Times are hard for small, innovative aerospace technology companies trying to raise new funds. But one such Australian company, Structural Monitoring Systems (SMS), remains hopeful that it will secure the funding required to complete commercialisation of its comparative vacuum monitoring (CVM) technology.
CVM offers a novel method for in-situ, real-time monitoring of crack initiation and propagation, says SMS. Based on the principle that a vacuum maintained within a small volume is extremely sensitive to leakage, CVM measures air flow in channels on the under surface of a sensor applied to a critical structure.
If a crack begins to develop, air will flow from the channels at atmospheric pressure through the passage created by the crack to the vacuum channels. A transducer measures the air flow and provides feedback to a software management system, which reports on crack development.
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SMS's CVM technology can be used in a laboratory, or integrated with an aircraft to provide in-flight structural monitoring.
TESTING TIMES
In 1996, the company tested a military airframe in Australia and, two years later, secured its first commercial contract with Airbus, which has led to the use of CVM in testing new materials, large scale fatigue testing and an in-flight structural integrity monitoring joint development agreement in 2005. First installation of CVM on a Boeing aircraft came in 2004, followed by a licence deal. Bombardier and Embraer have also used CVM, as have the US, UK and Pakistani militaries.
SMS was floated on the Australian stock exchange in June 2004, but things started going wrong earlier this year, with the adverse conditions in financial markets and the Australian government's decision to drop its Commercial Ready programme, which provided funding for local companies to commercialise technology. SMS had previously benefited to the tune of A$2.85 million ($2.4 million) and hoped for another A$1 million.
Managing director Mark Vellacott says SMS started seeking fresh capital in April, and carried on with development at its own risk while awaiting a decision on a Commercial Ready grant.
But the new Labor government's decision to scrap Commercial Ready "tipped us over the limit and started the downward spiral", says Vellacott. With development funding dwindling, in May the company cut its workforce. When talks with interested parties had not come to fruition by mid-July it was forced to issue employee termination notices and was down to a skeleton staff by early September.
In late September the company announced plans to raise A$4 million through a non-renounceable rights issue. Capital-raising is complicated by the fact that SMS is a UK plc and must meet Australian and UK regulations.
SMS is also in discussions with tier one aerospace companies with a view to developing "a strategic relationship". Vellacott declines to comment further. "One of the problems is that structural health monitoring is such a new business area that there is not a well-defined budget to enable big companies to make clear business cases for developing these types of relationships with small companies," he says. "We are leading the pack in terms of developing this capability for the aerospace sector, our technology is mature, but we're trying to create a new market," he adds.
A relationship with a big brother is likely to make the OEMs take the technology even further, says Vellacott.
He believes there is a great future for CVM. Orders continue to come in and potential programmes wait in the wings. A possibility involves detecting fatigue cracks in the wings of the Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules. SMS has done laboratory testing with the US Air Force as a possible first step in the use of its sensors.
Meanwhile, commercial aircraft manufacturers are looking at incorporating sensors in new-build aircraft structures. Airbus, for example, is interested in applying the technology to composites and extruded metal structures. Boeing and US carriers have been working towards installing CVM sensors on single-aisle fleets but that project fell flat in the downturn.
Source: Flight International
