Versatile Component Testing

Poppe + Potthoff Maschinenbau tests parts under varying pressure, temperature and moisture conditions

Validating innovative, lightweight components for electric, hybrid and combustion engine vehicles is a time-consuming, costly procedure. To facilitate the process, Poppe + Potthoff Maschinenbau has developed a multi-talented test stand. PPM 278-00 simulates even the most extreme real-world conditions and tests plastic and metal components under varying pressure, temperature and moisture conditions.

Equipped with climate chambers, the test stand exposes parts to temperatures from
-72°C to +180°C (-97.6°F to 356°F) and humidity up to 98%. The pressure adjustment ranges from -0.8 to +3.5 bar at a test frequency of 0.5 Hz and a test volume of 15 dm³ with various media (i.e. glycol, air, water, oil). This allows for pressure pulsation tests in the overpressure-overpressure, overpressure-vacuum and vacuum-vacuum range.

“Components in the automotive sector and many other industries are increasingly being made of special plastic”, says Johannes Montag, Head of Sales at Poppe + Potthoff Maschinenbau. “Our versatile test stand allows for applying various testing standards, for example for pumps, hoses, valves and the radiators for the cooling system of electric vehicles or novel air intakes for combustion engines”, he adds.

Three or more test connections are located on each side in the test chamber. They can be individually shut off via separate valves. An automated tightness test can detect leaks in any individual test piece every X cycles and exclude it from the test circuit. The measurement data acquisition, visualization, storage and data export is done with LabVIEW applications by National Instruments.

After presenting its capabilities at this year’s Automotive Testing Expo Europe (Stand 1104), the German expert for high pressure technology will also be attending the Automotive Testing Expos in China (booth 6048) and the USA (booth 1101). Its customized testing, autofrettage and automating machines are designed for precision and high-performance and are used worldwide in research, development and production.

Equipped with climate chambers, the pressure adjustment of Poppe + Potthoff’s PPM 278-00 ranges from -0.8 to +3.5 bar at a test frequency of 0.5 Hz and a test volume of 15 dm³. Source: Poppe + Potthoff

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Johannes Montag, Head of Sales at Poppe + Potthoff Maschinenbau GmbH in Nordhausen (Germany), together with CEO Stefan Dreyer (left) and CTO Frank Baudler (right). Source: Poppe + Potthoff

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Poppe + Potthoff Maschinenbau GmbH designs and manufactures test stands for measuring the strength and durability of components in automotive engineering and shipbuilding as well as other industries. The specialized machines made by the experts for high pressure technology are designed for precision and high-performance and are used in research, development and production. This includes test stands for measuring bursting pressure and tightness, impulse testing, autofrettage as well as automated testing and sorting. The company based in Nordhausen (Germany) is a member of the Poppe + Potthoff Group.

Poppe + Potthoff stands for precision. The group develops and manufactures customer-specific steel tubes, common rail subsystems, high pressure tubes, precision components, line shafts, couplings as well as specialized test stands and other machines. Poppe + Potthoff enables highly sophisticated solutions in automotive engineering and shipbuilding, machine tool building and mechanical engineering as well as other industries. The family-owned enterprise with its headquarters and technology center in Werther (Germany) was founded in 1928 and has more than 1,300 employees. Poppe + Potthoff is active in more than 50 countries with its subsidiaries and long-term partners – always in close contact with its customers.