Aeronautical companies will be able to avail of a comprehensive solution for materials characterisation and for developing and certifying structures made of metal or composite materials.
In the last edition of the Paris Air Show, Applus+ Laboratories (Spain) and Thiot Ingénierie (France) announced a partnership that will allow them to implement a testing service never before offered. Manufacturers and their suppliers will have a single representative available to them to carry out static, fatigue and impact testing.
Applus+ Laboratories, specializing in static and fatigue testing, is a strategic structural testing supplier for Airbus (ST2S) and is the company with the most Airbus approvals in Europe to perform critical material testing.
Thiot Ingénierie is the first private laboratory in Europe specialized in dynamic testing, and they will perform the impact testing (of tires, hail, birds, etc.) that is indispensable for aircraft certification.
An innovative partnership, a unique offer
"We have collaborated before with Applus+ Laboratories on different occasions and for different clients, and it is a laboratory clearly defined by Airbus as one of its strategic testing suppliers. Our competencies complement each other perfectly: The static and fatigue tests are to be performed in Spain by Applus+ teams while the impact testing shall be performed by Thiot Ingénierie in Toulouse," explained Patrick Thiot, Thiot Ingénierie founder and Managing Director.
"Our goal is to propose a single representative for manufacturers that require sample charactization or any type of mechanical testing to be carried out, as well as subsequent control operations. Applus+ Laboratories already has all of the approvals Airbus requires, which means that quality standards will be fully maintained. As for Thiot Ingénierie, they contribute with their unique capabilities for performing impact testing," states Carolina Fernández, Director of Applus+ Mechanical Testing Laboratories.
This comprehensive solution is a pragmatic and effective response to the needs of aircraft manufacturers and their suppliers, and key industry players such as Airbus, Messier Buggaty Dowty or Aviacomp have already taken advantage of it.
This same offer will also be attractive for the aerospace and defense industries, thanks to ultra-speed testing of up to 25,000 km/hr, which can test satellites' resistance to the impact of mini-meteorites or assess shielding resistance to any type of aggression.
With this agreement, both companies position themselves as one of the key mechanical testing suppliers for Europe's aeronautics, aerospace and defense industries, providing a faster and more comprehensive solution.
THIOT INGÉNIERIE
Thiot Ingénierie inaugurated the first private laboratory for shock physics and impact testing.
After 25 years of experience in manufacturing laboratory launchers, Thiot Ingénierie opened the first private facility for manufacturers. With three projectile launchers of up to 25,000 km/hr (7 km/s), the laboratory allows aircraft manufacturers to launch tires, hail, spherical objects or birds to test the shock resistance of different components.
Thiot Ingénierie also sets itself apart by having a numerical simulation department that collaborates with the testing laboratory to improve simulation models for shock or explosion scenarios.
Applus+ Laboratories
Applus+ Laboratories is the division of the multinational company Applus+ that specializes in testing, engineering, and certification.
Applus+ Laboratories has three laboratories in Europe (Bremen, Barcelona, and Madrid) that specialize in material testing for the aeronautics industry, and is one of the five strategic suppliers (ST2S) chosen by Airbus to perform structural testing. The division positions itself as a key partner for the aeronautics industry thanks to its composite material testing capabilities and expertise.
Applus+'s mechanical testing laboratory enables manufacturers to perform static and stress tests on structures of up to 8 meters and apply loads of up to 15 mega Newtons. Applus+ Laboratories also sets itself apart due to its expertise in multiple technologies (electric, electromagnetic compatibility, IT security, vibration, climatic, and fire reaction and resistance testing) needed to perform validation tests for many aeronautic components.