When designing a new gas container, or verifying a production lot of cylinders, a key test to prove structural integrity and longevity is the hydraulic cycle test. The function of this test is to verify new designs, and it is a requirement for all Transport Canada specifications and most new designs approved by the US Department of Transportation. The cycle test is a dynamic re-creation of the cylinder during the pressurization and depressurization over the projected life of the vessel.

Arrowhead is equipped to perform these tests on both high and low pressure cylinders. Both East and West Coast laboratories are equipped with the latest hydraulic units. Each laboratory has the capacity to perform tests on multiple units simultaneously. Because of our multiple machine setups, each laboratory is capable of conducting tests on different cylinder designs and at different pressures simultaneously. Tests may be conducted at pressures as low as 200 psig and as high as 9,000 psig.

Data is collected via automatic counters and transferred to computers using electronic data acquisition software and computers. Pressures, cycle rates and volume can be individually set and controlled to suit the requirements of the specification to which the samples aretested. Accuracy, repeatability and consistency insure that the accumulated data will be an important part of the verification process.