway tendencies. This action provides smooth consistent motion at the actuator
while it is being lowered.

!
Caution! Do not attempt to adjust a
counterbalance valve on a machine
that is supporting a vertical load. If
the load is creeping downward while
you adjust the valve, you may cause a faster and
potentially fatal drop. Some counterbalance valves
are set to a lower holding pressure with a clock-
wise turn of the adjustment screw. To be safe, you Figure 9. You must not adjust a counterbalance valve until
must not adjust a counterbalance valve until the the load has been lowered to a rest.
load has been lowered to a rest. It is best to have
the counterbalance valve preset at a hydraulics shop.
Contaminant
Can you imagine what happens when the tiny
pilot port in the counterbalance valve becomes
plugged with contaminants? In this condition the
poppet is not cracked open by pilot pressure, but
rather from a much higher pressure on the cyl-
inder’s lower port. The counterbalance will crack
open with a relief function using a small annular
surface at the poppet. But the valve’s ability to Annulus
modulate the poppet opening using the pressure
differential across the cylinder ports is now gone. Figure 10. A plugged counterbalance valve
The resulting motion may not be smooth and system pressure may be higher along with
unnecessary heat. The solution to many potential hydraulic problems of course is to
apply rigorous contamination control.

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