Feature Test & measurement


Ensuring aerospace and defence quality W


Military precision


When developing new products, extremely high demands are placed on test and measurement equipment, and this becomes even more critical for aerospace and defence projects. Precision test equipment therefore needs to be readily available. Morgan Hanson, market initiative manager – Aerospace and Defence at Agilent Technologies; and Wayne Harris, operations manager at Microlease, comment


hen developing new and technically complex prod- ucts, engineers balance computer simulations with real-world prototyping and testing. As technology advances, how- ever, and tolerances become ever finer, the demands on test and measurement equipment multiply. In aerospace and defence projects the pressures are redoubled, with precision becoming mission critical. At best, failures can be extremely expensive – it is, for example, hard to carry out post-delivery repairs on a satellite in orbit – but they also have the potential for even more disastrous outcomes. Major projects in the field tend to


be collaborative, with an increasing trend for the partners to be based around the world. While we have prob- ably seen the last of major hold-ups because of a confusion over units, if there is not a clear agreement on tolerances and measurement protocols then there is a risk of delay, which can result in a project becoming mired in contract arguments.


Meeting project demands The case for providing developers with the best test and measurement equipment seems to be clear. They need to measure to a precision an order of magnitude higher than the deliver- able tolerances, and they need the instruments to hand when they need them if the development programme is to stay on track. Requirements will shift through the timeline of the project. In the first, conceptual, blue-sky phase there is an almost unlimited potential for testing requirements. As the design is finalised and moves from prototype to production, the test requirements will change and may shrink. Or, a new technology may come along to transform the original concept, and require yet another set of instru- ments and capabilities.


But if quality control is a critical element in a successful project, so too


Instrumentation FEBRUARY 2011


Precision is mission critical in aerospace and defence projects


is cost control. In these difficult times commercial managers are expected to go through the estimates with a fine- tooth comb. While even high precision instruments, such as those made by Agilent Technologies, may be seen as a relatively small element of a large development contract, there will still be questions raised about the level of capital investment required for instru- ments which will spend a great deal of time on the shelf awaiting their need. A recent Frost & Sullivan report suggested that typical utilisation rates for test and measurement equipment can be as low as 20%. The real issue comes with the knowledge that for the other 80% of the time the instruments are not just gathering dust and depreciation; they are poten- tially going out of calibration. To be of use, a precision test instrument needs to be calibrated regularly against known and common


of the project? Or is it best to rent in a tool when it is needed?


All of these are valid options, of course, and demonstrating that these considerations have been calculated will increasingly become a part of good business governance. Making the right decision will require directly comparable and accurate costs. The benefits of consistency in getting all instruments from a single source – whether as a capital pur- chase, a long-term lease or a short- term rental – are obvious. There are financial benefits too, where a finance house would look to amortise the cost of the equipment over a lease period. Microlease regards the instrument as a valuable asset for its own fleet at the end of a lease. That makes the lease payments significantly lower.


Precise equipment when needed There is a further benefit in handing over the management element of ensuring the equipment is main- tained, upgraded and recalibrated in a timely manner. Engineers can focus where it counts most; spending their time on real R&D, not tracking equip- ment maintenance schedules. When a new instrument is needed at short


‘The case for providing developers with the best test and


measurement equipment seems to be clear. They need to measure to a precision an order of magnitude higher than the deliverable tolerances, and they need the instruments to hand when they need them if the development programme is to stay on track’


international standards. The finer the tolerances in measurement the more critical it is to have confirmed calibrated instruments if the user is to have confidence in the measurements. As a rule of thumb, recalibration and certification, over the lifetime of a top quality test instrument, will at least double its purchase price.


The project planner therefore needs to take a view on each piece of test equipment. Is the investment in capital cost and periodic recalibration justified by the amount of use the instrument will get? Is it better to lease an instrument for the relevant phase


notice it can be delivered from the extensive rental fleet, usually within 24 hours, complete with current calibration certification.


Engineers need the best measure- ment tools to achieve world-leading results; and achieving that under the scrutiny of budget constraints is hard but possible. A sensible mix of purchase, rental and lease will help keep costs under control without compromising quality and precision.


Agilent www.agilent.co.uk


Microlease www.microlease.co.uk


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