In order to characterise the relevant damage and failure mechanisms of advanced composites a lot of phenomenological investigations must be accomplished. Furthermore for the development of powerful numerical analytical tools like simulation of impact damage and residual strength or like simulation of the dynamic buckling process during compression of thin-walled shell structures, the design and realisation of appropriate validation tests is a main objective. With respect to the necessary certification by the Federal Office of Civil Aviation (LBA) industrial contracts are preferably concentrated to qualification tests under realistic loads and operating conditions using representative test specimens and components. .
To perform all the abovementioned tests and experiments appropriate test facilities and measurement equipment are provided covering the complete field of „Experimental Structural Analysis of Composites“, abbr. “EXSACOM”. In the framework of an EU project with the same acronym EXSACOM was approved as a „Major European Research Infrastructure“. Within this project over a period of three years access to the facilities was granted to numerous external European partners to conduct there own experimental work with massive support by our experienced technical and scientific staff.
EXSACOM consists of four major test facilities including the Ultrasonic Test Lab with 5 US scanners which are described in „Non-destructive testing“:
The optical deformation measurement system HS-ARAMIS can be applied to all test facilities due to a mobile set-up. This system enables the fast measurement of the complete three-dimensional deformation distribution up to speeds of 4000 frames per second, even on curved surfaces of panels or cylinders. If requested, the system can be operated on-site at the customer’s own test facility.