Syklustester

Syklustester, or cycle testers, are devices designed to apply repeated cycles of stress to a component or assembly to assess durability, reliability, and life performance. They are used across engineering disciplines, including mechanical design, electronics, automotive, and materials science, to simulate real-world use and to accelerate aging processes.

A typical syklustester consists of a control system, an actuator or loading mechanism, a means of applying stress (mechanical, electrical, or thermal), sensors for measuring response (such as force, displacement, current, voltage, temperature, or resistance), and a data acquisition system. Test sequences are defined by a program that specifies the cycle type (constant amplitude, variable amplitude, or random), frequency, load or stress level, duration, and environmental conditions. Tests may run for a fixed number of cycles or until failure, and may include ramping, rest periods, or concurrent stresses to simulate complex service conditions.

Common applications include evaluating fatigue life of mechanical parts (bearings, gears, springs), wear and endurance of coatings, reliability of switches or relays in electronics, and cycle life of batteries or capacitors. Results are used to develop design improvements, estimate useful life, set warranty parameters, and guide quality control. Data interpretation often yields S-N curves, time-to-failure statistics, and failure mode analysis, following relevant industry standards from ISO, ASTM, IEC, or other domain-specific bodies.