Our Berendsen Fluid Power Sydney Branch was recently appointed by the University of New South Wales (UNSW) for a custom pipe design and installation.
The Project
In 2014, UNSW purchased a state-of-the-art Instron hydraulic power unit and testing machine to use in their laboratory for static and dynamic fatigue testing.
Due to the high noise level produced by the machine, the university decided to place it in a separate storage room located approximately 40m away from the laboratory. UNSW consulted Berendsen Fluid Power to design a custom pipe system to transfer hydraulic oil from the hydraulic power unit and testing machine to the laboratory.
The Solution
There were a number of obstacles our Sydney team needed to consider when designing and constructing the pipe system, this included:
- Installing the pipe system underground in the existing building was not feasible
- Given the distance of the equipment storage room from the laboratory, our team had to navigate the pipe system through the existing aesthetics of the building which included four separate rooms
- Due to technical requirements, the drain line was not to exceed 2.9 metres in height, and therefore our team were unable to bolt pipes to the ceiling from one room to the other
- The pipes needed to terminate in two different locations
In light of these factors, our Sydney branch undertook a thorough development process to come up with a suitable solution for UNSW to transfer oil from the hydraulic power unit to the laboratory where the actuators were located.
The unique solution involved a pipe system consisting of three separate pipes, each measuring 41 metres in length and ranging from 25mm to 38mm in width. The pipes comprised of standard hydraulic tubes with metric compression fittings. The process involved measuring, bending, cutting, and fixing pipes to the wall with brackets. The pipes were then tightened, completely flushed and pressure tested to 210 BAR.
The Results
Our Sydney team worked closely with UNSW stakeholders over a five week period to ensure the end result met all of their requirements and overcame all of the above obstacles. The onsite installation was handled in-house by our Sydney Branch’s qualified service technicians over the course of two weeks.
Our team assembled parts of the pipe system in our sydney workshop to minimise the onsite installation time. Despite the challenging nature of the project, Berendsen met the specified budget and delivered and installed the pipe system on time.
In need of a customised hydraulic solution? Contact us today.
As Australia’s leading hydraulics company, Berendsen Fluid Power is experienced in the design and manufacture of custom solutions to meet any hydraulic requirement. Berendsen’s extensive range of capabilities enables us to provide both periodic servicing and complete system overhauls on equipment. If you are looking for a customised hydraulic solution to suit the needs of your business, contact Berendsen Fluid Power today on 1800 660 249.
