Branch Hydraulic supplies test rig for helicopter gearboxes 21 November 2011

Specialist gearbox and test rig manufacturer Compact Orbital Gears has taken delivery of a bespoke testing unit from Branch Hydraulic Systems.

COG managing director Gareth La-Pajne explains that the unit is being integrated with its own high-speed slave gearbox, and the rig will be used for testing main rotor gearboxes for an unnamed helicopter manufacturer.

Most important, he says, the new test unit allows the helicopter gearboxes to be tested in hours, compared to the days it currently takes.

This significant reduction in the test cycle helps to reduce the risk of component damage, cuts unnecessary man-hours, minimises maintenance and downtime, and ultimately saves on expenditure, he states.

"By developing an effective control philosophy, the team at Branch has not only employed a technique that many people think of as impossible, but they have also allowed us to provide our customer with a semi-automatic, multi-faceted, value-added solution" comments La-Pajne.

"The working concept was also proven within five days – a rapid and unexpected response time, culminating in a very impressive system," he adds.

Branch Hydraulic Systems developed the test system based on the concepts of hydraulic technology, yet powered and monitored by high precision instrumentation.

By using a closed control PID loop in the hydraulic cylinders and monitoring system parameters, Branch developed an algorithm to balance the output torque conditions within the gearbox – all controlled by a PLC incorporated into the unit.

The team was able to provide a semi-automatic test environment facility to test the gearboxes under all states: equal and unequal torque condition.

By driving the PQ valve natively from the PLC, Branch says it was able to eradicate the need for manual intervention in torque balancing, which not only minimises the risk of damage to the production gearboxes during testing, but also helps to reduce maintenance and minimise man-hours.

Brian Tinham

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Branch Hydraulic Systems Ltd

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