Aircraft manufacturers today face the challenge of developing lighter, more fuel-efficient and environmentally-friendly aircraft; requiring the development of novel aero-structures that make effective use of advanced materials.
Aircraft operators face the challenge of maintaining and extending the structural integrity of their aircraft. We have a wide range of relevant expertise covering:
- Structural Design, Analysis and Optimisation – examining how structures are currently performing in prescribed conditions and making recommendations for improvement.
- Crash and Impact Response – analysis of structural impact resistance for example when ditching, during bird strike, hard landing or entering atmosphere.
- Fatigue and Fracture – practical methods for meeting the durability and damage tolerance requirements of modern-day aero-structures.
- Fluid-Structure Interaction – providing an elegant solution to problems combining deformable structures and fluids.
- Fault Tolerance Design – including the use of composites, optimising structures for loads and fuel consumption.
- Fault Detection and Health Monitoring – for example the effect of noise and vibration on turbine blades or the use of sensors to optimise and extend service life.
- Advanced and Composite Materials – for example carbon fibre or bulk metallic glasses.
Our work encompasses a variety of flying structures including aircraft, helicopters, satellites, UAVS and missiles. As a result, our client list is extensive and includes Airbus, Airbus Military, AgustaWestland, BAE Systems, Boeing, Dassault Aviation, EADS Astrium, Lockheed Martin, Marshall Aerospace, MBDA, Rolls Royce, Sprint Aviation, Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd and Vega.