Pump Manufacturer Boosts Repeatable Efficiency To 94%

Phil Black - PII Editor 15/12/2015

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Used for Product Development and Quality Control sign off

Hydrotechnik (UK) Limited, based in Nottingham, has provided a bespoke test rig for a major UK pump manufacturer which has increased repeatable efficiency from 85% to over 94%. Using the data gathered from the Hydrotechnik rig, the company’s engineers have been able to more accurately establish the efficiency of their pump sets.

The bespoke Hydrotechnik test rigs are used in a modern plant in the North East of England as part of their sophisticated R&D programme and for production quality control.

The rig’s capabilities are:

•   Accurate reading and logging of multiple flow rates for wide ranging test data
•   8 pressure channels logged at up to 10,000 readings per second
•   Surface and in-media Temperature testing
•   RPM, Torque, Vibration, Angle & Displacement testing
•   Full data logging, including serial number capture and operator notes with each test for archiving and potential warranty retrieval later

The research and development test rig, which is driven by a 1.5mW power regeneration system, uses five highly specified flow meters and a collection of high and low pressure transducers that provide a stream of data to a purpose built measuring, data logging and control system. The control system, developed by Hydrotechnik, works in conjunction with the regenerative system to optimise energy use.

The rig has a total of 30 input channels and an exceptionally clear display of a large number of measured values. The rig is ideal for measuring and supervision of complex systems. With six output channels, many options are available up for the control of machines, plants and test standards.

Richard Price, Managing Director of Hydrotechnik, said: “Our test rigs can help companies using pumps and other components in their quality control and on production lines. This particular case increased the repeatable efficiency to 94%, which was achieved by our highly skilled engineers working closely with the manufacturer. This has enabled the company to further develop their products for their customer base.

The overall benefits for the end user are:

Simple operator led control of the testing process, including operator notes
Designed for test house and R&D applications the test rig supplied is the ultimate tool for test bench and end of line testing
With advanced touch screen technology, the 30 channel data acquisition unit can also be integrated with a user”s existing CAN-BUS system
Extra channels can be added at a later date if required taking the number of channels from 30 up to 60
Real-time analysis of the measured data in the form of graphical and numerical displays

With both analogue & digital inputs and outputs the rig is highly flexible for future expansion and deployment. The test rig used by the quality control team has an operator led system that offers a ‘Green light’ system to ensure that all pumps are tested to the prescribed process before they are signed off for despatch to their end users. Data from all the production tests are transferred to a central server for security and archiving.

Hydrotechnik has extensive experience in the design, development, manufacture and commissioning of fluid power test rigs. Hydraulic hoses, pumps, pipes, tanks, accumulators, and valves are all tested daily by users of Hydrotechnik test rigs in demanding end of line testing, quality control and R&D applications.

Hydrotechnik’s experienced engineering and manufacturing teams can design and build:

Pressure and bursting pressure test benches
Pulse and durability test benches
Endurance and fatigue testing rigs
Leak test benches
Functional test benches
Pressure gauge adjusting systems
Pump performance test rigs

Hydrotechnik’s turnkey test rig service includes everything from taking the initial brief through to delivery to site, installation, commissioning and staff training. All Hydrotechnik rigs are designed, using a sophisticated 3D CAD system, and manufactured under ISO 9001 procedures to the highest engineering standards.

The test rig produces a report on each pump’s efficiency for archiving/customer sign off. The insights and knowledge gained from the test rig is highly valuable information to both the manufacturer and its customer base.

The pump manufacturer’s main activities include the design, development and manufacture of high quality hydraulic pumps and motors including:

High torque radial piston motors
Radial piston cam motors
Axial piston hydraulic pumps and motors
Axial piston chemical metering pumps

A continuous programme of product development ensures that their products are engineered to meet the exacting and demanding requirements of today’s hydraulic applications.