Mechanical

CTL are fully accredited to carry out the following mechanical tests:

• Tensile tests for composite, plastic and metallic materials
• Fatigue testing of composite and metallic materials
• Compression testing (Celanese, Cruciform, CLC and CRAG 401)
• Open hole tension and compression
• Filled hole tension and compression

• In-plane shear
• Interlaminar shear
• Bolt bearing strength
• Mode I and Mode II fracture
• V-notch shear
• Drop weight impacting
• Lap shear

• 3 and 4 point bend tests for monolithic carbon or plastic and sandwich carbon or plastic
• Instrumented drop weight impact
• Specialised component and structural
• 1 x 10kN Zwick
• 1 x 250kN Instron
• multiple biaxial extensometry for both tension and compression testing
• Multiple LVDT's for displacement measurement.
  

Testing can be performed to customers own tests methods and procedures if requested.

Environmental Tests

CTL have the ability to carry out environmental tests as follows:

• Mechanical testing within the temperature rage of -70°C up to and including 250°C
• Temperature/humidity conditioning of specimens or components from 30°C to 85 °C and ambient from 45% to 95% relative humidity.
• Fluid immersion up to and including 150°C
• 3 Environmental Chambers

Physical Tests

CTL carry out the following physical tests for composite materials:

• Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC)
• Glass Transition Temperature (Tg) by means of a Dynamic Mechanical Analyser (DMA)
• Fibre Volume Fraction
• Void content measurement

CTL is involved in the First Part Qualification testing of component parts manufactured world wide for the Airbus family of aircraft. Parts cut up and tested include, flap track fairings, leading and trailing edge panels and access panels. Testing incudes mchanical and physio-chemical testing along with fractograhpic examination of the components