Since 2014, the company's laboratory and technical services area holds the specific approval from Airbus Defence & Space to perform this highly qualified specialized service.
The weighing of an aircraft is an essential and critical process in the manufacture of an aircraft since, for example, the contractual weight is a certified element in the delivery to the customer. The EEW (Equipped Empty Weight) or MEW (Manufacturer Empty Weight) identifies the total weight of the aircraft leaving the FAL including instrumentation, equipment, fluids (non-fuel) and interior furnishing. It also establishes the basis for confirming the aircraft's performance in terms of fuel consumption to achieve the flight ranges as planned; and it also serves to accurately determine the aircraft's center of gravity.
This point, the CG, is the place where the aircraft would balance if it were possible to suspend it. It therefore affects the stability of the aircraft and depends mainly on lateral and longitudinal balance. The latter being the main concern when dealing with a vehicle transporting passengers and/or cargo. This geometrical position of the aircraft, which can be homologated, is fundamental for transport, since it determines the way in which the load is distributed in flight. An error in this process can lead to serious accidents due to loss of control of the flight controls, excessive fuel consumption or inability to land safely.
This service of Canagrosa , encompassed within the metrology solutions and related to the area of Mass, Force, Torque and Load Testing, holds the specific approval of Airbus Defense & Space since 2014 for the verification and adjustment of aircraft weighing systems of its various facilities. An inter-disciplinary team of technicians periodically verifies the correct operation of these systems, using certified masses of different tonnage and guaranteeing the metrological traceability of the entire process. If necessary, the corresponding adjustments are made and a subsequent verification is carried out to check that the possible errors in the measurements are within the permitted tolerances. This verification and possible adjustment process requires several work shifts to be carried out, so it is performed in the most appropriate "production windows" agreed with the customer to minimize the impact of these activities on FAL production.
