A lot of sophisticated technology is needed to ensure that the Airbus A380 – the biggest and most state-of-the-art commercial aircraft in the world – takes off and lands safely. The ultra-modern flap system plays a crucial role in this process, and its components are all put through their paces at the Airbus plant in Bremen before final assembly.
When they developed the Airbus A380, European aircraft manufacturers broke ground that aeronautical engineers would never have dared dream of a few years ago. The very dimensions of this giant aircraft are breathtaking: 73 m long, a wingspan of approximately 80 m and a weight of 580 tons.
Harsh operating conditions
As in other planes, the control surfaces such as the pitch elevators, rudders, flaps and slats, are subject to extreme loads as they have to remain in full working order at flying speeds of up to 900 km/h and in temperatures between -70°C and +50°C. The flaps are controlled by a complex system of electronic, hydraulic and mechanical components which is subject to huge forces as the flaps decelerate this Leviathan of the air from its travel speed of 850 km/h to landing speed.
Environmental testing for safety
Because of their crucial role these components are tested individually on specially designed test stands at the Airbus plant in Bremen before assembly. The test facility is every bit as impressive as the Airbus A380 itself.
One of the central elements of this facility is a test stand used to simulate the mechanical and thermal loads acting on the gear unit and shafts of the flap control system. Under the supervision of Airbus test engineer Sam Tran and his team, the 20 t test system is used to subject the actuators to checks with a maximum torque of 165 000 Nm. The shafts are subject to a series of tests with a maximum torque of up to 2000 Nm. A particular highlight of the 25 m² test stand is the integrated environmental test chamber. It is used to test the gear unit and shafts under real climatic conditions. Temperature fluctuations of between -70°C and +50°C are achieved in this chamber to match the values that the machines will be subject to during normal flight.
The power of partnership
The test stand for the flap and slat drives was designed and installed by Oerlikon Contraves AG, Switzerland. Based on the specifications of the Airbus test engineers, Oerlikon's specialists installed a system that meets the strictest requirements. A central feature of this test stand is the five-stage industrial gear unit from SEW-Eurodrive, which is used to transfer the enormous forces to the parts to be tested. The M5QHF90 industrial gear unit can generate a maximum torque of 366 kNm and has been designed with oil heating to work efficiently in the required temperature range. The gear unit has a dry weight of 3000 kg.
SEW-Eurodrive’s M5QHF90 industrial gear unit plays an important role in testing Airbus A380 control surface system components
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