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FULL-SCALE LANDING GEAR EQUIPMENT BUILT TO TEST SEALS & BEARINGS UNDER REAL-LIFE CONDITIONS
24 July 2003 - Greene Tweed & Co Benelux BV
| Greene, Tweed in collaboration with the largest landing gear system manufacturer, has designed and constructed a one-of-a-kind full-scale landing gear seal and bearing test equipment in its Kulpsville Mechanical Laboratory. |
This unique piece of equipment will be used to test and qualify seals and bearings for large military and commercial aircraft landing gear applications.
Measuring 10' wide by 10' long by 20' high, and weighing approximately 10 tons, it is the largest dedicated landing gear test equipment for sealing systems in the world. Accommodating dynamic shock strut seals from as small as 6' in diameter to as large as 16' in diameter, the assembly is designed to test products to scale in a 'real-world' environment that simulates landing gear service conditions. Test results under these realistically simulated conditions will provide the highest degree of accuracy and reliability, prior to the actual flight. This sophisticated test equipment is able to duplicate the service conditions commonly experienced during landing gear operation, from pre-flight taxi to the runway, through take-off and landing, to post flight taxi to the gate. By consistently repeating complete operational cycles, seals and bearings can be evaluated over their full service life. Test profile capabilities include representative velocities, accelerations, shock strut pressures and side and drag loads, at environmental temperature conditions that range from -40 to 200° F (-40 to 93° C). In addition to testing seals, the equipment offers the flexibility to test other components of a landing gear assembly as well, such as the shock strut bearings. A wide range of surface finishes can also be validated, from classic ground chrome to HVOF (high velocity oxygen fuel) coatings.
http://www.gtweed.com
About: Greene Tweed & Co Benelux BV
Greene, Tweed specialises in the development, manufacture and supply of rings, seals and profiles for industrial applications in which extremely high specifications are set for the material; brand names include Chemraz, WR and AR. An early product in the portfolio, the G-T Ring, was introduced and approved for use in the landing gear of the F-4 Phantom in 1964. The G-T Ring remains a core product in Aerospace landing gear today. As the business developed, strategy warranted the establishment of corporate headquarters in Kulpsville, Pa., USA. in the 1970s. With this foothold, the company expanded around the globe. In the early 1980s it introduced several versatile elastomers, such as Fluoraz, and designed pioneering product geometries, such as the first "capped seal." Arlon, a tough, high-temperature, semi-crystalline engineering polymer, also joined the product line, followed shortly by one of Greene, Tweed's most innovative products, Chemraz, a chemical-resistant elastomer, effective in the most extreme temperatures. Recognizing the race toward a global economy, Greene, Tweed began geographic expansion by opening offices in Germany, England and France. By the mid 1980s, Greene, Tweed had established a presence in the Pacific with a Japanese office. The Asian market has maintained its pattern of growth with additional offices today in Singapore and Korea. The turn of the century ushered in a new product, Orthtek, a lightweight, thermoplastic composite with high-strength and radiolucent properties, that satisfies the demands of the Medical and Biotechnology industry. Worldwide expansion has continued with new offices in the Netherlands, Italy and Spain. A tradition of creative and innovative ideas has also grown with the development of new products, from new composite technologies and vision systems to fibre optic connectors and extreme electrical connectors. Greene Tweed’s WR and AR product ranges are distributed by Flowserve all over Europe. In Belgium the Greene Tweed & Co products are also distributed by Humitab BVBA in St.Job in ‘t Goor.
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