Aerostructures Technology Laboratory provide complete testing services to support programs from product development and evaluation, through certification and product support. With an emphasis on a wide range of aircraft structures and the aerodynamic, thermodynamic and acoustic environments in which they perform, this array of unique facilities and personnel is ideally suited to meeting your most demanding test and certification requirements.

Ultrasonics Laboratory Capabilities:

• C-Scan non-destructive evaluation of bonded and composite structures that permits detection of disbonds and delaminations

Non-Metallic and Composite Lab Capabilities:

• Development of adhesive bonding techniques for acoustic materials

Metallic Bonding Capabilities:

• Development of diffusion bonding and brazing techniques for advanced metallic structures

Full Instrumentation Capabilities:

• Installation of standard and high temperature strain gages, thermocouples, accelerometers, microphones, pressure sensors, load cells, and LVDT's
• Signal conditioning and data acquisition systems

Development Shop:

• Full machine shop capabilities including fabrication of test fixtures, model hardware, test specimens, specialized test equipment and prototype hardware

Addressing a wide range of commercial, military and space environments...

Pulsed Infrared Thermographic Inspection:

• High-speed non-destructive method for inspecting bonded metallic structures
• Uses a high resolution infrared camera and real time data processing (Greater than 87 frames per second and temperature resolution to 10 mK)
• Ideally suited to testing tiled thermal protection systems for space vehicles and other multiple metallic panel applications.

Structural Test Capabilities:

• Static, fatigue, and damage tolerance testing to structural loads of 350,000 lbs.
• Automated control and data acquisition

Vibration Testing Capabilities:

• Vibration testing of aerospace structures up to 22,000 lbs. peak force and 3000 Hz
• Automated dynamic control system and on-line data analysis

Air Flow Capabilities:

• Three-axis thrust stand for performance testing of model nozzles and thrust reversers
• Dual stream (hot/cold) air flow system providing 12 lbs/Sec. of air at up to 1150ºF

FAA Certified Fire Test Facility:

• Fire proof and fire resistant testing per FAA requirements

Process Development Lab Capabilities:

• Evaluation of metals, composites and surface coatings
• Corrosion and humidity exposure testing

Acoustic Capabilities:

• Unique progressive wave tube for sonic fatigue testing to 168dB and 1800ºF
• Acoustic air-flow duct for measuring insertion loss to 10KHz and 0.7 Mach
• Raylometers and impedance tubes

Metallurgical Lab Capabilities:

• Complete failure analysis studies on metallic and non-metallic materials
• Scanning electron microscopes, in-field microstructure evaluations, and superficial and microhardness evaluations

Mechanical Properties Capabilities:

• Static and fatigue material properties testing at temperatures ranging from below freezing to 2000°F

Lightning Strike Capabilities:

• Certified for simulating direct or swept lightning strikes on aircraft structures to federal, commercial and military requirements

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