Flow control 
hydraulic valves 
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What is a flow control hydraulic valve and for which hydraulic applications do you need one?

Flow control valves manage the flow by decreasing or increasing the opening at the throttling point. This helps to determine speed of movement for the actuators. The simplest design for a flow control valve is a needle or longitudinal slot mounted in the pipeline and connected to a screw that adjusts the opening at the throttling point. These are called throttle valves due to the fixed throttle, which changes the actual flow through the valve at varying loads.

Use flow control valves to influence the speed of movement of hydraulic actuators in a hydraulic system.

The difference in pressure before and after the throttling point, i.e. the pressure drop (Δp), determines the rate of flow through the throttle valve at a particular setting. If the pressure drop over the throttling point remains the same, the flow of oil that passes the throttling point remains the same as well. This allows operation at constant speeds, regardless of the load. Pressure compensated flow control valves ensure that the pressure drop over the throttling point remains the same.