LORD Corporation – a leader in the management of vibration, noise and motion control – a leader in the management of vibration, noise and motion control – has announced that it now has more than 1,500 Active Vibration Control Systems (AVCS) and Electromechanical Systems (EMS) in service.

These systems have achieved more than two million flight hours on ten different aircraft models. Systems for eight additional aircraft models are at some stage of development or certification.

According to Patricia Foote, Manager, Aerospace & Defense Product Support Engineering for LORD Corporation, the company has been in the active vibration and noise control business since the early 1980s with production systems in the field for more than 20 years.

“Our technology has evolved significantly over the years to meet the needs of the industry and the customer, providing greater flexibility to adapt to different platforms and more features to provide added value,” said Foote. “Today, LORD has EMS/AVCS products and development programs with every major helicopter OEM and several of the fixed-wing OEMs. In the helicopter industry, LORD AVCS is gaining more acceptance and many select it as standard equipment for their aircraft models.

LORD AVCS technology operates using accelerometers that measure aircraft vibration levels at key locations. The accelerometer signals are sent to a centralized computer that runs a software algorithm that interprets the data, along with inputs from the aircraft, and sends commands to force generators that are strategically located throughout the aircraft. These force generators create “anti-vibration” that cancels out the vibration from the main rotor resulting in lower aircraft vibration levels and smoother ride. Depending on the needs of the individual aircraft, these systems are able to track variable rotor speed, adjust to varying flight conditions, communicate with aircraft maintenance systems, satisfy a high level of safety criticality, and provide a wealth of performance data.

LORD AVCS helps decrease excessive vibration on airframes, which can have detrimental effects on structures, components, and on the crew and passengers. Vibration management in aircraft is difficult, but critical to safety and reliability of the aircraft. AVCS technology can provide a more effective, lighter, and smarter solution to managing vibration than traditional methods such as vibration absorbers.

Scott Miller, Global Manager, Rotary Wing Market for LORD Corporation, noted that the LORD AVCS has become the industry standard for saving weight and reducing vibration on helicopters. “Depending on the aircraft and the mission, this weight savings and vibration reduction can enable operators to fly faster and further, and at a lower cost,” said Miller.