Markets: AEROSPACE

Damping for Aerospace:

Noise and vibration have always been an important issue in the aerospace industry, both on the air-frame and wings but also the engines that power them.  To increase performance and efficiency, components are often designed to be lighter, which can increase their susceptibility to vibration problems such as fatigue, which can cause cracking and component failure.  Correctly designed CLD's greatly reduce the levels of vibration in components and Heathcotes' dampers have been shown to be a good method of extending Fatigue life of a wide range of aircraft and space structures.  

Heathcotes dampers and damped metals are used in a wide range of applications through out the aerospace industry including:

	Thin damping foils to improve fatigue life of Aero Engine vanes / blades and Helicopter blades
	Fuselage, wings and air-frame dampers to reduce noise in light weight panel structures
	Damping systems for pipes and cables to prevent fatigue failures
	Dampers for thrust reversers to prevent vibration cracking
	Dampers for jet pipes to reduce weight and prevent fatigue cracking
	Damping for sensors and probes to increase sensitivity and accuracy
	Damped carbon composites (e.g. vanes and blades)
	Damped mounting systems for sensitive electrical components
	Dampers for air intakes to reduce vibration

They are used on a wide range of aerospace projects around the world from small business aircraft to the latest military fighter jets and the engines which power them.

Composite Springs for Aerospace:

Heathcotes composite leaf springs are commonly used in vibratory conveyors and feeders, but their high fatigue strength and reliability make them ideal for use in aerospace applications, including:

	Undercarriages and suspension systems
	Chair and seating structures
	Electrical switches

Composite Panels for Aerospace:

Increasingly more components in the aerospace industry are being manufactured from composite materials due to their high strength to weight ratio.  Heathcotes have been manufacturing from epoxy glass composites since 1979, and more recently with carbon composites, honeycombs and foams and are experienced in the manufacture of a wide range of different panels and parts, including:

	Glass and Carbon panels with cores of honeycomb or foam up to 2.5x1.25m.
	Avionic and Galley Shelving and storage units
	Lightweight Floor panels
	Overhead luggage compartments
	Airline food trolleys
	Radomes
	Solar Panels for Satellites

Laminates for Aerospace:

Heathcotes manufacture a range of laminated products from an extensive range of materials, including metals, plastics, phenolics, adhesives and polymers, glass, and composites. Their applications in aerospace include:

	Abrasion resistant layers
	Decals and stencils
	Bead blasting masking layers

Dynamic Consultancy for Aerospace:

There are a number of things to consider when using constrained layer dampers, and understanding the way a structure is vibrating can be very useful in achieving the optimal levels of damping. Using computational techniques and analysis tools we able to ensure you use the best damping solution for your application:

	Analysis of structures to determine natural frequencies and mode shapes
	Identification of potential problem modes of vibration within frequency range of operation
	Predictions of undamped and damped response to evaluate performance over a range of operating conditions
	Optimisation of dampers for performance, weight and cost: (polymer properties and thickness, constraining layer material and thickness, damper sizes and locations)

An example of a simple dynamic analysis of an aluminium panel can be found in our Latest News: