Moog Industrial Group, a provider of leading-edge testing systems to the aerospace and automotive markets and high-performance flight simulation, has received an order from Airbus in Hamburg Germany to supply 11 Moog test systems to provide a test capacity of 136 control channels.
This order is in addition to those placed previously under a 10-year frame work contract between Airbus and Moog for the exclusive supply of multi-channel test systems for structural testing of aircraft.
Selecting Moog as the supplier of multi-channel test systems has enabled Airbus to develop a single platform across all its structural testing facilities in Germany, the UK and France. Moog has previously supplied seven test systems based on Moog’s test controllers and software to the Airbus facility in Germany over the last three years. With this new order, the testing facility in Hamburg will be standardised with Moog test controllers as will the Airbus Filton facility in the United Kingdom. The Hamburg facility now employs 18 Moog test systems to support a total of 320 control channels.
The Moog test controllers and software will be used for both static and dynamic structural tests. The Moog test systems can support civil as well as military aircraft and technology projects. The current Airbus structural testing programs are related to the A350 XWB, A380 and A400M. One of the systems from this order will be used for the A350 XWB vertical tail structural test.
The increasingly complex test requirements, combined with an ever growing pressure for lab cost effectiveness, led Airbus to phase-out systems other than Moog, including a system developed in-house. Using Moog test systems, Airbus benefits from a standardised, trans-national platform making service and support easier and faster.
The new systems will be configured with real-time Ethernet, offering Airbus more flexibility, higher bandwidth, increased data speed, more reliability and faster test set-up. Other benefits to Airbus include: Increased lab productivity through high-performance testing and the ability to manage high speed tests with up to 512 control channels while simultaneously safeguarding test accuracy and test specimen safety; Long-term investment on all hardware allows backward compatibility and provides full modularity for optimum use of individual test controller; one single platform across testing facilities to accommodate and execute all simple or complex test requests.
The move to a single platform is further prompted by the extensive testing schedules Airbus faces with rapid developments on new testing programs. Standardising the Airbus testing facilities in Europe will lead to greater efficiency and flexibility to meet the program demands.
Recently Airbus Toulouse ordered two multi-channel test systems comprising 24 control channels.
