Structural stress testing is one of the most crucial steps in aircraft manufacturing. Without it, aviation companies could face hefty legal fines or, worse, endanger passengers’ lives.
DALLAS — Structural stress testing is one of the most crucial steps in aircraft manufacturing. Without it, aviation companies could face hefty legal fines or, worse, endanger passengers’ lives. This criticality, paired with rising demands for efficiency and low costs, makes it ripe for innovation.
Capitalizing on the latest testing technologies and techniques lets manufacturers reach higher quality standards, streamline production, and unlock new possibilities. Here’s a look at seven of the biggest of these trends.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is disrupting virtually every industry, and aviation is no exception. Under the structural stress testing umbrella, AI can predict how different materials or structures will withstand various conditions before any physical experiments are necessary.
Machine learning excels at spotting subtle trends in data and applying these insights to new situations. Consequently, it’s a great tool for finding potential issues in an aircraft’s design or materials. It can find problems humans may miss, find them earlier, and suggest possible solutions.
Applying predictive analytics to the testing phase also enables longer-term maintenance benefits. Similar AI models can analyze real-time plane conditions to determine when they need service—a practice called predictive maintenance. This repair method can reduce breakdowns by 70% and lower related costs by 25%.
As tools like predictive analytics become more common, non-destructive testing (NDT) methods are also growing. NDT allows aircraft manufacturers to gauge their product and material qualities without damaging them, reducing costs and streamlining production.
NDT isn’t necessarily new, but recent innovations make it more reliable and thus viable for an industry as tightly regulated as aviation. Much of this improvement stems from AI. AI can analyze NDT data to draw more accurate conclusions about real-world performance in less time.
Manufacturers have access to a broad range of different NDT processes today, including ultrasonic testing, radiography, infrared inspections, and acoustic emission testing. As new sensor technologies enable even more NDT options, businesses can tailor their approach to specific materials or designs for more precise results.
Some of the most beneficial NDT tools are digital twins. These virtual models use real-world data to accurately reflect how materials or structures behave under various conditions. Automotive manufacturers use them to test new vehicles with minimal physical resources, and aerospace companies can do the same.
Digital twins of aircraft let manufacturers simulate conditions that may be difficult to replicate in real-world simulations. They also provide a comprehensive data set for AI tools to analyze for suggestions on improving the aircraft’s design.
By simulating stress in digital twins before moving on to real-world tests, manufacturers can fix prominent issues earlier in the process. As a result, the overall testing and manufacturing timeline shortens and involves less spending.
As demands for shorter lead times rise, the aviation industry is also shifting toward multifunctional testing. Stress sensors are getting smaller, making it easier to consolidate multiple testing methods into a single system. Consequently, manufacturers can run several tests simultaneously.
The benefits of multifunctional testing extend beyond mere efficiency. It also provides a more reliable picture of how an aircraft will behave in the real world. Hazards and stresses rarely only come from one source at a time in nature, so seeing how the system holds up to several factors at once offers more true-to-life results.
In some cases, multifunctional testing may not replace all smaller-scale simulations, but it still streamlines the overall process. Results from these larger tests indicate which specific areas deserve more attention, letting researchers isolate certain systems for more precise improvements.
Some structural stress testing trends stem from shifts in the larger aviation industry instead of technological advancements. The growing field of commercial space flight is one of the most prominent examples.
Passenger space flights are becoming increasingly viable, leading more aviation companies to expand into this new sector. Consequently, there’s a rising need to ensure aircraft can withstand launch and low-gravity conditions, not just in-atmosphere flights. These stresses are entirely different than those in conventional aviation, so new tools and processes are necessary.
Space flight vibration testing equipment can apply up to 720,000 pounds of vertical static force and over 250,000 pounds of lateral static force. Much of this machinery resembles standard aircraft stress testing but delivers much more pressure from more angles to ensure the aircraft can hold up to more extreme conditions.
As aviation companies embrace all these new technologies, testing data volumes are growing. While that’s great for accuracy, it can lead to slow analysis and introduce more room for human error. Amid those concerns, automated data reporting tools are becoming increasingly popular.
Robotic process automation (RPA) can consolidate and organize data across multiple tests into a more accessible, easily understandable format. That way, manufacturers can perform a wider range of more in-depth tests without data entry or analysis taking too much time. Similar systems can automatically fill official documentation according to test results to minimize errors amid larger data volumes.
Automation can also help make sense of this information. AI tools can parse this data to summarize the findings, highlight areas of concern, or suggest corrective actions. Whatever the specifics, these automated systems ensure manufacturers don’t have to sacrifice efficiency for accuracy.
Even the most comprehensive structural stress testing only improves half of the quality assurance process. Aircraft manufacturers must also correct the issues they uncover, which can be difficult when supply chains are complex and lack visibility. The recent proliferation of counterfeit parts highlights how much the aviation supply chain needs transparency.
Technological innovation presents a solution to this issue, too. Internet of Things (IoT) tracking systems can provide real-time data on parts and material shipments throughout the supply chain. Blockchain technology can host these IoT records in an immutable, easily auditable format to fight fraud.
Implementing more real-time data solutions throughout the supply chain makes it easier to understand connections within it. Consequently, manufacturers can pinpoint where faulty parts or materials came from for more informed responses to quality issues.
The need for structural stress testing is nothing new, and it won’t go away, either. What is changing is the way aircraft manufacturers approach it.
These seven innovations and trends represent a significant step forward in the aviation industry. Getting ahead of these shifts will ensure faster project timelines, more accurate testing, and more reliable aircraft. As more businesses embrace them, they’ll alter the industry for good.
Featured image: The Boeing Renton Factory in Washington, US. Photo: Boeing
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