With increasing user demands, the need for sustainable and high-quality products is growing. In our case, we are talking about a hydraulic grapple used in the construction, forestry and agriculture. A hydraulic grapple is a type of a mechanical tool used for gripping and handling various objects, primarily on heavy machinery such as excavators, loaders or cranes. The grapple consists of four sub-assemblies - the attachment plate, the base drive unit, the rotation drive and the gripping arms. The rotation drive and gripping arms contain both main executive elements, hydraulic motor for rotation and hydraulic cylinders for gripping. Proper and efficient operation of executive elements is crucial for the correct functioning of the grapple.
To address this matter, in our master’s thesis, we provided an overview of existing test rigs and standards used for testing hydraulic motors and cylinders. We also presented the basic features of the hydraulic grapple and the conceptual design of a multi-purpose test rig. Furthermore we designed the hydraulic part of the test rig and verified the suitability of all components used. We also conducted numerical simulations to validate the design and, finally, presented a cost analysis of the manufacturing process.
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