The Power of One

Background

Poppe + Potthoff is a company that specializes in the field of high pressure. From high pressure lines, pipe components and precision parts, right through to machines and services for testing technology, the group of companies develops and produces advanced technology solutions for the automotive and utility vehicle sector, shipbuilding and general industry. An Eaton test system with Eaton hydraulic and electrical components is one of the latest projects. Over the course of the cooperation, Poppe + Potthoff Maschinenbau GmbH came to value the partnership with Eaton and the possibility of sourcing components as well as solution know-how for both worlds from a single supplier.

Challenges

At its Nordhausen site, Poppe + Potthoff concentrates on test systems for burst tests, autofrettage, pulse tests and rotating bending fatigue and for supporting series production and prototype development. The latest machines include a burst pressure test stand that is suitable for both testing tube fittings and also hydraulic hose lines, and which also fully supports the new and further development of these components. Test sequences can be programmed flexibly, not only allowing testing with linear pressure increases and decreases, as well as holding times at a constant pressure and volume, but also burst pressure tests with a linear volume flow. In a massive test chamber with a 10 mm stainless steel safety cage, test objects can be burst tested in a controlled manner at pressures of up to 4,000 bar, for which data can be recorded in real-time with an accuracy of 100,000 measured values per second.

Solution

The development of the test stand described placed particular requirements on the design of the system, particularly because of the different properties of the test objects, fittings and hoses. In the past, Poppe + Potthoff Maschinenbau GmbH had the hydraulic power unit manufactured by an outside company, however, the machine builder decided to pursue a different approach with this test stand. In partnership with Eaton, an in-house hydraulic power unit was developed which is controlled by Eaton automation and switchgear technology. In order to create the pressure in our plant, the hydraulic power unit first of all generates a pressure of up to 350 bar, explains Johannes Montag, responsible for Design Construction at Poppe + Potthoff Maschinenbau GmbH. For the first time we have used two pressure amplifiers to create the high pressure. These have different piston diameters so that we can pre-fill quickly with the large pressure amplifier and then, particularly for position-controlled burst pressure testing, very finely regulate the pressure at high resolution using the small pressure amplifier.(...)

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