Mar 12 2012
Nadcap, the aerospace certification body, has renewed its accreditation of the Toulouse laboratory of Exova, the global aerospace testing provider.
Nadcap accreditation is required by many of Exova’s high profile customers including Airbus, GE Aviation and Safran, and is recognised in the industry as a prestige accreditation which is both difficult to achieve and keep due to the high standards of technical skills required.
The renewal covers the next five years, and accredits Exova Toulouse to perform a number of tests on metallic specimens including machining, mechanical tests, fatigue, fracture mechanics and metallography.
All Exova Aerospace labs have now been Nadcap approved for metallic testing for more than five years, and also hold Nadcap merit approval. The group’s Bridgwater lab was also the first facility in the world to hold both metallic and composite testing approval from Nadcap.
To achieve the accreditations, all laboratories had to undertake a rigorous evaluation process including thorough interviews and inspections, and reviews of all procedures.
Pascal Escola, general manager of Exova Toulouse, said: “Achieving renewal of the Nadcap accreditations is a recognition of the skills and quality of the work that we provide.
“Our aerospace clients trust us to test the safety, quality and performance of their products and so it is right that we work to the same high standards demanded by the sector.”
The Toulouse lab is located at the heart of the world’s largest aerospace cluster, and is responsible for administering the global Proficiency Test Programme (PTP) on behalf of Airbus, GE Aviation, Safran Group and Eurocopter.
Toulouse specialises in strain and load controlled fatigue testing at low and high frequencies, crack propagation and fracture toughness of airframe and aircraft engine components and materials. The lab also offers a comprehensive suite of tests for the testing of non-metallic composite materials.
Source: Exova