Quentin Palayer – Division Director

What exactly is meant by ‘test benches’ in aeronautics?

Q.P. A test bench is a system that allows a product to be placed in configurable and controlled operating conditions in order to observe and measure its behaviour. It is a piece of mechanical equipment weighing from a few kilograms to several hundred kilograms, designed to qualify all or part of the aircraft system. The most modular test equipment can take the form of a suitcase. The heaviest are trolleys incorporating several subsystems and weighing more than half a tonne. In practice, we connect the test equipment to an aircraft function to check that it is working properly. These are known as functional tests.

What is SEGULA’s role?

Q.P. SEGULA manages the design, manufacture and supply of the test equipment and tools required for their operation and daily use. We base our work on our customers’ requirements and on test procedures in order to develop tailor-made solutions. We also provide support to our industrial customers on new construction or maintenance projects and on the modification of industrial installations. Our employees can work on projects requiring a few hours of work or on design projects involving tens of thousands of hours. We pride ourselves on our flexibility.

What are the three types of test benches offered by the group?

Q.P. Hydraulic test benches are used to test gas or liquid fluid circuits in an aircraft, such as oxygen, air conditioning or fuel. These are known as network, leak or flow tests. Electrical test benches are used to test the electrical connections and wiring throughout the aircraft. Finally, electromechanical and instrumented test benches are used to test sensors and simple systems that analyse behaviour or validate the operation of a physical measuring instrument such as temperature or pressure.

At what stages of the development cycle are these test benches used?

Q.P. Test benches enable our customer Airbus to qualify systems or subsystems directly on the production lines, depending on the aircraft programme concerned (A320, A330, A350, A400, etc.). They are designed to be used by on-site operators, who connect the equipment to the section to be tested during the manufacturing phase. Once the tests have been validated, the sections are sent to the Final Assembly Line for final testing. It is therefore vitally important that the intermediate tests are reliable, otherwise the customer may have to dismantle parts of the aircraft to modify the defective systems.

What are the specific features of test benches in aeronautics?

Q.P. We are involved in qualifying functional systems that enable a means of transport to fly at an altitude of several thousand metres. We are therefore subject to the EN9100 standard. In addition, the current production rates of the A320 programme require reliable, robust equipment that requires little maintenance. Airbus test equipment is like clockwork, requiring precision and reliability in the measurements taken and the analysis performed.

What roles do digital simulation and artificial intelligence (AI) play today?

Q.P. Digital simulation is an essential prerequisite for the development of a physical test bench: it helps guide technological choices, pre-dimension equipment and optimise the development time of a resource. Artificial intelligence is also playing an increasingly important role in test benches. First, it helps to better structure requirements by automatically analysing the data transmitted by the customer, which helps to precisely define the tests to be carried out. Second, it ensures greater consistency of information by standardising the data handled throughout the process. AI is also a valuable tool for analysing test results more quickly and reliably, limiting human error and anticipating breakdowns through predictive maintenance. It makes test benches smarter, more efficient and safer.

What is SEGULA’s added value?

Q.P. SEGULA stands out thanks to its dedicated ‘glocal’ (global and local) approach: we draw on the wealth of experience of our technical support staff, who are particularly agile in their approach to customer issues, while benefiting from high value-added expertise in areas that require rigour and experience. We have all the necessary skills in-house, from process teams to procurement.

How do you see the future of the sector and the evolution of test benches?

Q.P. Test benches are central to the industry. Their use has become widespread at all stages of product or project development, from validation test benches to maintenance test benches, endurance tests, qualification tests, etc. In a context of energy and industrial transition, test benches will always be essential for industry, particularly in research and development and continuous improvement.

Key roles in aerospace test bench operations

Project management

Planning, scheduling deliverables, customer relations, configuration management, change management, project validation

Mechanical design, including hydraulics

Architectural design, participation in P&ID, model validation, network sizing, integration studies, interfacing between lots

Electrical

Network dimensioning, calculation notes and technical notes, equipment selection

Instrumentation

List of inputs/outputs, loop diagrams, P&ID (Piping and Instrumentation Diagram) and equipment selection

Automation

Operating philosophy, functional analysis, equipment selection, programming and commissioning

Industrial IT (databases)

Technical note on data use, system architecture, database development and operation.

Procurement

Supplier selection, identification of alternatives, delivery
and work planning