The Senator for Economics, Labor and Europe, Kristina Vogt from Bremen, recently visited the Zuid-Holland region in the Netherlands and Applus+ Laboratories had the opportunity to accompany her. Other major companies with bases in Bremen such as OHB, Arianespace, Airbus, Materialise and ZARM joined us on this trip. The aim was to intensify cooperation between two important regions in the field of space, creating a European network for innovation. More than 80% of all space activities in the Netherlands take place in the province of Zuid-Holland, with more than 70 active space agents.

Our Managing Director in Germany, Jan Seidel, stated that “the visit was not only important to establish relations with the space community in the province of Zuid Holland, but also to foster links with space partners in Bremen”.

But why is Bremen considered ‘the city of space’?

Bremen, the city of space

More than 100 years ago, a pioneer called Henrich Focke started to build aircraft in Bremen and later, large aerospace technology companies were founded, such as ERNO (Northern Development Ring). Gradually, Bremen established itself as a leading city for aerospace research and industry. Today, Bremen’s aerospace industry has more than 140 companies and 20 institutes, employing 12,000 people and with a turnover of more than 4 billion euros a year.

Companies such as Airbus, Arianespace, OHB, Materialise and Rheinmetall Electronics are based in Bremen and export their products all over the world, giving the city a large international reach. Flagship projects such as the Galileo satellites and Ariane launchers bear the “Made in Bremen” stamp of quality.

One of the most important international trade shows in the sector, the Space Tech Expo Europe, is held in Bremen, too.

The focus on young talent has been one of the keys to success. Faced with a shortage of qualified personnel, Bremen’s universities have provided a steady flow of highly qualified graduates. There is a wide range of degrees and careers, which helps to attract and retain talented young people in the city.

Bremen also enjoys a privileged location, with its international airport, major port facilities in Bremerhaven and excellent communications to Hamburg, Germany’s second-largest city behind Berlin.

Applus+ Laboratories in Germany

In the space field, Applus+ Laboratories tests at many different levels and in several locations. In Germany, we have facilities in Bremen and Dresden.

Applus+ IMA Dresden engineers test materials and structures. The objective is to verify the durability, performance and safety of airframes, support constructions, tail units, landing gear, engines and interior components. Thanks to our large facilities, we also test full-scale structures of aircraft, helicopters and even space launchers, such as the intermediate tank structures of the Ariane 6 launch vehicle for its upcoming missions.

At the Applus+ BKW laboratories in Bremen, we test metals and composite materials. Key metallic material types tested for aerospace applications are titanium and aluminium alloys. We have a special focus on materials produced by additive manufacturing. . As for composites, we mainly test materials consisting of carbon fibres. For us, it is a privilege to be part of the high-tech community in Bremen, the city of space.

For photos and more information about the Zuid-Holland visit, see here.
Copyright des in dieser Publikation verwendeten Fotos: ©SpaceNed/Sarah Muirhead

The post Applus+ Laboratories cements its place within the aerospace cluster in Bremen, the city of space appeared first on Applus+ BKW, Materials testing at a high level.

“We are facing a revolution of all transport systems that must be more efficient due to the global environmental concern. IMA Dresden is very complementary to Applus+ Laboratories, and contributes significantly to our capability to help our clients throughout this evolution.” 

Jordi Brufau, Executive Vice President of Applus+ Laboratories 

Madrid, May 27 2021 – Applus+, the global testing, inspection and certification company, is pleased to announce the acquisition of IMA Materialforschung und Anwendungstechnik GmbH (IMA Dresden) from the owner managers. IMA Dresden will form part of the Laboratories division. 

IMA Dresden was established in the 1950s as a Government testing laboratory in Germany focused on the aerospace industry and was privatised in 1993. It is now a well diversified structural and materials testing laboratory, with a good reputation for excellence and a European leader in most of its key markets of railway, aerospace & defence, wind power, building products, medical devices and automotive. It has a comprehensive list of accreditations from its large industrial clients, as well as from key accreditation bodies.  

From its well-equipped and strategically-located laboratories in Dresden, the company employs more than 200 full-time experts in their fields and can handle a wide range of projects, from small components to full-scale products, including aeroplanes. Its customers are from Europe and other continents, with an increasing focus on China.  

The expected revenue in 2021 is approximately €25 million. The combination of the IMA Dresden business, operations and customers with Applus+’ capabilities and global scale, confirms Applus+ Laboratories as a leading global provider of testing services for product development. 

Jordi Brufau, Executive Vice President of the Laboratories Division, said: “I am pleased to see IMA Dresden join us. We are convinced that, together, we can build a bigger and stronger service offering to our respective industrial clients. In this increasingly challenging and environmentally responsible period, where all transportation systems need to be more efficient, IMA Dresden is a significant contribution to Applus+ Laboratories’ capabilities to help our clients throughout this evolution, by testing and developing best-in-class components and final-products which meet the highest standards.” 

Fernando Basabe, Chief Executive Officer of the Applus+ Group, said: “We are delighted to welcome the people of IMA Dresden. We can see a very good fit with our Laboratories division, and it takes us further into industries where we are looking to expand.”

Applus+ Laboratories in the field 

Applus+ Laboratories provides testing, certification and development engineering services to improve the competitiveness of its clients’ products and foster innovation. The division has a network of multidisciplinary laboratories across Europe, Asia and North America and an engineering department. Applus+ Laboratories is very well specialised in electrical, mechanical and electronic systems. 

In the field of structural and materials testing, the Laboratories division offers high added-value services to a wide range of industries such as aerospace, automotive, rail, maritime, construction and civil infrastructure, thanks to its state-of-the-art facilities and the technical knowledge of its experts. 

Applus+ Laboratories is a strategic provider of testing and engineering solutions for the aerospace industry. Over the last decade, Applus+ Laboratories has become a benchmark for testing large carbon-fibre panels, engine parts and other critical aircraft components, and has provided unique turnkey test systems for leading aerospace companies.

Applus+ Investor Relations: 

Aston Swift 

+34 93 5533 111 – aston.swift@applus.com  

Applus+ Media Contact: 

María de Sancha Rojo 

+34 691 250 977 – maria.sancha@applus.com

About the Applus+ Group 

Applus+ is a worldwide leader in the testing, inspection and certification sector. It is a trusted partner, enhancing the quality and safety of its client’s assets and infrastructures while safeguarding their operations. Its innovative approach, technical capabilities and highly-skilled and motivated workforce of over 23,000 employees assure operational excellence across multiple sectors in more than 70 countries. 

The company offers a complete portfolio of solutions placing a strong emphasis on technological development, digitalisation and innovation, as well as having the latest knowledge of regulatory requirements.  

The Group is committed to improving Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) indicators. Applus+ helps clients reduce their environmental impact, improving the safety and sustainability of their products and assets, and it has been implementing measures to reduce its own environmental footprint and improve its social and governance measures since 2014, setting specific targets to be reached in 2021.   

These actions have attracted external recognition: an above-average score of “AA” from MSCI ESG Ratings, an above-average “B” rating from the CDP, and the inclusion of Applus+ within the FTSE4Good Index Series of Ibex.  

For the full year of 2020, Applus+ recorded revenue of €1,558 million, and an adjusted operating profit of €118 million. Headquartered in Spain, the company operates through four global divisions under the Applus+ brand. It is listed on the Spanish stock markets. The total number of shares is 143,018,430.  

ISIN: ES0105022000 
Symbol: APPS-MC  

The post Applus+ acquires IMA Dresden, a leading testing laboratory in Europe appeared first on Applus+ BKW, Materials testing at a high level.

“We are very proud of our contribution to this important milestone for Teijin”, stated Mr. Michele Collevecchio, Head of Composites Testing at ApplusBKW in Germany. “Our extensive knowledge of Airbus material qualification processes has enabled us to run this program very efficiently for our customer, Teijin.”

As well as carrying out the testing activities for Teijin, Applus+ has also manufactured the composite laminates in multiple configurations. Mrs. Elena O’Mullony, Director of Applus+ Composites Laboratory in Spain highlights: “Manufacturing the composite laminates according to Teijin’s specifications was an exciting challenge. Various lay-up configurations of different Tenax® Dry Reinforcement carbon fiber materials were required.”

Going forward, Teijin and Applus+ will continue their collaboration as partners for release testing under their existing master services agreement.

More information about Teijin’s Tenax® Dry Reinforcements (DR) qualification

The post Teijin Carbon Europe has qualified its carbon fiber Tenax® Dry Reinforcements (DR) for the Airbus A320neo wing spoilers appeared first on Applus+ BKW, Materials testing at a high level.

Did you know that currently 3D-printed parts are more exhaustively tested than those produced by any other manufacturing method? Additive manufacturing implies exhaustive material testing such as metallographic investigations, bearing, high cycle fatigue, fracture toughness and fatigue crack growth rate.

We are now going to go through the 3D printing validation process in detail, and how material testing is present in it every step of the way.

Machine manufacturers need to make sure that their new 3D printers are able to meet customers’ requirements, in terms of material properties. To do so, they need to test the materials they are going to use and obtain test data, which in turn will give them the chance to optimize their machines’ parameters, to create material databases and guarantee customer satisfaction from the beginning.

Part manufacturers then install their 3D printers and begin conducting experiments to understand how different material inputs and machine configurations affect process outputs.

So, say for instance that you would like to buy a car… consider this a test drive, to see how it performs and if you are convinced!

This “test drive” is known as a Screening Test Program and it is at this point that part manufacturers get their samples (outputs) tested and receive their material properties so that they can determine whether the machine is performing according to their expectations and requirements.

In order to do so, they test several combinations of the following elements, with specimens being distributed in different batches: Machine used – Material Type – Powder Type – Parameter Set.

Moving on and as seen in the above diagram, part manufacturers now enter the Process Qualification (PQ) phase. Its goal is to validate the production process and pursue repeatable and consistent results by conducting a high number of tests in order to avoid deviation and obtain stable isotropic material properties with the lowest possible spread.

3D printing methods may lead to components being manufactured with anisotropic mechanical properties. Therefore, specific tests are conducted with specimens printed with different build orientations (X / Y / Z) in order to avoid this from happening.

An interesting fact about testing 3D-printed samples is that they do not require to be cut and shaped as those from mechanical manufacturing processes. The specimens are printed out in near-final shape according to testing standards; however, they do need to be CNC-machined and surface treated with mechanical, chemical or galvanic processes in order to be individually tested and detached from the stock piece (blank or workpiece) they are provided on. Additionally, heat treatment processes are applied to reduce porosity and to generate reliable isotropic material properties.

Near-final-shape printed specimens

Significant changes in the part design or dimensions, like wall thickness and printing orientation, can have an influence on materials’ properties and make additional testing mandatory.

As soon as the desired results have been obtained with minimal or no deviation at all, part manufacturers enter the First Part Qualification (FPQ) phase.

They will now begin designing and printing real parts. The objective is to guarantee that the previously identified material properties from the samples have been transferred to the parts. Samples extracted from the part itself (“cut-up parts”) as well as individual samples from the same batch will need to be tested for this to be successfully verified.

For example, a typical First Part Qualification phase for aerospace parts includes mechanical tests such as tensile testing, fatigue testing and fracture-toughness tests.

After exhaustive quantitative and qualitative testing, part manufacturers reach the Serial Production phase.

At this point, quality control becomes essential, as part manufacturers need to guarantee the stability of the printing process. Quality control tests performed on the parts frequently include a visual inspection, dimensional control and NDT (such as digital radiography and surface crack inspections). A low amount of samples will need to be printed alongside them in each batch for further testing and will be subject to mechanical tests (such as tensile, hardness) and analytical tests (such as microscopic sections).

Furthermore, part manufacturers will need to perform machine maintenance and revalidate their qualification processes on a regular basis.

Here at Applus+, we have extensive experience in the Aerospace & Defense sector and understand the challenges that come with 3D printing processes. We have developed a range of testing services to support the entire value chain of the additive manufacturing process.

We deliver detailed test results to our customers, including a benchmark study contrasting actual vs ideal test data outputs (if facilitated) and also provide technical assistance for customers new to the 3D printing world that would like to get started and don’t know what tests they can/should carry out during each phase of the value chain.

Would you like more information on our 3D printing testing services or is there something specific you would like assistance with?

Get in touch with one of our experts and tell us all about it!

The post 3D printed parts testing: support every step of the way appeared first on Applus+ BKW, Materials testing at a high level.

This agreement, under which Applus+ provides testing services required for material qualification, is a result of the long-lasting relationship between the two partners. “This Master Services Agreement takes our collaboration to the next level” says Mr. Jan Seidel, Managing Director of Applus+ BKW and Country Manager for Germany. “Over time our people have gained deep understanding of our customer’s requirements. Involving several sites from our global network of laboratories TCE benefits from seamless end-to-end services and fast delivery of test results thanks to our one-stop-shop approach.”

The post Applus+ BKW and Teijin Carbon Europe sign a multi-year agreement for composites testing services appeared first on Applus+ BKW, Materials testing at a high level.

Applus+ now forms part of Airbus Operations’ short list of strategic testing suppliers. Only four laboratories are included in the Airbus strategic supplier catalogue. Applus+ joins as a preferred supplier for all work packages:

• Mechanical tests (Level 6 of the Airbus Test Pyramid) for composite and metallic materials
• Non-mechanical tests (metallurgy, corrosion, physical , coatings)
• Structures tests (Level 4 and Level 5 of the Airbus Test Pyramid)
• Specimen preparation

Applus+ will support Airbus from three of its Airbus-approved testing laboratories, Bremen (Germany), Barcelona (Spain) and Illescas (Spain).  Our network of laboratories has been partnering with Airbus Operations for more than 10 years and with this agreement Applus+ extends its collaboration with the European aircraft manufacturer. Applus+ specializes in aerospace structures and materials tests, being one of the testing companies with the most high-complexity test methods approved by Airbus.

The post Applus+ Laboratories selected by Airbus Operations as Strategic Testing supplier appeared first on Applus+ BKW, Materials testing at a high level.

Two ‘Composites Exchange’ conference sessions: one on an innovative CAE simulation solution and the other on a new technology used for forming composite parts.

Our experts will be at your disposal to discuss your projects and requirements both at our stand (HALL 6 P85) and in the Aeroplanet.

Please don’t hesitate to get in touch to schedule a meeting with us at JEC: info@appluslaboratories.com

A+ GLIDE FORMING TECHNOLOGY, JEC INNOVATION AWARDS FINALIST

A+ Glide Forming is an innovative technology developed and patented by Applus+ for the forming of stringers with complex contours. This new manufacturing process has been nominated as finalist for the JEC Innovation Award.

If you would like to find out more about this technology, we invite you to attend the conference being led by the General Manager of Applus+ Laboratories, Jordi Brufau, at 11 am on Thursday 14th March. You can also come to see us in the Aeroplanet, where our team of experts will showcase an A+ Glide Forming technology demonstrator and can provide you with further information about this new forming process.

Click here for more details about the A+ Glide Forming conference.

CONFERENCE: SIMULATION MATERIALS DATA WORKFLOW FOR COMPOSITES IN AUTOMOTIVE PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

At 12 noon on Wednesday 13th March, Hubert Lobo (founder of DatapointLabs, a company that recently joined the Applus+ Group) will also take part in the trade fair’s conference programme. His session will focus on the technical challenges of obtaining reliable and precise CAE simulations of multi-layered composite materials. The session will include an overview of the Applus+ solutions available for digitising this process and validating such simulations.

Click here for further details.

OUR TESTING, ENGINEERING AND SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS FOR COMPOSITES:

Applus+ provides testing, engineering and software solutions for composite materials and their wide-ranging applications in the aerospace, automotive, wind energy, chemical and 3D printing industries, amongst others.

STRUCTURAL TESTING

Applus+ boasts a leading structural testing laboratory for tests on large-scale CFRP components and sub-components. This laboratory specialises in high-load (up to 15 MN) uniaxial and multiaxial testing, under both static and dynamic conditions.

MATERIALS AND QUALITY ASSURANCE TESTING

Applus+ Laboratories offers a broad range of materials testing services, from research and development projects to materials quality control. We specialise in high-complexity tests on advanced composites.

MATERIALS CHARACTERISATION FOR CAE SIMULATIONS

Applus+ helps CAE engineers to gather the requisite test data for their simulations. Our solutions support the generation of material cards for use with all the primary CAE software, with which we enjoy partnership agreements.

MATERIALS DATA MANAGEMENT: MATEREALITY

Matereality is a software solution enabling companies to build a materials database in which to store and manage test data (properties, statistical data) and other materials-related information (suppliers, authorship). Matereality helps engineering teams to tap into all of the available data (both internal and external) as well as to assign staff responsibilities and organise data access.

AUTOMATED NON-DESTRUCTIVE TESTING EQUIPMENT

Applus+ develops customised non-destructive testing systems for incorporation into clients’ production plants. Our high-precision machinery can inspect large, extremely complex parts (with up to 32 axes of movement). We also provide ‘co-location’ services, providing Applus+ equipment and inspectors to be based in client facilities.

ACCREDITATIONS AND RECOGNITIONS

Our network of materials laboratories in Europe, the United States and China are ISO/IEC 17025- and Nadcap-accredited. They are also recognised by the major aerospace manufacturers (Airbus Group, Safran, Honeywell, Comac, Embraer, and so on).

The post Applus+ Laboratories to take part in JEC World 2019, the leading trade fair for composite materials appeared first on Applus+ BKW, Materials testing at a high level.

About the Applus+ Group
Applus+ is one of the world’s leading and most innovative companies in the testing, inspection and certification sector. It provides solutions for customers in all types of industries to ensure that their assets and products meet health and safety, quality and environmental standards and regulations.

Applus+ develops its activity in more than 70 countries with a workforce of 20,700 employees and operates through four global divisions, all under the Applus+ brand. During the fiscal year 2017, it obtained revenues of 1,583 million euros and an adjusted operating result of 143 million euros.

Applus+ is listed on the stock markets of Barcelona, Bilbao, Madrid and Valencia. The total number of shares is 143,018,430

The post Applus+ has acquired the American laboratory DatapointLabs, specialised in the characterisation of materials for numerical simulation appeared first on Applus+ BKW, Materials testing at a high level.