Abstract: A new comprehensive test bench for the reliability research of hydraulic cylinder is developed. With the test bench, not only type testing or predelivery testing of hydraulic cylinder can be basically implemented, but also reliability test under normal or accelerated stress levels can be conducted, in any reliability testing process, the pressure, velocity, oil temperature and side load of the cylinder can be set as variable loading stresses, in addition, the test bench has an advantage of power recovery and energy saving. Accelerated life test of an accurate hydraulic cylinder is conducted using the test bench, an acceleration model is proposed when considering environmental stresses of the cylinder and the Eyring Model, with the acceleration model, the reliability distribution functions and various life values of the cylinder under normal stress level are ultimately obtained. A computer package is developed to perform reliability analysis or prediction of hydraulic cylinder by using its testing data under normal or accelerated stress level conditions when with complete or incomplete samples. The developed new test bench and computer package provide an excellent platform with both hardware and software for hydraulic cylinder reliability research.

Key words: hydraulic cylinder, reliability testing platform, power recovery, accelerated life test, reliability analysis