The name of the game

What's in a name? Well, for most companies it usually means building a brand name for itself, and while it can't change brand perception overnight, it still needs to do its level best to keep its name at the front of people's minds.

In 2008, Bodycote Testing Group was bought by Clayton, Dubilier and Rice, and renamed Exova in 2009. One year on since the rebranding and the significance of Exova's aerospace division in particular continues to gather momentum. This is due to the increasing amount of development work around new aircraft and engines, which is especially focused on integrated composite structures.

Driven by cost optimisation and weight reduction, manufacturers and material suppliers are keen to develop solutions that integrate structures into complex single components that are manufactured in one hit. The specifics of integrated composite structures centre on simultaneously manufactured components and materials which calls for quality testing and if need be, repair procedures performed after the curing process.

Looking back over the last year, Exova's director of the aerospace division, Stuart Abbs says that while business in the sector is still tough and the routine production of raw materials, castings and forgings remains slow, the company continues to diversify into new material test areas.

“The last twelve months have been challenging,” he admits. “The traditional manufacturing market where Exova performed much of its testing on raw materials is still quite depressed, due mainly to the recession and the stock control and inventory corrections being made by major aerospace primes. However, what has helped us through this tough period is our work relating to research and development testing, and especially that connected with composite structures.

“We realised a recession was looming, so we took the conscious decision to look at what was going to be the driver over the next few years. It is clear that within the aerospace industry that there is a huge push to produce lighter and more environmentally efficient aircraft. Designers are increasingly looking at composite materials as a means of ‘lightweighting' their aircraft designs rather than relying on traditional materials such as aluminium and titanium.”

Therein lies the challenge for the aerospace sector in that there are a number of overarching issues concerning the testing of the characteristics and properties of composite structures.
“We're increasingly being called upon to help the aerospace industry with composite material properties and characteristics as we have a wealth of experience in this area that we've gained from other industries,” continues Abbs. “We're helping our customers make informed material selection decisions for specific application areas throughout the aircraft.

“For example, composite structure repair is not so straightforward. With metals, you simply cut one piece of metal out and weld another piece in, whereas you can't do this with composite materials. Composite repair work requires something much more in-depth and complicated and can have a profound influence on the rest of the structure. There needs to be an understanding that a piece of composite material can't be used in the same way as a piece of aluminium for example.”

A ring of confidence

Abbs underlines the fact that while Exova can provide an interpretation of the test data and the advice, ultimately the final decision rests with the customer. It's all about confidence, and the test data Exova offers its aerospace customers can help them formulate their own ideas and opinions.

Most of Exova's testing involves coupons or actual components. If it's an R&D project, then Exova will discuss the test results with the client, whereas a production release will usually require a conformance statement to say whether it does or does not meet the specification requirements.

“One of our company values is integrity: we give our customers the confidence that the data is reliable and that the advice we provide is borne out from years of experience and an understanding of composite structures,” Abbs clarifies. “Whilst we undertake a variety of mechanical, physical and non - destructive testing, the manufacture and test preparation of a composite test piece isn't as straightforward as metallics.”

Location, location

As well as a name change, the company has also undergone a geographical restructuring process. Exova's sites in Bridgwater and Toulouse have become the main composites testing centres, complemented by European composites consultants.

Following the approval by Nadcap for composites testing at its Bridgwater laboratory, Exova has recently made significant investment in its composites testing capability at the site, with the purchase of new equipment, environmental control of all test laboratories for temperature and humidity. This investment along with relocation of current equipment has created a centralised composites testing resource, with increased capacity and fast turnaround.

Feedback from customers in the aerospace division showed that they would be happy for a range of composite testing to be located in one Exova laboratory to save time and cost associated with transporting samples between laboratories.

Investment in a Maxiem waterjet cutting centre, plus three 100kN fatigue frames and a dynamic mechanical analyser means Exova can now offer a one-stop shop for static, dynamic and physical composite testing. Further investment in Bridgwater in 2011 will see the introduction of higher load static testing capabilities.

“We've positioned our test laboratories fairly close to the major aerospace hubs,” explains Abbs. “Since the rebranding, we've strived to promote Exova and the fact that its aerospace division employs some of the world's leading experts in composite structures. The locations are deliberate and the chief aim is to be close to these types of businesses in the aerospace sector.

“Therefore, we're investing in both equipment and people for the Toulouse and Bridgewater locations to support Exova's prime clients, as well as their incumbent supply chains. Our overriding strategy has to be in maintaining a visibility of what will be happening in the future. The industry is already talking about the next generation of single aisle airliners, and we are expecting the major aircraft OEMs to announce that they will start developing new aircraft. Clearly, Exova will need to be well-positioned to take advantage of the potential in this lucrative market as and when it happens.”

www.exova.com