19

Hardware

GDS Helpsheet

World Leaders in Computer Controlled Testing Systems for Geotechnical Engineers and Geologists

Standard Controller Replacement of the O Ring Seal

A. Disassembly
1. Empty the controller by repeatedly using the EMPTY and FILL buttons. Carefully standing the controller on the end where the pressure outlet is will remove even more of the retained water. 2. Using the FILL command run the controller to the middle of the travel distance. Turn off the mains power and remove the power supply. 3. Turn the controller up side down and remove the silver base panel. Once you have access to the PCB board located underneath the cylinder please disconnect all the cables. Keep photographic record of all the wiring disconnected.

4. Remove the pressure transducer and the block that it is attached to by disconnecting the cable form the PCB board and unscrewing the nuts attached to the block.

5. Turn the controller back to its normal position again and undo the two screws fixing the bellows keeper ring to the output shaft end of the gearbox. This will allow you to push back the bellows covering the ballscrew and hence expose the connection between the ballscrew

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and the output shaft of the gearbox.

6. With a small punch and a light engineers hammer, drive out the hardened dowel pin connecting the two shafts together. Be careful not to hit the gearbox and damage the paint work.

7. With the heel of your hand, bump the gearbox along so that the two shafts disengage. The bellows may now be removed. Be careful not to push the gearbox to much backwards as it can derail it. When assembling please make sure that the same end of the ball screw is engaged to the gear box. This can be attained by marking the right end of the ballscrew before removing the dowel pin.

8. Turn the controller up side down again to undo the screws attaching the cylinder to the base of the controller. There are four screws attaching them together as shown in the picture. Please start by undoing both nuts located on the pressure transducers block screws and then by undoing the other two screws.

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9. Make sure that the gearbox and the ballscrew are completely disconnected before trying to separate the base of the controller form the cylinder. Once this has been checked they can be separated. Lift the base off the controller and take them apart.

10. Carefully using a spanner undo the four tie rods that hold the cylinders ends together. This will allow you to separate the front end of the cylinder from the cylinder and ball screw as shown in the picture.

11. Some times it is not easy to remove the piston from the cylinder. This usually happens because the O-rings sealing the joints have adapted so much that they dont easily deform to allow the separation. In such cases, two wooden blocks can be placed between the cylinder and the base of the tie rods. These blocks will work as an extra support for the force to be applied to free the piston. Once the blocks have been placed in position, the ball screw has to be screwed out so the blocks can push the cylinder away. Please watch the attached video for more details.

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12. Now check the 'o' ring seal on the piston. If it is damaged it must be replaced. Please confirm the appropriate dimensions of the O-ring against the list at the end of this helpsheet. 13. Clean and dry the bore of the cylinder using clean paper towels. Check the bore of the cylinder for damage. If it is damaged the complete ballscrew/piston/cylinder assembly must be returned to GDS. 14. Clean and oil the ball screw and check for easy movement along its complete travel. Do not unscrew completely as the balls may escape. If it is damaged it must be returned to GDS for repair or replacement. 15. In the same way clean the block at the far end of the cylinder and check that the O-ring sealing the joint is in a good state or needs replacement. Please confirm the appropriate dimensions of the O-ring against the list at the end of this helpsheet.

B. Reassembly
1. Lightly smear the piston and o-ring with silicone grease. Offer up the piston to the open end of the pressure cylinder and gently press the piston into the cylinder. Line up the end block with the pressure cylinder flange and fix the cylinder to the block with the cap-headed Allen screws. (The ones removed at A10) Check for easy movement of the piston by rotating the ball screw for the complete piston travel. 2. Now fix the cylinder back onto the top plate. This is done by positioning the cylinder lengthwise on the edge of the bench with the end block alignment pins pointing towards you. With the help of a colleague, offer up the top plate to the cylinder so that the appropriate hole lines up with the alignment pins. With a soft nylon-faced mallet, tap the top plate onto the alignment pins. Now insert the large countersunk screws and tighten them home with an Allen key/hex drive. (This is the reverse procedure to A8 and A9 above). Do not over tighten. 3. Now the ballscrew and gearbox can be reconnected. First, fit the bellows over the ball screw making sure to get it the right way round with the keeper-ring end towards the end of the ballscrew. Now push the gearbox up to the ballscrew. By hand, turn the ballscrew so that the top of the dowel pin hole corresponds to the position of the hole in the gearbox output shaft. Push the two shafts together and line the holes up. You may need to separate the shafts and try again if they do not line up first time. Drive in the hardened dowel pin. Once the motor and the ballscrew are perfectly aligned the screws holding the cylinder can be tighten up. 4. Fit the bellows keeper-ring to the face of the gear box. 5. Put the transducer block back into the right position and tighten the nuts holding it to the cylinder. Connect the transducer to the appropriate port in the PCB board. This is the reverse procedure to A4 above. 6. Connect the smart key pad and turn the controller on. Please check through all the options specially that there are not leaks in the joints when the controller is pressurised. 7. 8. If working alright please put the cover and screws on at the base of the controller. 9. Using the FILL and EMPTY functions, fill the cylinder with de-aerated water. 10. If there are any problems, contact GDS.

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C. O-rings Dimensions
ELDPC Piston O Ring 39.0mm * 3.0mm Viton 70 Cylinder joint 47.6mm * 2.4mm Nitrile 70

STDDPCv2 Piston O Ring 31.5mm * 3.0mm Cylinder joint 47.6mm * 2.4mm Nitrile 70

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