Canagrosa obtained in 2006 the ENAC accreditation for the calibration of metal conductivity meters and conductivity standards. Until that date, there was no accredited laboratory in Spain for this type of specialized service.
Electrical conductivity is the capacity of a material to allow the flow of electric current through it. In metals, it is one of their most outstanding properties and is based on two main factors:
1. Density of free electrons available to carry electric current.
2. Mobility of electrons under the influence of an electric field.
The combination of the two is what gives metals exceptionally high electrical conductivity. A precise knowledge of this property is essential in many industrial, technological and engineering applications, as it can be affected by many factors. For example, it is critical in evaluating the quality of a heat treatment performed on any metal alloy.
In aircraft manufacturing, aluminum alloys are still mostly used today, and this property, electrical conductivity, is used to characterize the alloys, as well as to determine the metallurgical state of the alloy. When aluminum is heat treated, its physical characteristics are altered. Its tensile strength, hardness and mechanical strength can be increased. It also reduces internal stresses and increases its ductility, which allows greater energy absorption before fracture. And it can also improve fatigue strength, or the ability to resist structural failure under repeated cyclic loading, through improved fatigue response by increasing its mechanical strength and reducing possible crack propagation.
These properties are decisive in the development of parts and/or assemblies that are part of any aerostructure, since each aircraft element is designed to withstand specific loads for specific periods of time, and in most cases, cyclic. Thus, in the aeronautical industry, the correct application of heat treatment to metal parts must guarantee the tensile strength, hardness and, of course, the electrical conductivity of the material.
Conductivity measurements are performed with equipment calibrated with standard blocks that are also calibrated with ENAC certificates. Both the personnel who perform the measurements and the personnel who calibrate the equipment and the standard blocks must be certified and qualified for this work. And the calibration of the equipment and of the working and secondary standards must be done in ENAC accredited laboratories, which can issue certificates with such accreditation.
In Canagrosa we understand the value and efficiency of the processes to ensure the deadlines and quality of production, and therefore our team has been working since 2006 to provide our customers with an agile service and technical excellence to have their conductivity meters and standards calibrated and accredited by ENAC in perfect condition for use when necessary.
