R&D General Information

The Research and Development Centre of PONAR Wadowice S.A. focuses on improving existing products and seeking new solutions in the field of oil hydraulics.

As a result, our product offering is continuously expanded with new product types and innovative system solutions, while existing hydraulic components are developed into new functional variants.

The Centre is responsible for conducting R&D work on fluid power components and complete hydraulic systems featuring an innovative and optimised approach to the operation of machinery and equipment. It also works on innovative products for the defence industry.

Modern Technical Facilities

Dynamic product and service development is made possible by advanced technical facilities, equipped with, among other things:

• A hydraulic dynamometer with energy recovery for testing high-power hydraulic drives and systems
• A cylinder test rig with external loading on the piston side
• A valve test rig
• A load sensing system development rig
• A test rig for hydraulically driven planetary gearboxes
• A climate chamber for testing valves
• A vibration simulation test rig for testing valves dedicated to mobile applications
• A pump test rig
• An oil laboratory

The Research and Development Centre features:

• The capability to test cylinders under loads up to 70 tonnes
• The capability to maintain a constant torque in the range from 0 to 3,000 rpm
• Energy recovery — reducing the power consumed for testing by 85%
• Testing of planetary gearboxes driven by a hydraulic motor under a full load of 130 kNm
• Long-term endurance testing of pumps and systems under continuous load up to 200 kW of power
• Testing of valves at flow rates up to 700 l/min and pressures up to 400 bar
• Testing of hydraulic components under extreme conditions (-70°C to +80°C)
• Testing the vibration resistance of hydraulic components up to 100 Hz

The Research and Development Centre utilizes calculation and simulation software: ANSYS/Fluent/CFX (for flow simulations), Matlab/SIMULINK, INVENTOR ULTIMATE (for FEA stress/strength calculations), ALTIUM DESIGNER (for electronic circuit and PCB design), and Data Acquisition tools.

Research and Development at PONAR Wadowice S.A. offers:

• The ability to replicate load conditions close to the real-world operating conditions of a hydraulic component or system
• The capability for long-term endurance testing
• Energy savings during testing thanks to energy recovery
• Minimisation of field testing required at the customer’s site
• The ability to reliably verify project assumptions or possible options with the customer in the early (pre-seed) phase
• The option to record or stream live video to customers during system testing — allowing remote participation in tests at the Łaziska Górne plant
• An expanded service portfolio offered by PONAR Wadowice S.A. covering broadly understood R&D work
• Cost optimisation through a 100% tax relief on R&D projects
• Access to technology, knowledge, know-how, and expertise

Patent-Protected Technologies

By developing its own research and development capabilities, PONAR Wadowice S.A. creates modern technologies and solutions used across many industrial sectors. The company’s strength lies in the knowledge and experience of its engineering team, who combine design, technological, and research competencies to deliver solutions tailored to the needs of modern industry. As Poland’s largest manufacturer of fluid power hydraulics, we consistently develop and protect our proprietary solutions using available intellectual property protection tools.

We hold patents in fluid power and high-pressure systems, and further solutions developed by our engineers are currently being submitted for patent protection. Our goal is to create technologies that address real industrial needs — enhancing equipment efficiency and reliability, raising safety levels, and supporting more efficient resource utilization.

EU-Funded Projects

Expansion of the PONAR R&D Centre through the establishment of the Hydraulic Drives Research and Development Department

PONAR Wadowice S.A. has implemented the project “Expansion of the PONAR R&D Centre through the establishment of the Hydraulic Drives Research and Development Department”, co-financed by the European Union from the European Regional Development Fund under the Smart Growth Operational Programme 2014–2020, Sub-measure 2.1 “Support for investments in R&D infrastructure of enterprises”, Smart Growth.

Research and development work on an innovative, high-efficiency, and eco-friendly system for cleaning vessel hulls

Completed project “Research and development work on an innovative, high-efficiency, and eco-friendly system for cleaning vessel hulls”, co-financed by the European Union from the European Regional Development Fund under Sub-measure 1.2 of the Smart Growth Operational Programme 2014–2020. The project is implemented under the INNOship-II competition organised by the National Centre for Research and Development (NCBR).

Development of R&D activities through the construction of the Research and Development Centre for Hydraulic Systems and Components, and High-Pressure Systems of PONAR Wadowice S.A.

Our company has also completed the project “Development of R&D activities through the construction of the Research and Development Centre for Hydraulic Systems and Components, and High-Pressure Systems of PONAR Wadowice S.A.” under Measure 2.1 “Support for investments in R&D infrastructure of enterprises” of the Smart Growth Operational Programme 2014–2020, co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund.

Research and development work on the design of an innovative ship winch system designed to operate in Arctic conditions

PONAR Wadowice S.A., in a consortium with TOWIMOR S.A. based in Toruń, has completed the project “Research and development work on the design of an innovative ship winch system designed to operate in Arctic conditions”, co-financed by the European Union from the European Regional Development Fund under Measure 1.1, Sub-measure 1.1.1 “Fast Track” of the Smart Growth Operational Programme 2014–2020.