Load Abort Manifolds Designed for Safety

In structural testing environments such as aerospace wing testing, fuselage testing, and automotive component validation, safety is paramount. Engineers must protect not only personnel operating the test equipment but also the highly valuable test specimens themselves.

Many structural fatigue (durability) tests run continuously for months or even years, applying representative loading cycles to simulate real-world operating conditions.

Over time test articles accumulate unique data and structural history, making them effectively irreplaceable.

An uncontrolled shutdown or sudden release of load can result in significant unplanned damage, compromising years of testing effort and substantial financial investment.

The Solution

To address this challenge, Savery Hydraulics developed a range of Load Abort Manifolds designed to provide safe, controlled load reduction during critical shutdown events.

A load abort is a controlled operation that reduces actuator load at a predefined rate rather than allowing an abrupt release of stored energy. This approach minimises the risk of damage to both the test specimen and surrounding equipment while maintaining a safe environment for operators.

The active load abort manifold system integrates isolating logic valves, pressure relief valves and operates in conjunction with Moog’s advanced digital abort control system to provide precision load release balanced across the test structure.

Engineering a Safer Outcome

Savery Hydraulics offers a range of load abort solutions tailored to different testing applications and safety requirements.

These solutions range from:

Basic Safety Systems

Solenoid valve-based logic that removes hydraulic power during an emergency shutdown.
Reliable and straightforward protection for less complex test configurations.

Advanced Active Abort Systems

Digitally controlled load abort technology.
Controlled dissipation of stored energy within the test specimen.
Precise management of load balance across complex structures.
High bandwidth monitoring and post abort analysis tools

For applications such as aircraft wing testing, maintaining load symmetry during an abort sequence is critical. Savery’s advanced systems ensure that loads are reduced in a coordinated manner across multiple actuators, preserving structural integrity while safely unloading the specimen.

The Result

By implementing Savery Hydraulics Load Abort Manifolds, testing facilities benefit from:

Enhanced operator safety
Protection of valuable test specimens
Controlled dissipation of stored energy
Accurate load balancing during shutdown events
Detailed monitoring, post event visualisation and analysis of abort event (Digital active abort system only)
Reduced risk of test interruption and specimen damage
Greater confidence in long-duration structural testing programmes

Supporting Critical Test Programmes

Learn more about the Moog & Savery Hydraulics Test Solutions Partnership and discuss your application requirements with our engineering team.