Large-volume, biaxial seismic bench installed at Environne'Tech

It is equipped with special facilities such as a 93 m3 climate chamber and very recently, a large-volume seismic bench has been added to the existing equipment.

With the ‘Grand Carenages’ nuclear plant refurbishment program, and after the accident at Fukushima, demand for seismic testing has grown considerably and specifications in many areas have been tightened. In response to this trend, Environne'Tech decided to invest in equipment specifically for this purpose.

Compared to Environne’Tech's existing bench, the new seismic bench has up to five times the test capacity and can handle heavier and more voluminous test specimens. The new table for component qualification measures 1200x1200mm. The seismic bench excites two axes simultaneously with a force of up to 150kN, and accepts a maximum payload of 3,000kg for the total spectrum and 500kg for the component spectrum.

It is designed for all types of equipment which have to remain functional before and after an earthquake. In the case of the nuclear power industry, this includes power station safety equipment, control devices, racks, sensors, connectors, lighting, taps and valves.

It also serves the needs of other markets which are subject to multi-axial stresses, such as the automotive, rail and aircraft industries.

The capabilities of the new bench complement those of the existing one. The benches make it possible to implement complex hydraulic interdependencies or electrical interdependencies and to control this by means of different sensors. The devices are tested under real operating conditions.

As well as doubling the test capacity, the addition of a second seismic bench provides Environne’Tech's customers with more flexibility for their test campaigns. This makes the service faster, with a considerable reduction in lead times.