Aircraft, from the Tornado to the Airbus and among these
the Airbus types 300, 310, 320, 330 und 340, have been tested under the lead management
of IABG since the 1960s.
 Currently
the Airbus A340-600 is being subjected to comprehensive material load tests. The aim of
these long-term tests is to verify sufficient fatigue life of the airframe experimentally
and to reveal possibly still existing weak points. Thereby in a time accelerated test of
18 months, a whole aircraft life of 25 to 30 years is simulated.
As Mr. Woithe of IABG Dresden emphasised, such dynamic long-term test remain indispensable
as even modern computer models such as the Finite Element Method cannot simulate precisely
enough the effects actually occurring in reality.
The current test is being performed by IABG at IMA Materialforschung und Anwendungstechnik
GmbH in Dresden. A special role is played in the dynamic test for material fatigue by the
hydraulics in the load simulation. For this, Hänchen
hydraulic cylinders are used.
The cylinders with a throughput of 4 400 liters of hydraulic oil per minute are supplied
via a pipework system. The hydraulic cylinders are controlled by proportional valves. Predominantly
used are test machine cylinders with a floating annular seal, a Hänchen patent, as
these retain their friction values irrespective of the pressure. Similarly cylinders with
hydro-static piston rod bearing guidance are used. These are marked by low friction and
high positioning and repetition precision, are stick-slip-free and are suitable for very
slow and very fast motions.
05/07/02
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