Evolution and cutting-edge trends of low-energy consumption control technology for high-power hydroforming equipment

A sector-wide shift from peak-performance orientation to green manufacturing has been observed in high-end equipment manufacturing, rendering low-energy operation and control of high-power, energy-intensive hydraulic forming equipment imperative. The energy-flow characteristics and loss mechanisms of these processes are synthesized, and the evolution of low-energy control pathways is delineated across these axes, namely structural lightweighting for demand reduction, energy matching for efficiency enhancement, and energy regeneration for loss mitigation. Persistent challenges are identified, including system-level rebounds in total energy consumption due to coupling introduced by lightweighting and reduced control accuracy arising from coupling between pump speed and displacement in pump-controlled systems. To address these issues, priority development directions are advanced, including electro-hydraulic parallel hybrid drives, clustered and resource-shared production lines, digital-twin-enabled dynamic energy-efficiency control, and unified standards for energy-efficiency evaluation. Collectively, these directions furnish theoretical support for high-performance, low-energy design and operation and offer practical guidance for the sector’s green transition.