Universal Test Bench for Aircraft Components

A test bench designed to test hydraulic components and calibrate flight instruments

Hydroservice, a leader in aviation solutions, has developed a test stand to test hydraulic components and calibrate flight instruments, ensuring accuracy and reliability.

Structure and Operation of the Test Bench

The system consists of the following main groups:

Mechanical structure and guards including:

work surface equipped with component clamping system and drip surface
machine fairing with interlocked and fixed guards
operator side access doors equipped with openings in transparent safety material

Hydraulic system including:

n°1 hydraulic power unit
n°4 hydraulic blocks for the control of different pressure and flow ranges
n°1 closed circuit oil recirculation, filtering and cooling circuit with chiller for water cooling

Electrical power, actuation and safety system including:

n°1 main general power cabinet with standard PLC and safety PLC
n°1 pendant control panel
n°1 consent pedal for opening doors

Cooling system including:

n°1 oil recirculation and filtering unit
n°1 plate water/oil heat exchanger
n°1 chiller for the conditioning of the water cooling

The bench is designed to be started and left running autonomously.

Protection and Security Fairing

Fairing has been designed to completely segregate the test area, contain all the hydraulic and electrical components and reduce the noise emitted by the machine as much as possible.

The fairing is composed of:

fixed guards with handles → they are removable panels that, in addition to having fixing bolts, are equipped with handles to facilitate removal and handling
interlocked mobile guards → the test compartment is accessible by the operator by means of sliding and tilting doors. The position of these guards is monitored by the safety PLC so that tests in automatic mode can only be carried out with the guards closed. The doors are equipped with transparent surfaces in accident-preventing plexiglass so that the operator can supervise the test without being exposed to the dangers generated by possible projections of metal parts, overpressure or overtemperature
oil collection tank → the bottom of the fairing is completely closed to prevent oil spillage in the event of failures
lighting → the test compartment is illuminated by LED lights to allow the operator to supervise the test without the need to access the van

Testing Table: Accuracy and Safety

The testing table is equipped with two slides that can move by means of two roller guides.

The slides have the function of allowing the safe clamping of the components under test. Once the operator defines the best position to test the component under test, the slides can be locked in position by means of the 4 manual brakes.

Under the work table, covered by perforated nets, there is an oil collection tank.

The grids can be removed manually to allow access to the lower tank.

Pulpit of Command: Control and Operations

The operator controls the bench by means of the pulpit connected to the structure.

The pulpit is supported by an arm with double joint to allow the operator to position it as close as possible to the test compartment.

Through the HMI the operator can:

set the operating parameters
monitor the machine status
start and stop the test cycles

The pulpit also features:

flow rate displays
multi-turn knobs for setting the flow rate
physical buttons

Hydraulic and Cooling System

Hydraulic system

The hydraulic system is installed inside the fairing, in the lower part.
The main parts are:

main motor pump unit
high pressure motor pump unit
motor pump unit for oil recirculation and supercharging
tank
pressure/flow regulation blocks
control units

Chiller

The cooling system allows to keep the fluid temperature stable and very precise to allow the validation of all the tests for which the bench will be used.
The chiller is controlled by the command and control system of the bench via a ModBus communication card.

The final result

With the creation of this test bench, Hydroservice confirms its ability to design and build cutting-edge technological solutions, responding to the specific needs of a highly demanding aeronautical sector.

The attention to detail, the construction quality and the integration of innovative technologies ensure a high level of reliability and safety in testing operations, helping to support the customer in optimizing processes and achieving the highest performance standards.

Case histories