Test Bench Hydraulic Cylinders – Precise Force Control

In modern test benches, applying various controlled loads is of the utmost importance. The hydraulic cylinder plays a central role in this process: it generates defined loads and movements precisely and measurably, allowing different test specimens or systems to be tested under realistic conditions.

Meaningful test results require that the hydraulic cylinder used can be precisely adjusted and controlled throughout the entire testing process. This not only involves exact force regulation but also the targeted generation of different motion sequences.

With ACONA’s test cylinders, the corresponding test conditions can be reliably reproduced for a wide range of test specimens.

What´s so special about test bench cylinders?

While conventional cylinders are primarily designed for force generation or general movement, test bench cylinders focus on controlled, measurable loading. This often needs to be applied over extended periods, with highly precise pressure profiles and largely reproducible results. Depending on the type of test, test bench cylinders must also withstand high frequencies.

At the same time, the cylinder must not distort the measurement results. Factors such as internal friction, leakage, or unintended forces must be minimized or eliminated, and the cylinder must maintain consistent performance over many cycles.

Design, material selection, sealing concepts, and the potential integration of sensors are therefore far more demanding than in conventional hydraulic cylinders and are specifically tailored at ACONA to each testing application.

As a particularly effective and efficient solution for test bench applications, servo-hydraulic cylinders are becoming increasingly important. The decisive advantage lies in the combination of high control precision and sustainability. Through demand-based regulation, the system is loaded only when and to the extent required by the specific test sequence. This allows precise load settings, avoids unnecessary energy losses, and ensures reproducible test results.

Requirements for Test Bench Cylinders

Precisely controllable loads
High repeatability for micro-deformations
Minimal internal friction
Maximum tightness
Exact controllability
Integrable sensors

The precision and accuracy of the installed hydraulic cylinders are of great importance, as critical parameters such as service life or wear are derived from the collected measurement data.

In addition, the loads applied from the very beginning must be recorded with exact accuracy to ensure that the results can be reliably compared.

Cylinder Inaccuracies

Possible causes of cylinder inaccuracies

Incorrect (seal) materials
Unsuitable temperatures
Assembly errors
Inappropriate hydraulic fluids
Sensor inaccuracies
Stick-slip effects

Our Approach to Ensuring Maximum Accuracy

ACONA is fully aware that inaccuracies in hydraulic cylinders can have serious consequences for you.

Even during the design phase, hydraulic cylinders are specifically tailored to your testing requirements using FEM analyses and the expertise of our specialist team.

After manufacturing, all components and parts undergo thorough testing—including documented functional, pressure, and tightness checks—to ensure the highest levels of precision, reliability, and quality.

In summary: if hydraulic cylinder inaccuracies limit the measurability and controllability of forces, the result is unusable test data, reducing the reliability of your findings and, in the worst case, negatively affecting the sales of the products being tested.

The principle applies from the very beginning—planning and design must ensure maximum accuracy!

Driving Innovation in Offshore Wind Energy

Due to limited resources, environmental protection and sustainable solutions are becoming increasingly important, especially in energy generation.

In wind energy, rotor blades up to 115 m in length are now used, which must withstand extreme loads from wind and weather.

One of our customers develops test benches specifically for these requirements and commissioned ACONA to manufacture the hydraulic cylinders for the test bench.

The test bench enables both static and dynamic testing of the rotor blades. In static testing, the rotor blade is bent using hydraulic cylinders so that previously calculated extreme loads are applied in a realistic manner. In dynamic testing, the focus is on fatigue strength: the rotor blade is excited at its natural frequency and tested through more than one million load cycles.

The result speaks for itself:

The collaboration with our customer was a complete success. The ROTOR BLADE TEST RIG 115 m+ is not only one of the largest test benches in the world, but it also features, for the first time, an integrated tilting and rotating function, setting new standards in rotor blade testing.

Do you need a test bench cylinder, or do you have questions about our offerings?

Together, we will find the optimal solution for your testing requirements.

Feel free to contact us via our contact form. We look forward to your inquiry!