To verify the quality of media-carrying components, the parts are pressurized until they burst. The process is precisely measured and documented in order to optimally design the components for specific applications – the burst pressure is determined in part by 100,000 measured values per second. At Poppe + Potthoff Maschinenbau, the pressure build-up is achieved with a technology that is faster, more precise and less maintenance than conventional systems.
Patented fine-tuning process
Two test circuits with different operating modes are available for the burst pressure test. A specially developed, wear-free fine-control process with a tolerance of +/- 0.1 bar allows a very precise, freely programmable and repeatable pressure increase up to 50 bar. In the other test circuit, a pneumatically driven pressure transducer operates, with which a pressure of up to 400 bar can be generated. The test medium is normal water or test oil.
The test stand is an autarchic-working system. It has been specially developed for the plastics industry. The test specimens can be adapted in an uncomplicated manner via quick-couplings. A quick-change device is also possible so that the test piece can be installed manually outside of the test chamber. Optionally, a hand scanner allows the identification of the components to individually assign the bursting pressures to each component.
Flexible software structure
The programmable logic controller (PLC) has a serial interface for data exchange. The test requirements are entered via the touch panel, and LabVIEW applications from National Instruments are used for data collection and visualization. The open software structure makes it possible to integrate additional sensors and data during the test, for example to measure the material stretching. This allows all customer-specific parameters to be displayed.
