Hydraulic Motor Tester Panel System

04 July 2023 | CCM Electronic Engineering Aps

• Automation & Robotics
• Machinery, Tooling, Production- and Safety Equipment

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The newly developed test panel is designed for testing hydraulic motor units in size from 8ccm to 500ccm, which are widely applied in agriculture industry, construction equipment, aerial platforms, road building, etc.

The test system is designed to offer both automated operations controlled by a computer and manual setup by an operator.

As a laboratory test system, it must be highly adjustable to perform various tests. This solution allows measurements on hydraulic motors carried out at different working points, for example, 20 working points consisting of different flows and pressures in both directions. The PC controls the pump, valve, and other test instruments, allowing them to provide a quick response and precise action. This enables verification of desired working points over a wide range.

When the hydraulic motor works, its speed is directly proportional to the flow passing through it. Therefore, a steady and constant flow is crucial to keep the motor running while testing its efficiency. Achieving precise control of the same system to provide flow rate of 1 l/min and 90 l/min was a challenge. This means the control system must be capable of adjusting control responses according to the changes.

10 different functional tests can be performed in both directions. A customized program was tailored for the system. From the user’s perspective, the simple and intuitive LabVIEW user interface is easy to handle. Test data are all logged in a spreadsheet and saved in database.

In close collaboration with Serman & Tipsmark A/S, a servo motor is installed to control the load on the hydraulic motor. It communicates with LabVIEW via an EtherCAT protocol. The system is equipped with a regenerative braking system, similar to that of electric cars. This empowers the energy generated by the servo motor acting as a brake to be fed back into the system and used to power the pump, thus reducing the overall power consumption of the system while it is running. At CCM, we have always maintained a "Green" mindset for each project, and we are happy to put our efforts towards improving energy efficiency and delivering it to our customers.