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Products: aviation

Our actuation systems for the aviation industry start from variable-pitch propeller actuation for ultralight aircraft over throttle actuators, landing flaps drive systems and (elevator) trim drive systems for business aircraft (turboprops and jets) to primary flight controls. We also develop actuation systems for landing gears.

Our activities cover all mechatronics topics: mechanical engineering, eletrical engineering and information technology. Working in many projects in different actuation applications we gathered a broad range of experiences, supported by in-house development activities (especially with sensors and filters). There we work in addition to the typical electro-mechanical signals (which are in many actuation systems) especially with transducers for flight-mechanical information (air data, inertial data).

  
The demands in the aviation industry very often require a customised approach, to fulfil the safety requirements (under restricted space conditions) over the necessary temperature range or under vibrations.

Especially for technology demonstrator programs we have a broad range of solutions, from which we participated in several national and international programs.

  
It is a vital part of our profile to carry out the calculations of estimated operation time (fatigue life of bearings, gears), operation limits (buckling of the spindle actuators) or thermal behaviour, which are necessary for the certification. We also plan and supervise the required environmental tests (climate, vibration, EMC).  
The reliable operation of electro-mechanical actuation systems depends also on the behaviour of the on-board power supply (mostly DC with battery backup). The characteristics of these power supplies require protective measures to fulfil the avionics requirements (e.g. RTCA DO-160, MIL-STD-1275). These requirements are true for both the electrical and the mechanical topics.  

Example: LAPAZ - actuator electronics for flight control (with Stemme AG)

Example: landing flaps drive system (spindle force 12 kN resp. 2700 lbf)

Example: landing flaps drive system (spindle force 4 kN resp. 900 lbf)

Example: elevator trim drive system