Work vehicle with improved loader/implement position control and return-to-position functionality

A method for automatically controlling the operation of a lift assembly of a work vehicle, the lift assembly comprising an implement and a pair of loader arms coupled to the implement, the method comprising:

• receiving, with a computing device, an input associated with an instruction to move at least one of the loader arms or the implement to a pre-defined position;
• monitoring, with the computing device, a position of the at least one of the loader arms or the implement relative to the pre-defined position;
• while a reference point associated with the at least one of the loader arms or the implement is located outside an outer threshold boundary defined relative to a reference location associated with the pre-defined positon, generating, with the computing device, at least one first command signal using a closed-loop velocity control sub-algorithm;
• transmitting, with the computing device, the at least one first command signal to at least one valve in order to move the at least one of the loader arms or the implement towards the pre-defined position, the at least one first command signal associated with moving the at least one of the loader arms or the implement at a movement velocity corresponding to a desired constant velocity;
• when the reference point is moved within the outer threshold boundary, generating, with the computing device, at least one second command signal using the closed-loop velocity control sub-algorithm or a closed-loop position control sub-algorithm;
• and
• transmitting, with the computing device, the at least one second command signal to the at least one valve in order to ramp down the movement velocity of the at least one of the loader arms or the implement from the desired constant velocity as the at least one of the loader arms or the implement is moved closer to the pre-defined position.