Materials Testing
A NETWORK OF MATERIALS TESTING LABORATORIES
Applus+ has a network of materials testing laboratories spread across Europe, China and the United States. These laboratories offer advanced characterisation testing in order to assess the mechanical, physical and chemical properties of materials as well as the quality control of materials and processes.
MATERIALS EXPERTS FOR DIVERSE INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS
Our expertise in this field means that we can play a role in the whole product life cycle, including the development, manufacturing and in-service phases. We work with wide-ranging industries including aerospace, automotive, rail, maritime, 3D printing, oil and gas, construction, machinery and electrical and electronic products. We are experts in testing a multitude of materials, including the following:
- Metallic materials, welded joints, dissimilar metals and superalloys (titanium, aluminium, duplex, superduplex, inconel, etc.)
- Bases analyzed: Iron, Nickel, Aluminum, Copper, Cobalt, Titanium.
- Composite materials (carbon-fibre and glass-fibre) and composite materials with fasteners
- Polimeric materials: thermosets, thermoplastics, resins and rubbers
- Coatings, galvanised materials, paints and varnishes
- Construction materials and products
ACCREDITED LABORATORIES
Applus+ has a network of ISO 17025-accredited materials laboratories, offering a wide scope of accredited mechanical, physical and thermal tests. (You can access the full list of accreditations here.)
We specialise in high-complexity tests (R curve, G1c, crack growth, high load coupons testing, etc.) for materials characterisation requiring high levels of technical know-how in terms of both executing the tests and interpreting the results.
NADCAP ACCREDITATION AND CLIENT APPROVALS FOR TESTING OF AEROSPACE MATERIALS
Our materials laboratories have also been accredited by Nadcap and approved by the primary aerospace manufacturers. These recognitions mean that we can work directly for these manufacturers as well as for their suppliers.
- Accredited by Nadcap for the testing of metallic and non-metallic materials, non-destructive testing, panel manufacture, sample manufacture and sample machining
- Recognised by the Airbus group
- Recognised by Safran
- Recognised by Honeywell
- Recognised by Comac
- Recognised by Embraer
MATERIALS TESTING CAPABILITIES
Our testing capabilities include:
- Manufacture and preparation of test samples
- Static and dynamic mechanical tests (at temperatures ranging from -196º to +1200ºC)
- Metallographic and fractographic analysis
- Hardness tests (Shore, Vickers, Rockwell, Brinell)
- Chemical analysis (OES and XRF) using specific gas analyzers
- Dosage: subcontracted Carbon and Sulfur
- Gas analysis: Nitrogen, Hydrogen, and subcontracted Oxygen.
- Physical and thermal tests (DSC, DMA, TGA, FV, etc.)
- Non-destructive tests
- Corrosion and ageing tests
- Creep Tests (force up to 13.5 kN at temperatures up to 1100ºC), simulating many years in a matter of hours.
A COMPREHENSIVE MATERIALS TESTING SERVICE
Support in the development and engineering phases:
- Materials characterisation
- Materials Testing for CAE Simulation
- Development of test plans
- Qualification of materials and products
Production and process quality control:
- Incoming inspection and extension of lifespan
- Process quality control
- Release tests
- First part qualification (FPQ)
- Witness tests to qualify production processes
- Automatic and manual NDT inspections of components
On-site testing:
- NDT: UT, PAUT, VT, PT, MT, ET, etc.
- Hardness and metallographic tests (replicas)
- Spectrometry for positive material identification (PMI)
- On-site sample inspection and collection
- Detailed case studies (manufacture, installation, certification, operation, maintenance, repair, etc.)
- Analysis of samples and reproduction of failures in controlled laboratory conditions
FROM COUPONS TO FULL SCALE
Applus+ Laboratories boasts a network of structural testing laboratories for testing the real behaviour of materials at a range of levels: from the materials characterisation of small test samples or coupons through to the mechanical testing of complete aircraft, components and subcomponents with a view to assessing their structural resistance.
SERVICES
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