Thompson Aero Seating inaugurates Dynamic Test Facility
Left to Right:Jayne Brady, Head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service, “Martin” the Test Dummy, Thompson Aero Seating, and Keith Anderson, Chief Executive Officer, Thompson Aero Seating
Thompson Aero Seating celebrated the official opening of its new Dynamic Test Facility, a significant moment for the aircraft seating industry in Ireland and Great Britain. Jayne Brady, Head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service, kicked off the grand-opening event by unveiling a commemorative plaque.
The Dynamic Testing Facility is part of the Thompson Engineering Centre and will give Thompson more capacity to certify new products for airworthiness on site, along with conducting research and development work. The new facility represents an investment of more than £7.5 million (US$9.1 million) for the company.
“We are delighted that our new Dynamic Test Facility is officially open and operating,” said Keith Anderson, the CEO of Thompson Aero Seating. “The significance of this new state-of-the-art facility cannot be over emphasized in terms of the opportunities it provides. Our orderbook is very strong and the growth trajectory we have over the coming years will be underpinned and supported by our new in-house capability.”
Anderson also said, “We are very grateful to Jayne Brady, an engineer at heart, for taking time out of her busy schedule to attend the opening as our esteemed guest and speaker.”
The Dynamic Test Facility provides Thompson’s engineers with an opportunity to reproduce the conditions of a full-scale crash even in a controlled environment. The result enables the engineers to develop and assess innovative and lightweight seating solutions.
According to an October 18 press release, the new facilities will also support Thompson’s sustainability initiatives by optimizing designs and reducing their weight to minimize the carbon footprints of seats in flight.
The Dynamic Testing Facility was made possible through a funding partnership with Invest Northern Ireland, one of Thompson’s shareholders. Additional funding and support for the project was derived from MPs, Councillors, business leaders, the Makers Alliance, ADS (the national trade body for Aerospace, Defence, Security & Space) and Sharing In Growth’s business transformation coaches, according to the press release.
“We are looking forward to sharing with our airline customers the positive benefits that will be achieved in terms of innovation, lead times, and sustainability,” said Keith Anderson following the official opening of the facility.
