COMPLIANCE TESTING


Test procedure examines the susceptibility of aerospace components to contaminated fluids.


Dirty Fluid Resilience T


est and accreditation organisation, TÜV SÜD, is now able to provide


customers in the aerospace industry with a new fluid susceptibility test service to help manufacturers determine whether materials used in equipment can tolerate the damaging effects of fluid contaminants. The aim of the fluid susceptibility test service is to rigorously test aviation components to ensure they comply with the requirements of aerospace and defence standards. This includes commercial avionics standard RTCA DO-160 (Environmental Conditions and Test Procedures for Airborne Equipment) and the Ministry of Defence’s standard DEF STAN 00-35, which sets out the environmental conditions in which defence material is expected to operate and survive. Contamination tests will cover fluids commonly used in airborne and ground


20 /// Aerospace Test & Validation


operations, such as fuels, lubricants and solvents. Tests will also ensure that materials used in commercial aircraft cabins are resistant to everyday fluids, such as cleaning liquids and drinks, so that they maintain their integrity and visual appeal. The new fluid susceptibility


test service joins a range of other services that the organisation offers, including environmental, simulation services, EMC and lightning testing.


According to Martin Foley, Business Line Manager for Aerospace & Defence at TÜV SÜD, the fluid susceptibility test service is designed to help manufacturers optimise equipment design and minimise time to market. “We understand how


catastrophic contamination can be and our test methods will closely replicate specific fluid contamination scenarios so that manufacturers fully understand how much damage could be done to their equipment over time, enabling them to mitigate


Vol 2 No. 2


against failures within their product design,” says Foley.


HYDRAULICS ENCLOSURE When asked for an example of the kind of test that can be performed, TÜV SÜD used a simple hydraulics enclosure to illustrate the principle. A hydraulics enclosure could see intermittent exposure to hydraulic fluid through events such as leaks, spills or accidents. However, although the enclosure itself does not continually come into contact with hydraulic fluid, it must nonetheless resist these fluids as such contact is likely in its service life. The fluid contamination test would give an indication of any effects of this type of exposure over a short test duration.


EFFECTS OF EXPOSURE I asked Foley about the kind of tests performed and whether these were accelerated life tests and what they could predict about the effect of contaminants on service reliability. Foley explains that the aim


❱ ❱ TÜV SÜD’s fluid


susceptibility tests ensure that materials used in


commercial aircraft cabins resist everyday fluids


of the test is to determine if a sample is affected by temporary exposure to contaminating fluids. These fluids may be encountered in its service life, either occasionally, intermittently or over longer periods. The test does not correlate to the useful life of the sample.


“So you would not be able


to say that a sample that has been subject to the test is good for 1,000 hours service, for example. It is however a good accelerator of effects, so any effects seen during tests are likely to be seen in the field. Conversely, if no effects are seen during the test it makes it unlikely, but not impossible, that these would be seen in the field,” he explains.


TÜV SÜD has considerable


experience in meeting the complex compliance requirements of testing programmes and the organisation is therefore able to minimise the amount of testing and provide sufficient evidence to demonstrate compliance so that manufacturers can sell their equipment worldwide.


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