Increasing productivity in the aeronautics industry Actuators serve as the intermediary between commands and the resulting activity in numerous aircraft components. EU-funded scientists have developed an automated testbed to speed up the design and testing of these mission-critical components. Industrial Technologies © Thinkstock Flight controls, landing gear and positioning systems in aircraft conventionally rely on the conversion of electrical signals into mechanical activity by actuators in order to do their work. One of the main challenges faced by the aerospace industry is developing appropriate automated test benches for actuators and related critical components that ensure safety and sustainability. Spain's leading private research and technology entity, with extensive experience in the testbed field teamed up with a technological research centre to initiate the EU-funded project ASE-TB. Their mission was to develop a test bench for linear electro-hydraulic actuators (EHAs). The innovative ASE-TB test bench enables simultaneous testing of two linear actuators of the same type under different load conditions, promising significant reductions in time and cost of development. In addition, the system is modular and flexible, based on easily exchangeable hydraulic and mechanical components. Not only does this speed up changes in configuration for testing, it also minimises required changes for future updates or adaptations. Furthermore, automated sensors and appropriate controls will ensure safety during endurance testing of critical components without requiring the presence of an operator. ASE-TB's linear actuator testbed will be an important addition to the aerospace industry's design, testing and certification tools given the critical nature of this widely-used component. The technology is expected to decrease the time and cost of development while enhancing component and occupational safety for major impact on the competitiveness of European industry.
