Exova, the global testing, calibration, and advisory services provider, has opened a new flagship laboratory at the heart of the Aerospace Cluster in Toulouse, France, continuing the company’s 26-year presence in the city.
Officially launched by Charles Champion, executive vice president, of engineering for Airbus, the new laboratory offers materials fatigue testing capability to the European aerospace sector.
Supporting both manufacturing primes and leading supply chain customers, the new site represents the next step in the expansion of Exova’s aerospace testing business, which has 13 Nadcap approved facilities in locations including the Czech Republic, U.K., USA, and Sweden.
Opening the laboratory, Charles Champion said: “The new Exova facility underlines the vital role that testing plays in achieving the most stringent standards in aerospace safety, quality, and performance. Exova has partnered Airbus for over 25 years and I welcome this significant investment that will support our continued advancement of materials application, engineering and production processes. I wish the Exova team in Toulouse every success for the future.”
Mike Pooley, European managing director for Exova said: “Our new laboratory supports our growth strategy and furthers our commitment to become the unrivalled provider of technically demanding services to the aerospace sector. Our Toulouse operation is ideally placed to support customers because of its location coupled with the expertise, capabilities and capacity we can now offer.”
The 1,650m2 expansion delivers a 25% increase in testing capacity with an additional eight fatigue testing frames and an increase in scanning electron microscope capability. The facility will see personnel increase to 58 with the addition of five skilled roles and a night shift will also be introduced to meet customer demand.
Source: Exova