Testing

The validation of material data and prototype testing is an important part of product development.

AeroFEM has organized and conducted many tests over the years. For our customers, our services include test planning, test supervision, and test report preparation for the regulatory authorities. We work in close cooperation with our testing facility partners to chose the right test organization for your product.

A basic requirement for accurate simulation is the correct choice of material properties (stiffness, strength, ultimate strength, thermal properties, etc.). For many materials, there exists a sufficient amount of approved literature data. However, for new materials (e.g. 3D printing materials) or highly process-dependent materials (e.g. composites), it is often difficult to find validated material data. Therefore, the corresponding material properties have to be determined by tests, often at varying temperature levels. We've also developed knowledge in the area of testing of fatigue behavior to evaluate the long-term behavior of products.

Nonlinear behavior of complex parts can be simulated. But often times, a static structure test is either required by the authorities or more economic than a simulation with too many variables and nonlinearities. The potential benefit of testing in the case of complex nonlinearities is discussed with our customers and we support them throughout the complete testing and evaluation process.

In the case of dynamic issues, we can simulate a large variety of problems. However, the analyses are often dependent on many parameters like damping, contact or friction. Therefore, we can only achieve approximated results using simulation. Using dynamic tests, we can verify the simulation parameters and calibrate our models. Tests, that we typically conduct are vibration measurements on aircrafts (GVT), shaker tests for components (random, sinus sweep) or on-board modal tests of anything from aircraft interior (hammer strike) to dynamic drop tests of horizontal tails.

Fire hazards are one of the most common causes of accidents in aircraft, vehicles or ships. This risk can strongly be reduced by choosing the right materials. Working together with our partner organizations we can analyze materials with respect to flammability, toxicity or smoke generation.

Passenger safety in aircraft and vehicle construction has become very important. We've conducted HIC tests (head impact) and bird strike tests on windows or structural elements for various customers which have resulted in successful certification.

In the past, we have overseen various ground and flight tests in order to examine maneuverability, fuel consumption or flutter analysis of aircraft for many different projects. Together with our partner Kürzi Avionics, we can also perform flight tests for aircraft modifications.

Contact us for more information

+41 41 619 85 02
pverdan@aerofem.com

Patrice Verdan
Dipl. Ing. ETH, Ing. HTL, Executive MBS, Managing Director