AECTP-400

Test scope according to AECTP‑400

AECTP‑400 groups NATO's mechanical test methods under three-digit numbers from 401 onwards; each method describes one type of mechanical or acoustic load. The overview shows the methods EDAG Testing offers – vibration and gunfire, shock and acceleration, transport and handling loads, and acoustic and combined tests. We perform every test individually or as a complete test sequence according to your specification.

↓Vibration ↓Shock ↓Transport ↓Acoustic ↓Contact

Vibration and gunfire according to AECTP‑400 (Methods 401, 405)

Continuous vibrations from road surfaces, engines and weapon systems lead to material fatigue, loosened screws and broken solder joints. The vibration tests reproduce these loads in accelerated form and show whether a specimen survives its service life.

401	Vibration: Tests the resistance of the specimen to vibrations occurring over its life cycle – during road, rail, air and sea transport and in operation on vehicles, aircraft and ships. Sine, random or mixed profiles are run on the shaker; typical findings include fatigue cracks, loosened connections and malfunctions.
405	Gunfire: Reproduces the impulsive vibrations that the firing of onboard weapons places on nearby equipment, for example in combat vehicles, aircraft or on ships. The test checks whether the specimen survives the repeated, high-frequency loads without damage or loss of function.

↑ Back to overview

Shock and acceleration according to AECTP‑400 (Methods 403, 404, 417)

Short, hard shocks and sustained accelerations load the structure and mountings quite differently from vibration. The tests show whether a specimen survives such load peaks without fracture, deformation or loss of function.

403	Classical Waveform Shock: Loads the specimen with shocks of defined pulse shape, such as half-sine, sawtooth or trapezoid, on a shock test machine. This provides reproducible proof that the structure, mountings and electronics survive shocks during operation and transport.
404	Constant Acceleration: Tests on a centrifuge whether the structure and mountings of the specimen withstand sustained accelerations such as those in aircraft, missiles or during manoeuvres, and whether it remains functional.
417	SRS Shock: Reproduces complex shocks that are described not by a fixed pulse shape but by their shock response spectrum (SRS). This allows shocks measured in the field to be reproduced realistically in the laboratory, for example on a shaker.

↑ Back to overview

Transport and handling according to AECTP‑400 (Methods 406, 414)

Much damage occurs not in service but on the way there: through unsecured cargo bouncing on the vehicle bed or through drops during handling. These tests show whether equipment and packaging survive transport and handling undamaged.

406	Loose Cargo: Simulates the load on unsecured cargo that bounces on the bed of a vehicle and repeatedly impacts. On a loose cargo test bed, the test shows whether housing, packaging and contents survive the many individual impacts.
414	Handling: Tests whether the specimen survives drops, toppling and impacts during manual and mechanical handling, for example when set down, loaded or accidentally dropped. Damage to the housing and contents and subsequent function are assessed.

↑ Back to overview

Acoustic and combined tests according to AECTP‑400 (Methods 402, 413)

High sound levels, for example near engines, excite thin-walled structures and components to vibrate. When sound, vibration and temperature act simultaneously, their effects reinforce each other – these tests reproduce such loads realistically.

402	Acoustic Noise: Exposes the specimen to high sound pressure levels such as those generated by engines, rocket motors or airflow in flight. Typical findings include acoustically induced vibrations, fatigue damage to thin-walled structures and malfunctions.
413	Acoustic Noise Combined with Temperature and Vibration: Combines acoustic excitation, vibration and temperature in one test, as they act together on stores carried externally on aircraft in flight, for example. This reveals failures that only occur when the loads interact.

↑ Back to overview

Details

Product information "AECTP-400"

Mechanical Environmental Tests

Off-road driving, air and sea transport, shocks during loading and onboard gunfire: defence materiel is exposed to severe mechanical loads throughout its life cycle. The NATO publication AECTP‑400 describes the mechanical environmental tests for this purpose and, like AECTP-300, forms part of STANAG 4370. Test methods and severities are tailored to the transport routes, platform and mission profile. EDAG Testing performs mechanical tests to AECTP‑400 individually or as a coordinated test programme.

What is the difference between AECTP-400 and AECTP-300?

Both form part of STANAG 4370: AECTP-300 covers climatic environmental tests such as heat, cold, humidity or salt fog, while AECTP-400 covers mechanical tests such as vibration, shock, acceleration and acoustic noise. A qualification programme often combines methods from both parts. EDAG Testing performs tests to AECTP-300 and AECTP-400 from a single source.

What is an SRS shock?

With an SRS (shock response spectrum) shock, the load is not defined by a fixed pulse shape such as a half-sine but by the shock response spectrum – that is, by how strongly a shock excites components with different natural frequencies. This allows complex shocks measured in the field to be reproduced realistically in the laboratory. Classical waveform shocks to Method 403, on the other hand, are suited to simple, standardised shock tests.

Reviews 0

0 of 0 reviews