Customer
Our customer, a designer and manufacturer of shock absorbers, approached us with a requirement for a vertical bench to apply compressive or tensile forces at controllable speeds, positions and forces.
Tested product
Shock absorber
This is a mechanical system that reduces the violence of an inertial shock. The shock energy is absorbed by the shock absorber, without rebound.
These shock absorbers are sized according to the speed and mass to be braked.
Objective
Characterise the force/displacement curve of a shock absorber at low speed
Problematic issues
- Easy to use and easy to design
- Large stroke 3,000 mm
- High force Compression 2,000 kN / Traction 1,300 kN
- Risk of splashing elastomer or liquid contained in the tested products.
Solution and result
The horizontal machine has been designed to apply compressive or tensile forces with controllable speed, position and force to long-stroke railway shock absorbers.
A double-acting hydraulic cylinder is used to generate both a compressive force (rod extension) and a tensile force (rod retraction).
The useful hydraulic pressure is generated by a variable displacement pump, controlled by a load sensing system.
Load sensing" system: hydraulic system that automatically adjusts the inclination of the plate of a variable displacement pump, according to the maximum load (pressure) required. This system ensures that there is always sufficient pressure, but with optimisation of the power consumed by the pump.
Two protection doors are structured to protect the operator in case of possible projection of elastomer or liquid contained in the tested products.
