Applus+ BKW | Applus+ Laboratories

Applus+ BKW was founded in 1983 in Bremen Germany and has been a part of Applus+ Laboratories since 2011.

An independent and accredited material testing laboratory, Applus+ BKW counts with a competent service offer, state-of-the-art facilities, and a team of highly qualified engineers, inspectors and operators.

Its customers include well-known companies from industries spanning, oil and gas, mechanical and plant engineering, petrochemical, wind energy, power plant technology, chemicals, steel, shipbuilding, medical technology, welding technology, foundry technology, trade, aerospace and research & development.

Applus+ BKW Accreditations

Applus+ BKW is accredited by DAkkS under DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025 standards. Additionally, its NADCAP accreditation ensures compliance with the requirements of the aerospace industry.

Thanks to its expertise, this laboratory has positioned itself as a Tier 1 supplier for Airbus with Airbus qualifications for over 60 testing procedures, including 12 “Category One” procedures.

Applus+ BKW Services

Applus+ BKW covers nearly all areas of non-destructive and destructive testing for metallic and non-metallic materials.

In cooperation with technical inspection organisations such as BV, TÜV, DNV it also performs material acceptance tests.

Its service offer includes:

Sample preparation and fixture construction

Applus+ BKW's sample preparation sets the foundation for high-quality and flexible material testing.

Thanks to its modern 3 and 5-axis CNC machining centres, the quality, dimensional accuracy and machining time of samples are kept under control throughout the entire testing process. Its 3.2-ton crane system allows it to handle large test specimens.

Non-destructive testing (NDT)

Applus+ BKW NDT testing personnel is certified under DIN EN ISO 9712 standards (formerly EN 473) and can be tested by the Pressure Equipment Directive (PED) 97/23/EG. Additionally, its Level 2 and 3 experienced inspectors can meet challenging testing requisites, including testing on-site and at client locations.

Prepared to meet the needs of the aviation industry, this laboratory is also backed up by EN 4179 certification.

The core competency in this field includes:

Ultrasonic testing (UT) both conventional as well as also using imaging phased array technology (PAUT)
Ultrasonic testing in immersion technology with automated ultrasonic unit 1250 x 4600 mm
Wall thickness measurement using ultrasound
Visual testing (VT)
Colour penetration testing (PT)
Magnetic particle testing (MT)
Demagnetization of components
Eddy-current testing (ET)
Conductivity measurement
Magnetic induction determination of ferrite content
Roughness measurement for determination of e.g. Ra, Rz
Mobile hardness test
Ambulant metallography, replicas using Replica technology

Aerospace Destructive Testing for metallic and composite materials

Applus+ BKW offers a broad spectrum of destructive tests by national and international standards for both metallic and composite materials, aimed at suiting the challenging needs of the aerospace industry.

Destructive Testing for metallic materials testing

All its ISO 17025 compliant tests are DakkS accredited for metallic material testing, including:

Static tests to determine characteristic values.
Fatigue testing in pulsating tensile stress, pulsating compressive stress and tension-compression stress. Its machine can test different load ranges from 250 N to 600 kN.
Sample preparation at CNC processing centres.

Destructive Testing of Composite materials

Testing and certification requirements for composite materials tend to require increased technical expertise and special equipment. Applus+ BKW counts with state-of-the-art laboratory equipment and qualified personnel to ensure high-quality composite material destructive testing.

In aerospace, it counts with NADCAP accreditation. Additionally, Applus+ BKW is officially qualified by Airbus for 63 testing methods, including 12 “Category One” Procedures. Applus+ BKW is the only Airbus-authorised material testing laboratory in the world for lightweight materials (used in A380 and A350XWB).

Metallography

Applus+ BKW tests the structural properties of materials through metallography, plastography and mobile analysis.

When it comes to ambulant metallography, components are tested on-site or when installed non-destructively. In this connection, replicas are taken which are then microscopically evaluated in the laboratory. This method is used, for example, in the inspection of creep rupture damages within the scope of plant reviews.

For composite materials, such as carbon fibre-reinforced plastics (CFRP), Applus+ BKW provides plastography testing.

Corrosion tests

The influences on which a material is exposed in practice are simulated through different corrosion tests. In these tests, the material is exposed to a corrosive medium for a defined period at a defined temperature through diverse methods.

Spectral analysis

Spectral analysis helps determine the chemical composition of metallic materials, by identifying and verifying materials. This process helps prevent material mix-ups, which can lead to considerable damages and must be ruled out unconditionally, especially in sensitive, security-relevant areas.

Spectral analysis includes positive material identification tests (PMI tests), of vital importance for the traceability of materials. And chemical analysis inspections of incoming materials and outgoing materials.

Applus+ BKW has 3 stationary and 2 mobile spectrometers, working in accordance with the Optical Emission Spectrometry (OES). This allows it to perform chemical analysis on-site and at the client’s location.

Due to its great number of analytical programs, Applus+ BKW can determine nearly all concentration ranges with high accuracy.

End-to-end Welding Qualification Testing

Applus+ BKW specialises in welding quality assurance and can perform every destructive and non-destructive test required, including Immersion Ultrasonic Testing (IUT) – the most accurate way to ensure girth welds have no physical flaws before being deployed in the field.

For extra proof of the validity of our results, findings can be approved by an independent TIO– the whole process handled by us from start to finish.