MTS 244 User Manual

Series 244 Actuators Product Information

Models 244.11, 244.12, 244.20, 244.21, 244.22, 244.23,

244.31, 244.41, 244.51

011-551-304 G

be certain.

© 2013 MTS Systems Corporation. All rights reserved.

Original Instructions (English): 011-551-304 G

Trademark Information

MTS, be certain., Bionix, ElastomerExpress, FlatTrac, FlexTest, Just In Case, LevelPlus, MTS Criterion, MTS EM Extend, MTS Insight, MTS Landmark, RPC, ServoSensor, SWIFT, Temposonics, TestWare, TestWorks are registered trademarks of MTS Systems Corporation within the United States. Acumen, Advantage, Aero ST, Aero-90, AeroPro, Criterion, CRPC, Echo, Flat-Trac, Landmark, MAST, MicroProfiler, MPT, MTS Acumen, MTS Echo, MTS Fundamentals, MTS TestSuite, ReNew, SilentFlo, TempoGuard, TestLine, and Tytron are trademarks of MTS Systems Corporation within the United States. These trademarks may be registered in other countries. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

Proprietary Software

Software use and license is governed by the MTS End User License Agreement which defines all rights retained by MTS and granted to the End User. All Software is proprietary, confidential, and owned by MTS Systems Corporation and cannot be copied, reproduced, disassembled, decompiled, reverse engineered, or distributed without express written consent of MTS.

Software Verification and Validation

MTS software is developed using established quality practices in accordance with the requirements detailed in the ISO 9001 standards. Because MTS-authored software is delivered in binary format, it is not user accessible. This software will not change over time. Many releases are written to be backwards compatible, creating another form of verification. The status and validity of the MTS operating software is also checked during system verification and routine calibration of MTS hardware. These controlled calibration processes compare the final test results after statistical analysis against the predicted response of the calibration standards. With these established methods, MTS assures its customers that MTS products meet exacting quality standards when initially installed and will continue to perform as intended over time.

Manual Part Number—Publication Date—Release

011-551-304 G—October 2013

011-551-304 F—September 2008

011-551-304 E—July 2008

011-551-304 D—June 2002

011-551-304 C—May 2000

011-551-304 B—November 1998

011-551-304 A—September 1996

011-551-303 G—June 1994

011-551-303 F—July 1993

011-551-303 E—November 1991

011-551-303 D—June 1990

011-551-303 C—February 1989

011-551-303 B—February 1988

011-551-303 A—June 1987

011-551-302 A—September 1984

011-551-301 A—August 1983

011-551-300 A—December 1982

Contents
Technical Support	5
How to Get Technical Support.................................................................................................................	5
Before You Contact MTS.........................................................................................................................	5
If You Contact MTS by Phone.................................................................................................................	7
Problem Submittal Form in MTS Manuals..............................................................................................	8
Preface	9
Before You Begin.....................................................................................................................................	9
Documentation Conventions....................................................................................................................	9
Introduction	13
About the 244 Series Actuator...............................................................................................................	14
What You Need to Know.......................................................................................................................	14
Component Identification.......................................................................................................................	15
Functional Description...........................................................................................................................	17
About Actuator Mounting..........................................................................................................	18
Actuator Operation.....................................................................................................................	19
LVDT Operation.........................................................................................................................	19
Specifications.........................................................................................................................................	20
Force Ratings..............................................................................................................................	20
Environmental and Hydraulic Fluid Recommendations........................................................................	21
Dimensions.............................................................................................................................................	23
LVDT Housing Specifications...............................................................................................................	26
Pedestal Base Specifications..................................................................................................................	29
Safety	31
General Safety Practices: Hydraulic Power Units and Hydraulic Service Manifolds............................	32
Safety Practices Before Operating the System.......................................................................................	33
Safety Practices While Operating the System .......................................................................................	37
Hazard Placard Placement......................................................................................................................	38
Labels And Icons........................................................................................................................	39
Warning Label................................................................................................................	39
Warning Label................................................................................................................	39
Caution Label.................................................................................................................	40
Attached Mass Warning Label.......................................................................................	40
Hydraulic Actuator ID Tag.............................................................................................	41
Hydraulic Actuator ID Tag.............................................................................................	41
Pressure Icon Label........................................................................................................	42
Pressure Rating Label.....................................................................................................	42
Lift Hole Thread Size.....................................................................................................	43

Series 244 Actuators Product Information 3

Installation	45
About Installation...................................................................................................................................	46
Load Units..............................................................................................................................................	46
Installing a Fixture to the Actuator.........................................................................................................	47
Mounting Bolt Specifications.....................................................................................................	48
Spiral Washers........................................................................................................................................	50
Installing Fixtures with Spiral Washers..................................................................................................	51
Multiple Fixtures With Different Ratings..................................................................................	51
Removing Fixtures with Spiral Washers................................................................................................	53
Multiple Fixtures With Different Ratings..................................................................................	54
LVDT Cable Connection........................................................................................................................	54
Hydraulic Connections...........................................................................................................................	55
Operation	57
About Operation.....................................................................................................................................	58
Actuator ID.............................................................................................................................................	58
Operating Considerations.......................................................................................................................	58
Sideload Forces..........................................................................................................................	59
Sideload Calculation Procedure.............................................................................................................	59
Sample Calculation.................................................................................................................................	62
Maintenance	65
Maintenance Recommendations.............................................................................................................	66

4 Series 244 Actuators Product Information

Technical Support

How to Get Technical Support

Start with your manuals

The manuals supplied by MTS provide most of the information you need to use and maintain your equipment. If your equipment includes software, look for online help and README files that contain additional product information.

Technical support methods

MTS provides a full range of support services after your system is installed. If you have any questions about a system or product, contact Technical Support in one of the following ways.

Web site	www.mts.com > Contact Us (upper-right corner) > In the Subject field, choose
	To escalate a problem; Problem Submittal Form
E-mail	Worldwide: [e-mail]
	Europe: [e-mail]
Telephone	Worldwide: 1 800 328 2255 - toll free in U.S.; [phone] - outside U.S.
	Europe: [phone], International toll free in Europe

Outside the U.S.

For technical support outside the United States, contact your local sales and service office. For a list of worldwide sales and service locations and contact information, use the Global MTS link at the MTS web site:

www.mts.com > Global Presence > Choose a Region

Before You Contact MTS

MTS can help you more efficiently if you have the following information available when you contact us for support.

Know your site number and system number

The site number contains your company number and identifies your equipment type (such as material testing or simulation). The number is typically written on a label on your equipment before the system leaves MTS. If you do not know your MTS site number, contact your sales engineer.

Example site number: 571167

Series 244 Actuators Product Information 5

When you have more than one MTS system, the system job number identifies your system. You can find your job number in your order paperwork.

Example system number: US1.42460

Know information from prior technical assistance

If you have contacted MTS about this problem before, we can recall your file based on the:

•MTS notification number

•Name of the person who helped you

Identify the problem

Describe the problem and know the answers to the following questions:

•How long and how often has the problem occurred?

•Can you reproduce the problem?

•Were any hardware or software changes made to the system before the problem started?

•What are the equipment model numbers?

•What is the controller model (if applicable)?

•What is the system configuration?

Know relevant computer information

For a computer problem, have the following information available:

•Manufacturer’s name and model number

•Operating software type and service patch information

•Amount of system memory

•Amount of free space on the hard drive where the application resides

•Current status of hard-drive fragmentation

•Connection status to a corporate network

Know relevant software information

For software application problems, have the following information available:

•The software application’s name, version number, build number, and (if available) software patch number. This information can typically be found in the About selection in the Help menu.

•The names of other applications on your computer, such as:

•Anti-virus software

•Screen savers

•Keyboard enhancers

•Print spoolers

•Messaging applications

6 Series 244 Actuators Product Information

If You Contact MTS by Phone

A Call Center agent registers your call before connecting you with a technical support specialist. The agent asks you for your:

•Site number

•Name

•Company name

•Company address

•Phone number where you can be reached

If your issue has a notification number, please provide that number. A new issue will be assigned a unique notification number.

Identify system type

To enable the Call Center agent to connect you with the most qualified technical support specialist available, identify your system as one of the following types:

•Electrodynamic material test system

•Electromechanical material test system

•Hydromechanical material test system

•Vehicle test system

•Vehicle component test system

•Aero test system

Be prepared to troubleshoot

Prepare to perform troubleshooting while on the phone:

•Call from a telephone close to the system so that you can implement suggestions made over the phone.

•Have the original operating and application software media available.

•If you are not familiar with all aspects of the equipment operation, have an experienced user nearby to assist you.

Write down relevant information

In case Technical Support must call you:

•Verify the notification number.

•Record the name of the person who helped you.

•Write down any specific instructions.

Series 244 Actuators Product Information 7

After you call

MTS logs and tracks all calls to ensure that you receive assistance for your problem or request. If you have questions about the status of your problem or have additional information to report, please contact Technical Support again and provide your original notification number.

Problem Submittal Form in MTS Manuals

Use the Problem Submittal Form to communicate problems with your software, hardware, manuals, or service that are not resolved to your satisfaction through the technical support process. The form includes check boxes that allow you to indicate the urgency of your problem and your expectation of an acceptable response time. We guarantee a timely response—your feedback is important to us.

You can access the Problem Submittal Form at www.mts.com > Contact Us (upper-right corner) > In the

Subject field, choose To escalate a problem; Problem Submittal Form

8 Series 244 Actuators Product Information

Preface

Before You Begin

Safety first!

Before you use your MTS product or system, read and understand the safety information provided with your system. Improper installation, operation, or maintenance can result in hazardous conditions that can cause severe personal injury or death, or damage to your equipment and specimen. Again, read and understand the safety information provided with your system before you continue. It is very important that you remain aware of hazards that apply to your system.

Other MTS manuals

In addition to this manual, you may receive additional manuals in paper or electronic form.

You may also receive an MTS System Documentation CD. It contains an electronic copy of the manuals that pertain to your test system.

Controller and application software manuals are typically included on the software CD distribution disc(s).

Documentation Conventions

The following paragraphs describe some of the conventions that are used in your MTS manuals.

Hazard conventions

Hazard notices may be embedded in this manual. These notices contain safety information that is specific to the activity to be performed. Hazard notices immediately precede the step or procedure that may lead to an associated hazard. Read all hazard notices carefully and follow all directions and recommendations. Three different levels of hazard notices may appear in your manuals. Following are examples of all three levels. (for general safety information, see the safety information provided with your system.)

Danger:

Danger notices indicate the presence of a hazard with a high level of risk which, if ignored, will result in death, severe personal injury, or substantial property damage.

Series 244 Actuators Product Information 9

Warning:

Warning notices indicate the presence of a hazard with a medium level of risk which, if ignored, can result in death, severe personal injury, or substantial property damage.

Caution:

Caution notices indicate the presence of a hazard with a low level of risk which, if ignored, could cause moderate or minor personal injury or equipment damage, or could endanger test integrity.

Other special text conventions

Important:

Important notices provide information about your system that is essential to its proper function. While not safety-related, if the important information is ignored, test results may not be reliable, or your system may not operate properly.

Note:

Notes provide additional information about operating your system or highlight easily overlooked information.

Recommended:

Recommended notes provide a suggested way to accomplish a task based on what MTS has found to be most effective.

Tip:

Tips provide helpful information or a hint about how to most efficiently accomplish a task.

Access:

Access provides the route you should follow to a referenced item in the software.

Example:

Examples show specific scenarios relating to your product and appear with a shaded background.

Special terms

The first occurrence of special terms is shown in italics.

Illustrations

Illustrations appear in this manual to clarify text. They are examples only and do not necessarily represent your actual system configuration, test application, or software.

Electronic manual conventions

This manual is available as an electronic document in the Portable Document File (PDF) format. It can be viewed on any computer that has Adobe Acrobat Reader installed.

10 Series 244 Actuators Product Information

Hypertext links

The electronic document has many hypertext links displayed in a blue font. All blue words in the body text, along with all contents entries and index page numbers, are hypertext links. When you click a hypertext link, the application jumps to the corresponding topic.

Series 244 Actuators Product Information 11

Introduction

Topics:
• About the 244 Series Actuator...............................................................................................................		14
• What You Need to Know........................................................................................................................		14
•	Component Identification.......................................................................................................................	15
•	Functional Description...........................................................................................................................	17
•	Specifications.........................................................................................................................................	20
• Environmental and Hydraulic Fluid Recommendations.........................................................................		21
•	Dimensions............................................................................................................................................	23
•	LVDT Housing Specifications................................................................................................................	26
•	Pedestal Base Specifications................................................................................................................	29

Series 244 Actuators Product Information 13

Introduction

About the 244 Series Actuator

The Series 244 Actuator is a hydraulically powered device that provides displacement of (or forces into) a specimen or structure for testing.

What You Need to Know

MTS Systems Corporation assumes that you know how to use your controller. See the appropriate manual for information about performing any controller-related step in this manual’s procedure. You are expected to know how to perform the following procedures:

•Turn hydraulic pressure on and off.

•Select a control mode.

•Manually adjust the actuator position.

•Install a specimen.

•Define a simple test.

•Run a test.

14 Series 244 Actuators Product Information

Introduction

Component Identification

Series 244 Actuators Product Information 15

Introduction
		Series 244 Hydraulic Actuator Major Components
Item	Component	Description
1	Piston rod end	The piston rod has a hardened steel insert that provides an
		internal thread for mounting load cells, swivels, and interface
		fixtures. The Model 244.51 Actuator has no insert; internal
		threads are machined directly into the piston rod end.
2	Bearing	The high-capacity nonmetallic bearings bond directly to the
		end caps. The non-metallic bearings are standard because of
		their high side-load tolerance and resistance to failure from
		galling and seizure.
3	Cushion	The cushions protect the actuator from the effects of
		high-speed and high-mass forces. They prevent the actuator
		from contacting the end caps. The Model 244.41 and 244.51
		Actuators do not have hydraulic cushions.
4	Extension Port/	High-pressure hydraulic fluid enters the cylinder through one
	Retraction Port	of these control ports. As pressure is applied to one port, the
		other port is opened to a return line causing the actuator to
		extend or to retract. Fluid flow through these ports is controlled
		by the servovalve.
5	Piston seal	A reinforced Teflon seal (if equipped) on the piston provides
		a positive seal and reduces friction. Grooves on the piston
		lubricate the piston surface during short-stroke, side-loaded
		tests. For high-speed cyclic testing applications, the piston
		seal can be omitted. The close tolerance fit provides an
		effective viscous seal.
6	Piston rod	The Series 244 Actuator is equipped with a double-ended
		piston rod. The double-ended piston has equal areas on both
		sides for balanced performance. It is machined from a single
		piece of heat-treated alloy steel and is hard-chrome plated.
		The piston rod is hollow to allow for installation and accurate
		alignment of a displacement transducer.
7	Drainback Port	The drainback port allows fluid that manages to leak past the
		seals to be routed out of the actuator which prevents pressure
		pockets from interfering with actuator performance.

8High/Low Pressure The piston rod seals consist of a high-pressure seal and a

Seals	low-pressure/wiper seal in both the front end cap and the rear
	end cap.
	Model 244.1x and 244.2x Actuators [with force ratings under
	100 kN (22 kip)], that are used in load frame/unit applications
	do not contain high-pressure piston rod seals.
	The high-pressure seal is designed for long life, low friction,
	and exceptional performance in high-frequency,
	low-displacement applications. A small amount of hydraulic
	fluid is allowed to flow past the high-pressure seal for
	continuous bearing lubrication. Drainback ports return the

16 Series 244 Actuators Product Information

Introduction

Item

Component

Description

hydraulic fluid passed by the high-pressure seal back to the system hydraulic power supply.

The inner part of the low-pressure/wiper seal provides a hydraulic seal, while the outer part of the seal functions as a scraper ring to minimize external contamination of the seals and bearings. When a high-pressure seal is present, the inner part of the low-pressure seal wipes hydraulic fluid that gets by the high-pressure seal and guides the fluid into the drainback port.

Functional Description

The Series 244 Actuator is a double-acting, double-ended, heavy-duty actuator that operates under precision servovalve control in MTS closed-loop servohydraulic systems. The actuator is a hydraulically powered piston that can extend or retract (double-acting). The actuator provides displacement of (or force into) a specimen or structure for testing. It can also provide equal power in tension and compression (double-ended). The actuator includes an LVDT which measures the displacement of the actuator.

The Series 244 Actuator is linear and is associated with axial control channels. A linear actuator consists of a cylinder that contains a piston.

The Series 244 Actuator is designed to accept a wide variety of options and accessories including force and displacement transducers, pedestal bases, swivel rod ends, and swivel bases. When equipped with the appropriate options and accessories, the actuator can be configured for precision testing of materials, structures, and components.

Series 244 Actuators Product Information 17

Introduction

Functional Diagram

Item Description

1LVDT Core Mount

2LVDT Core Extension

3LVDT Coil

4LVDT Connector

5Extension Port

6Retraction Port

About Actuator Mounting

The actuator can be mounted to a wide variety of fixtures and assemblies:

•Component test systems usually have one end of the actuator connected to a custom test frame base and the other end connected to the test specimen. Either end of the actuator may use mounting fixtures (such as swivels) to attach it to the specimen or base.

18 Series 244 Actuators Product Information

Introduction

•Material test systems usually mount the actuator in a load unit assembly. The actuator can be mounted below the base plate or above the crosshead. The end of the actuator uses fixtures (such as grips) to attach the test specimen to it.

Actuator Operation

Actuator piston rod movement is accomplished by supplying highpressure hydraulic fluid to one side of the actuator piston and opening the other side to a return line. High-pressure hydraulic fluid is ported into the cylinder through the retraction port or the extension port. The differential pressure across the piston forces the piston rod to move. The amount of hydraulic fluid and the speed and direction of piston rod movement is controlled by a servovalve.

If the piston rod contacts some external reaction point, then a force is applied to that point equal to the effective piston area times the actuating pressure. The main criteria for selecting an actuator are the force and stroke (displacement) required for the job.

LVDT Operation

The internally mounted LVDT (linear variable differential transformer) provides an indication of the actuator piston rod displacement.

Series 244 Actuators Product Information 19

Introduction

LVDT Components

Item Description

1Locking Setscrew

2Core Mount Setscrew

3LVDT Core Extension

4Hollow Piston Rod

5LVDT Coil

6Locking Collar

7Pedestal Base

8LVDT Connector

The LVDT is an electromechanical device that provides an output voltage which is proportional to the displacement of a moveable core extension. The core extension is mounted inside the hollow piston rod and moves as the piston rod moves. The LVDT coil is secured to the pedestal base by a locking collar. The core extension is positioned in the LVDT coil to provide a zero reference point, and is locked in place with a locking setscrew.

As the piston rod moves during operation, the output voltage from the LVDT indicates how far the piston rod has moved from the zero reference point.

Specifications

Several types of specifications are listed on the following pages. All specifications are subject to change without notice. Contact MTS for verification of specifications critical to your needs.

Force Ratings

The following table lists the force rating of each actuator model. The rod diameter and effective piston area specifications are used in the “Operating Considerations.”

	Actuator Specifications (Metric)
Model	Force Rating1	Rod Diameter	Effective Piston Area
Number	Kn	mm	cm2
244.11	15	44.5	7.50
244.12	25	44.5	13.50

1 Nominal force achieved with 21 MPa (3000 psi) hydraulic pressure.

20 Series 244 Actuators Product Information

			Introduction
Model	Force Rating1	Rod Diameter	Effective Piston Area
Number	Kn	mm	cm2
244.20	68	69.9	33.68
244.21	50	69.9	25.16
244.22	100	69.9	48.84
244.23	160	69.9	82.13
244.31	250	95.3	126.65
244.41	500	133.4	248.28
244.51	1000	152.4	487.70
	Actuator Specifications (U.S. Customary)
Model	Force Rating2	Rod Diameter	Effective Piston Area
Number	Kip	in	in2
244.11	3.3	1.75	1.17
244.12	5.5	1.75	2.10
244.20	15.0	2.75	5.22
244.21	11.0	2.75	3.90
244.22	22.0	2.75	7.57
244.23	35.0	2.75	12.73
244.31	55.0	3.75	19.63
244.41	110.0	5.25	38.48
244.51	220.0	6.00	75.60

Environmental and Hydraulic Fluid

Recommendations

Environmental

For use in a controlled environment.

1 Nominal force achieved with 21 MPa (3000 psi) hydraulic pressure. 2 Nominal force achieved with 21 MPa (3000 psi) hydraulic pressure.

Series 244 Actuators Product Information 21