Thompson Aero Seating announces development of Dynamic Test Facility in Ireland

Photo Credit, all images: Thompson Aero Seating

Thompson Aero Seating (Craigavon, Northern Ireland), a manufacturer of premium business-class airline seating, has announced its plans for the creation of a £7.5 million world-class Dynamic Test Facility (DTF) in Northern Ireland. While the company’s use of composites in its seating products is currently limited, as part of its research and development (R&D) Thompson has been using and assessing composites in various application — the DTF will help further this research, Thompson says.

Building work have already begun to extend the premises for the DTF at the Thompson brownfield site in Banbridge, County Down, and are planned to be completed in spring 2023. Test equipment will be installed in summer 2023 and testing is expected to begin in the autumn.

In parallel, Thompson Aero Seating is opening recruitment for several test engineering roles to shape the formation of a new capability within the business — they will become an integral part of designing the next generation of world-class aircraft interior products.

Ultimately, the DTF will give Thompson enhanced capability to certify new products for airworthiness and to carry out R&D work, without even needing to leave the factory. Currently, the company reports that there is no DTF in Ireland and so Thompson has typically had to send products and team members to test facilities in Europe and North America.

A rendering of the facility layout. Internal view from compressor (top left), the mezzanine (bottom left) and the stop barriers (top and bottom right).

“Having our own Dynamic Test Facility will give us a huge opportunity to save on lead times in the development of our new seats and improve sustainability — which have to be positives for our airline customers,” Neil Taggart, CEO of Thompson Aero Seating, says.

For example, enhanced in-house dynamic testing capability will give Thompson greater opportunity for innovation and will enable designs to be optimized, reducing weight and, therefore, reducing the carbon footprint of the seats in flight. Furthermore, testing on site will be positive for the environment.

“The majority of the funding for the project has come from Thompson’s shareholder, with Invest Northern Ireland part-funding the project,” Taggart adds. Support has also been received from local MPs, Councillors, business leaders from the Makers Alliance, from ADS the national trade body for Aerospace, Defence, Security & Space and the company’s Sharing In Growth business transformation coaches.