Automation of a Hydraulic Cylinder Tester

Abstract

This project presents the automation of a hydraulic cylinder tester through a PLC-based control architecture, real-time pressure measurement, HMI supervision, and computer-based acquisi tion of pressure-time records. The original testing process depended strongly on manual actua tion, direct interpretation of analog pressure gauges, and the operator’s experience. To reduce this dependence, an electrical control cabinet was implemented to integrate the three-phase motor, directional solenoid valves, pressure transducers, HMI, safety devices, and Ethernet communication. The implemented system controls cylinder extension and retraction, acquires pressure from both cylinder chambers, displays the measurements in psi, and records data for later analysis. Validation was performed progressively through three prototype stages...