The hidden inefficiency of hydraulics: why we need a revolution

Hydraulics is one of the world’s unsung heroes. It’s everywhere, hidden in plain sight. From the brakes in your car to the planes in the sky and the cranes that built your office, hydraulics is the muscle behind modern life. Yet, despite its ubiquity, it has remained technologically stagnant for 70 years, operating at astonishingly low levels of efficiency.

Hydraulic systems make up 15 per cent of the EU’s total energy consumption, and they are on average on 22 per cent efficient, meaning hydraulics is responsible for wasting 4,300 petajoules of energy annually — the equivalent of powering 82 million homes a year. This incomprehensible figure is just for the EU, giving an idea of the scale on energy wastage globally.

The problem doesn’t stem from one inefficient component. Individual components of a whole system are often operating at good levels of efficiency, but the compounding effect of outdated system design ultimately leads to massive energy losses. For decades, businesses and governments have overlooked this silent drain on global energy. But in an era of people looking for critical improvements to efficiencies, can we really afford to ignore it any longer?

Sustainability isn’t just about reducing emissions – it’s about using resources wisely, doing more with less. With global energy demand continuing to rise, we need to rethink how energy is used, particularly in sectors such as heavy industries, automotive, marine, aerospace and defence. This isn’t about making small efficiency gains; it’s about a fundamental transformation in how we design and build these systems from the ground up.

At Domin, we have done just that. By leveraging modern tools like metal 3D printing, we’ve developed revolutionary hydraulic technologies – the high-speed control valve and ultra-compact pump. These breakthrough components allow us to take a different approach to building hydraulic systems. Instead of simply refining old technology, we have reimagined motion control for the modern age.

If industries took a different approach, the potential energy savings would be transformational, freeing up power that could be redirected to more critical areas, reducing costs for businesses, adding value, increasing profits and cutting energy wastage on a scale never seen before in this sector.

The UK government has made bold commitments to sustainability and industrial innovation. Industry has responded with promises, but the inefficiencies at the heart of hydraulics remain largely unchallenged. With the right investment and a shift in mindset, we can transform hydraulics from an outdated energy drain into a model of modern efficiency, one that drives progress, unlocks new possibilities, and proves that we can achieve much more with less. Domin has a vision to achieve this through the utilisation of modern technology to drive change across all industries.

Will we seize this moment, or will we allow another decade of waste and inefficiency to pass us by?