Sopemea deploys multiple LMS Test.Lab systems for vibration qualification testing

Sopemea, one of the leading engineering and testing services companies in France, recently implemented LMS Test.Lab as its new standard solution to perform vibration qualification testing. The LMS Test.Lab software combined with the LMS SCADAS III data acquisition hardware enables Sopemea to accurately and efficiently test, analyze and optimize the structural integrity and the vibration resistance of complex mechanical designs. Sopemea selected LMS Test.Lab for its proven efficiency in executing a wide portfolio of vibration testing assignments, its superior ease-of-use, and the flexibility of its data acquisition platform. Under the agreement, Sopemea and LMS will also cooperate in engineering consulting, research and development projects.

Sopemea offers an extensive portfolio of testing and engineering services for the aerospace, automotive, rail, defense, energy and electronics industries. The company runs one of the most extensive testing and engineering facilities in Europe, with labs and testing equipment for acoustic, structural, environmental, shock, thermo-mechanic and seismic testing. Sopemea is currently involved as the major contractor for qualification testing on three major European aviation development projects: The Falcon 7X business jet from Dassault Aviation, the Eurocopter NH90 helicopter and the A380 large carrier program from Airbus. To maximize the return on the enormous investment in testing facilities, Sopemea is constantly challenged to push the efficiency limits of its operations. In addition, Sopemea’s customers are pressured to accelerate their development and testing processes. 

As a result, physical prototypes are typically available for less time, and Sopemea engineers have to collect all the necessary data, information and insights in a minimum number of test runs. In view of these stringent requirements, Sopemea particularly valued the strong productivity increase that LMS Test.Lab delivers. The worklow-based concept, the capability to perform data acquisition and analysis in parallel, and the ease-of-use were just one of the key features that impressed Sopemea in their on-the-job experience with the LMS Test.Lab system.  “LMS Test.Lab accelerates the preparation of the test setup and allows operators to run long duration tests in full security and with minimum monitoring effort,” commented Xavier Baudard, Technical Manager at Sopemea. “The workbook-based user interface of LMS Test.Lab allows us to organize complex test assignments in a sequence of logical steps in which parameter settings and important checks are defined up-front. This saves a lot of time in running the actual tests and guarantees highly consistent and accurate test results. 

LMS Test.Lab also allows us to acquire and analyze test data in near real-time and to deliver results immediately after the test. Results data are directly available on-line to quickly view results, analyze specific areas of interest and generate reports. Altogether, LMS Test.Lab facilitates a fast turnaround of results, which is of key importance to our testing operations.”

Sopemea uses the LMS Test.Lab systems to qualify the usage of the test item under normal and maximum load circumstances, and measures its performance over its expected lifetime. Considering the value of the tested object, particularly in the case of aviation or space prototype objects and the potential danger of running these vibration test, safety is one of the primary objectives.

Using the LMS Test.Lab system, the Sopemea testing team benefits from a series of built-in features that ensure a safe and reliable control loop: from comprehensive pre-test checks, over response limiting and notching on any number of channels, up to a controlled shutdown if any of the limits are exceeded. The closed-loop vibration control is monitored accurately and consistently, and avoids specimens to be over-tested or receive damage. In support of the LMS Test.Lab implementation, Sopemea selected the LMS SCADAS III front-end for signal conditioning and data acquisition. In their first experience with LMS SCADAS III, Sopemea users experienced the flexibility, acquisition speed and accuracy of the system. Xavier Baudard commented, “In addition to the large variety of projects that we handle, we are regularly called upon to test and qualify large and complex mechanical designs, particularly for aerospace applications. We valued the LMS SCADAS III front-ends as a perfect fit for these requirements. 

The SCADAS system can easily be deployed in any test configuration, and offers the flexibility to combine several independent test setups in a larger channel count system for special assignments. LMS SCADAS III
offers high-bandwidth channels, with low noise distortion and phase-shift characteristics, which guarantee the top-class measurement accuracy that we require. At the same time, LMS
SCADAS III is a scalable hardware platform, which allows us to anticipate future needs and to have the system adapted accordingly.”