How to Save Money When Buying hydraulic test equipment

Hydraulic pressure test kit

The Cat test fittings are standard that can be sourced through any hydraulic hose and fitting house. Don't pay their price till you check the markets for a better deal. My set I custom made to fit one manufacturer's line of machines and I could adapt them to everything. I have about ten different gauges ranging from 0 to 10 all the way up to 1 to 10,000. I have five standard two wire hoses in 1/4" for excavators where you have to observe multiple functions while you are adjusting things. There are commercial kits but I don't usually find any that I would recommend. Multi gauges and box sets are crazy expensive and usually there is crap in the kit that fits nothing you are likely to work on.

Begin with what you need to accomplish the jobs you do the most. Testing hydraulic reliefs on excavators and wheel loaders may be essential and then expand as your fleet requires and your skills grow. Transmissions are another type of hydraulics where you will need plenty of fittings and a long hose or two.

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Hydraulic Testing Machine Retrofits and Price Comparison

There are two primary designs for hydraulic universal testing machines. The first utilizes a single-sided ram to apply force, which relies on gravity for the piston to return home. This common type is primarily used for static tests. A schematic of a ram-based hydraulic tester is depicted in Figure 1. The second design uses a dual-acting piston that offers control in both the upward and downward directions, making it ideal for fatigue testing applications.

Comparing the purchase of a new machine or an upgrade to an existing hydraulic testing machine, it is almost always less expensive to upgrade the existing machine regardless of force capacity. New ram-based static 20,000 lb and 400,000 lb hydraulic testing machines cost between $35,000 and $200,000, respectively. In general, retrofits cost between $500 for the integration of a simple digital indicator to $30,000 for a new servo-hydraulic power unit with a PC/Windows-based materials testing system. As a rule, the amount of money you save retrofitting a hydraulic tester increases as the capacity of the machine increases. Thus, a retrofit would save well over $100,000 on a large machine and thousands of dollars on a smaller machine.

Besides the direct machine costs, there are other considerations, like your investments in grips, fixtures, and test jigs. Replacing these can be very costly if extensive. If all your testing systems are similar, retrofitting becomes an attractive option from a fixturing, training, and maintenance perspective. Furthermore, a retrofit can be implemented much faster when dealing with a failed machine than purchasing a new one.

Hydraulic testing machines are typically used to test metals and metal components under high forces. Their capacity to perform millions of static tests and fatigue cycles with minimal mechanical wear makes them suitable for these applications. Due to their durability, these machines are perfect candidates for retrofitting.

Types of Hydraulic Retrofit Packages

Several upgrade packages are available for retrofitting hydraulic testing machines. Generally, once installed and calibrated, the upgrade packages extend the ASTM E4 certified force measuring range of the machine. Here are some possible upgrade package types for manually operated hydraulic testing machines:

Basic Upgrade

The simplest upgrade retains the existing manual control valves, substituting the dial gauge or current digital indicator with a newer single-channel digital indicator. This indicator can display load and report ultimate tensile strength. Some advanced single-channel indicators can also calculate yield by the halt of the pointer method and download results and load vs. time data to a computer for reporting and plotting.

Three Channel Upgrade

The next level keeps the existing manual control valves but incorporates a two- or three-channel digital indicator that can measure force, displacement, and strain. This setup allows for generating a stress-strain curve and calculating offset yield, Young’s modulus, ultimate tensile strength, and percent elongation, according to ASTM E8. Results and stress-strain curves can be uploaded for further review and analysis. New or existing extensometers can connect to the indicator for measuring strain.

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PC/Windows Based Upgrade

Installing a PC/Windows based materials testing system is the most sophisticated upgrade for a manually controlled hydraulic testing machine. It offers all the capabilities of the three-channel digital indicator, but adds calculations for plastic strain ratio (ASTM E517), K and n values (ASTM E646), and more. These systems also provide enhanced data handling and reporting capabilities beyond standalone digital indicators.

The next level involves converting manually operated machines to automatic closed-loop servo hydraulic testing systems. This transition usually happens in one of two ways:

Basic Servo Retrofit

The least costly option is to keep the existing hydraulic power unit, bypass the existing manual control valves, and install a new servovalve manifold. You can either use a multi-channel digital indicator or a PC/Windows-based system to control the machine. The digital indicator is better for repetitive tests, while the Windows-based system offers more versatility for various tests.

Full Servo Retrofit

The more expensive option replaces the existing hydraulic console with a new servo-hydraulic power unit. Again, either a multi-channel digital indicator or a Windows PC-based system can be used.

Besides upgrading manually operated machines to servo control, you can also upgrade the controller and software on an existing servo-equipped hydraulic testing machine. This economical solution only requires attaching the new controller and software to the existing load frame and hydraulic power supply.

Keeping your testing capabilities up-to-date is crucial. Modern equipment reduces test times, eliminates data entry errors, and speeds up materials and product development. Employing testing systems that automatically perform tests according to specification and seamlessly communicate with your corporate network is essential for a successful testing laboratory.

For more information about retrofit options, click here: https://www.admet.com/retrofit-upgrade-service/

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