Controlling the motion of Iron Man suits and other props from the Paramount Pictures and Marvel Entertainment movie at times appears to be done with futuristic technology. But instead, the advanced motion-control technology truly responsible for moving props in the movie is actually here today and includes a hydraulic gimbal, cylinders, valves, hose, fittings, and other hydraulic products from Parker-Hannifin (Mayfield Heights, OH).

Stan Winston Studios built the large and sometime difficult-to-move Iron Man suits. “The Iron Monger suit is 10 feet tall and weighs approximately 800 pounds,” says Shane Mahan from Stan Winston Studios. “We developed and built it during the course of filming and used it to help bridge the character into the digital world of ILM and John Nelson. A gimbal was also built, which allowed us to push it and mimic the actions of the big torso walking.”

Mahan continues: “It takes up to five operators to operate the Iron Monger when you’re using both arms. We have had a couple of instances where we’ve been able to put both arms on and do manual puppeteering to accomplish shots as well. The Iron Monger wasn’t built as a hydraulic character, so it’s basically human muscle, a gimbal, and our stuntmen making it work.”

For the gimbal, the film’s Director Jon Favreau relied on Parker’s D81FH and BD101 valves. “The crew was trained very thoroughly on the implementation of the BD101 and D81FH, so the start up and operation of the system for Iron Man went very smoothly,” notes Steve Camp from Parker-Hannifin. “Iron Man was a gimbal application; however, this gimbal was suspended from a crane.”

The four-axis floating gimbal was used largely in the street fight scene with Iron Man’s nemesis Iron Monger. The gimbal used D81FH servo proportional control valves. These Parker valves are used for tilt control. They are two-stage pilot operated solenoid valves with electronic spool-position feedback and on-board integrated control electronics. Their performance is characterized by repeatability and high dynamic performance.

The gimbal also relied on BD101 servo valves and valve drivers. These valves are for applications requiring high dynamics, high flow, and a defined spool positioning in case of power supply breakdowns. The DB101 has onboard electronics and a closed-loop, position-controlled pilot valve and main stage.

Parker sold valves, cylinders, hose, and fittings used in the gimbal. The company also supplied accumulators, gas bottles, and D31FH EH valves along with the connectors.

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