Phoenix develops low-pressure rig to support aerospace test programmes

Higher, hotter, heavier is a mantra used by many commercial airlines in pursuit of increased efficiency.

If aeroplanes can fly higher, the air is thinner, which reduces the “drag” they have to overcome.

If aeroplanes can burn fuel at hotter temperatures, the engines are more efficient and use less fuel.

Every airline wants to fly “heavier” to carry more passengers or cargo per flight, meaning that the aircraft must be able to withstand extra load and extra forces.

As the aircraft engine manufacturers strive to meet these demands they are developing and evolving increasingly sophisticated materials, but in order to validate these the test regimes themselves need to be more demanding and require the right equipment to do the job.

Phoenix Materials Testing Ltd has been working closely with our customer in the Aerospace sector, to develop first-in-class research and development materials testing capabilities. We have developed a low-pressure testing system that can carry out induction heated, strain-controlled fatigue tests on non-metallic, non-cylindrical samples at pressures up to 3bar. The system has a unique combination of pressure, heating and environmental control capabilities, allowing us to create the next generation of environmental chambers.

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