OREANDA-NEWS. March 06, 2012. The laboratory of aero-engine components and materials structural testing of the Perm Engine Design Bureau has been granted an Accreditation Certificate, which bears witness of the laboratory technical competence. The Certificate has been given to Aviadvigatel by the Federal Agency for Technical Regulation and Metrology and Interstate Aviation Committee. The legal operation of the document is 5 years.

The laboratory has been established for experimental research and investigations of structural characteristics of engine major component materials, which are performed within the scope of the Program of Engine Family Development on Basis of Common Gas Generator. The prime target of the experimental investigations is to develop a material structural strength databank. Such information is required for adoption of Engine Life Management Strategy 3, which allows estimating a predicted service life limit of engine major components without endurance testing of an engine. Analysis data adequately supported by experiments and details from material structural strength databank are taken as a basis.

The testing system of the laboratory consists of 9 machines produced by Walter+Bai AG of Switzerland, these are:
Four LFMZ Series Electromechanical Machines for conducting low-cyclic fatigue tests, material creep tests, durability tests and for determining instantaneous properties of metals and alloys as well;
LFV 100 Series Servo-hydraulic Machine for studying material cyclic cracking resistance in axial loading environments;
LFM 100 Series Electromechanical Machine for determining polymer and composite materials' properties in compression, tensile, bending and shearing environments at different temperatures and moisture conditions;
LFMZ 50 Series Electromechanical Machine for thermal-mechanical fatigue testing;
LFV 6 Series Servo-hydraulic Machine for LCF and cyclic cracking resistance testing of microspecimens in axial loading environments.

Furthermore, the laboratory is equipped with Rumul's Testronic 100 high-frequency resonant-type fatigue testing machine for low cyclic fatigue and cyclic crack strength testing of specimens.

All machines are fully furnished with tools and instruments capable of operating at elevated temperatures (up to 12000 С) and multifunctional software solutions that guarantee the adequacy of test data. The laboratory testing system can operate independently, continuously and on
24-hour basis. This year it is planning to buy one more high-frequency resonant-type fatigue testing machine.

The laboratory testing system makes it possible:
to improve testing flexibility and efficiency and reduce test costs because now there is no need in equivalent cycle operating time for most major parts;
to master up-to-date technologies of engine design and development;
to verify analytical models, produce new models and "polish" existing designs of parts and components of gas turbine engines for aircraft and industrial applications.

Material and component tests are conducted in accordance with Russian GOST standards and with American ASTMs as well, thus expanding the capabilities of the laboratory.

The laboratory testing system established under the auspices of Aviadvigatel is of paramount importance both for the Perm Engine Design Bureau and other enterprises and companies of the Russian aviation industry. In line with CIAM and VIAM, the leading industry research institutes, Aviadvigatel has been developing one-of-a-kind databank, which can be, in future, used by companies of UEC, UAC and others.