Technical Services | Portsmouth Aviation

Designed to support and complement our traditional manufacturing capabilities, we have a wide range of core technical service competencies to ensure that we remain at the forefront of precision engineering industries.

These services include project management, post-design support, technical publications, simulation and analysis, training, and testing, amongst others. Portsmouth Aviation offers a concept-to-disposal service for precision engineered products, catered to your needs. If required, our bespoke technical department can be utilised ito support the customer’s needs.

At Portsmouth Aviation, we maintain teams of experienced and qualified engineers who work closely with our customers to develop new products for sectors including the aviation, marine and CBRN industries.

Historically, we’ve worked with a variety of sectors, both commercial and military, to create fresh, successful solutions to contemporary engineering challenges. This is made possible by a tested and refined product development process that relies heavily on close collaboration with each customer.

Bespoke Solutions That Meet Your Needs

Our product development strategy places a heavy emphasis on establishing your parameters for success Initial meetings will be used to determine the specific nature of your challenge, as well as your financial and time requirements, so that we can plan and deliver a fully compliant product.

New Product Development

Once our engineers have assessed the feasibility of the project within the agreed parameters, work will begin on the designing of prototypes. At Portsmouth Aviation, we retain a wide spectrum of in-house experts, ensuring we’re able to handle the entire product development. This allows us to cut both development times and costs – savings which greatly benefits our customers. From initial designs to releasing a fully qualified product, we’ll ensure that the entire product development lifecycle is handled by a dedicated team of design professionals. You’re in safe, experienced hands with Portsmouth Aviation.

Project Management

From build to print projects, through to complex new product introductions (NPIs), every programme we complete is managed by one of our skilled project managers, who are responsible for managing the three cornerstones of the project – cost, time, and scope.

From build to print projects, through to complex new product introductions (NPIs), every programme we complete is managed by one of our skilled project managers, who are responsible for managing the three cornerstones of the project – cost, time, and scope.

Project Management Services

We specialise in developing bespoke solutions to complex manufacturing challenges and project management plays an important role in what we do. All customers who require this support are assigned a project manager at the start of the product development process. This individual is responsible for liaising with the customer and ensuring that the project and product development lifecycle follows the pre-agreed plan. Project management can also be provided as an independent service. As well as managing the projects we deliver in-house, our highly experienced project managers can manage external projects, ranging from system integration, through to safety and reliability projects.

Project Managers

Your project manager will be accountable for delivering the agreed project objectives. They will act as your point of contact, providing regular progress updates, while also setting objectives, determining success factors, managing risks, updating KPIs and maintaining the project schedule. All our project managers have considerable experience in the role and have worked with a diverse set of customers. They understand what it takes to manage complex projects within strict budgetary and time constraints and recognise the importance of close communication.

At Portsmouth Aviation, we offer extensive testing and qualification services. Carried out in-house whenever possible and by trusted partners when the need arises, these processes ensure all our products meet the customers’ precise needs and are suitable for use in high‑stress environments.

From the very first step in the design process, our engineers use state-of-the-art technologies to ensure that our products meet customer requirements. Our CAD software is supported by Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software and other analytical methods which allow us to assess and predict material and product performance. This ensures that all of our products, parts and components are being designed for peak performance from the moment we begin a project.

State-of-the-art testing

Structural Test Facility Test Rig

Our structural test facility includes a large, universal test rig with a capacity of 4 x 2 x 2 metres and capable of applying 500 kN in all directions. This is complemented by a smaller test rig with a capacity of 3 x 1 x 1.2 metres and 20 kN load. Both rigs are equipped with overhead cranes, rated at 2 tonne and 1 tonne, respectively, so test articles may be safely installed and configured and enabling us to conduct a comprehensive range of load testing programmes.

Development and Qualification Load Testing

Our in-house testing facilities allow us to load structural components and assemblies to their design limits and beyond – to establish yield and failure criteria, for design development, analysis validation and product qualification. This is essential when it comes to the manufacture of components that will be exposed to extreme environmental conditions or that are utilised in potentially dangerous contexts.

Proof Load Testing and Working Load Limit Certification

Our proof load testing capabilities ensure that the build quality of our finished products will sustain the required maximum payload in service without permanent deformation or failure. Similarly, lifting equipment is tested and certified to applicable industry standards to ensure safe operation within the prescribed working load limit. Our annex includes a 3 tonne overhead crane to assist with lifting and ballasting operations.

Tensile Testing

Tensile testing allows us to provide accurate information as to a material or component’s ultimate tensile strength, yield strength and ductility. Our in-house equipment allows us to safely establish these characteristics for components and for coupons of a variety materials, including metals, plastics, and composites, up to a maximum load of 150 kN.

Pressure Testing

Our pressure testing capabilities allow us to test the integrity of protective shells and piping when exposed to pressure. A manufactured part can be pushed to its limits to determine a safe operating level that cannot be accurately predicted using FEA software. The service is also suitable for ensuring that piping or protective shells are entirely leak-proof.

Vacuum Testing

Vacuum testing has an important role to play in industrial leak testing and detection. Failure of vacuum equipment can have an enormous effect on performance and cause major safety concerns. To ensure an air-tight seal we employ a variety of test methods, including vacuum box testing and on‑stream leak testing.

Product Safety Management Systems

An efficient product safety management system encompasses the entire lifecycle of the product. With extensive expertise in safety management for land, sea, and aviation products, we ensure the physical and functional safety of your items. Drawing upon our vast experience in these industries, we can assist your organisation in creating a tailor-made safety management system that addresses your specific requirements. A robust safety management system establishes clear methods, processes, roles, responsibilities, and authorities, fostering a safety-conscious corporate culture that empowers the entire team to take ownership and pursue continuous improvement.

Our Safety Management Capabilities

Our safety management methods identify and access legislation and other requirements applicable to your product and determine how these requirements apply. Techniques and processes applied then identify potential safety hazards, probabilities and residual risks ensuring they are properly documented, managed and reduced to a level that is at least tolerable and so far as is reasonably practicable (SFAIRP) prior to the product’s exposure to end-users and maintainers.

Associations built over decades allow us to consult specialist safety organisations for advice, certification, regulation, and approval as appropriate. The competence of our team is regularly assessed, monitored, and recorded. Our safety management experience and capabilities will help your organisation to make more informed decisions during the design process and post-production, reducing the likelihood of your product initiating accidents or incidents. Our Safety Management Capabilities

In-Service Support

Integrated Logistics Support (ILS)

Research has shown that over the whole life cycle of a product, cost of procurement is small compared to the in-service cost of support, both financially and in the availability, or lack of availability, of assets in-service. Integrated logistics support (ILS) can be applied to product acquisition. ILS is a disciplined approach that influences product design and develops a product’s support solution to optimise supportability and Through life finance (TLF). It delivers the initial support package and ensures continued optimisation of the support solution considering product modifications and changes in operational use and requirements.

Comprehensive Testing

Research has shown that over the whole life cycle of a product, cost of procurement is small compared to the in-service cost of support, both financially and in the availability, or lack of availability, of assets in-service. Integrated logistics support (ILS) can be applied to product acquisition. ILS is a disciplined approach that influences product design and develops a product’s support solution to optimise supportability and Through life finance (TLF). It delivers the initial support package and ensures continued optimisation of the support solution considering product modifications and changes in operational use and requirements.

Developing Components to Support Weapons and Systems Integration

Research has shown that over the whole life cycle of a product, cost of procurement is small compared to the in-service cost of support, both financially and in the availability, or lack of availability, of assets in-service. Integrated logistics support (ILS) can be applied to product acquisition. ILS is a disciplined approach that influences product design and develops a product’s support solution to optimise supportability and Through life finance (TLF). It delivers the initial support package and ensures continued optimisation of the support solution considering product modifications and changes in operational use and requirements.

Technical Authoring and Illustration

Technical Publications

Alongside our manufacturing capabilities, Portsmouth Aviation also provides through-life care for our products in the form of technical publications, such as user manuals, instructions and component maintenance manuals.

In-House Service

Drafting such complex documents requires an in-depth knowledge of the components and experience of drafting text that’s easy to interpret, comprehensible and relevant. Finding organisations or individuals who boast both qualities is remarkably difficult. That’s why we have had the process inhouse and developed our own technical publications service for decades.

Cyber Security

Cyber-attacks pose an increasing threat to businesses in every industry.

While commercial aviation businesses have their customers’ personal data to protect, they also have the safety of both employees and clients to consider. In the military sector, the potential ramifications of a breach of cyber security are enormous.

Cyber Security Training

Alongside software solutions, we also offer cyber security training to those organisations that want to ensure that their employees have a good understanding of the threat they face and how they can protect customer data and their company’s digital systems.

For us, understanding the customer’s requirements is at the core of our service. It enables our knowledgeable team to develop a design strategy and provide a solution to create a product that is compliant with the customer’s specific needs and benefits the end user.

Rob Baker, Chief Engineer

Our

Capabilities

Technical Services

CNC Machining

Metal Fabrication

Metal Finishing

Paint & Finishing

Qualification, Inspection & Testing

See all capabilities

Technical Services

Focused on design. At Portsmouth Aviation, Technical Services are an integral part of our business model. Our approach is bespoke and can be a game changer for your project. Designed to support and complement our traditional manufacturing capabilities, we have a wide range of core technical service competencies to ensure that we remain at the forefront of precision engineering industries.

CNC Machining

CNC Machining is a crucial part of Portsmouth Aviation’s in-house capabilities. Our state-of-the-art equipment and wide-ranging expertise set us apart in the industry. This has included ensuring our CNC machining equipment is of outstanding quality, maintaining our ability to provide efficacy and quality to our valued customers. Our experienced team bestows upon us a comprehensive knowledge of CNC machinery, ensuring that our customers receive the best possible final product.

Metal Fabrication

Metal fabrication and manipulation is an area of expertise that is essential to many of the projects we undertake. At Portsmouth Aviation, our specialist engineers have a multitude of experience in metal fabrication and their proficiency in welding is evident in the quality of their work.

Metal Finishing

Metal finishing at Portsmouth Aviation has the power to enhance the performance, durability, and protection of the components we produce, enabling our process technicians to create reliable and long lasting protective coatings that can withstand challenging environments and operational demands.

Paint & Finishing

Paint and finishing services at Portsmouth Aviation play a crucial role in ensuring the quality and durability of our engineering products. With meticulous attention to detail and the use of advanced coating technologies, these services ensure the longevity and optimal performance of critical components, reinforcing the company’s commitment to delivering high‑quality and reliable solutions to its customers.

Qualification, Inspection & Testing

Qualification, inspection, and testing are critical processes aimed at ensuring the reliability, performance, and compliance of engineering products or systems. These processes involve assessing and validating the design, manufacturing, and functionality of various components, materials, or entire systems. These processes help identify potential issues, weaknesses, or deficiencies early in the development or manufacturing stages, allowing for necessary improvements, adjustments, or corrective actions. Ultimately, qualification and testing contribute to delivering safe, reliable, and high‑quality engineering solutions that meet industry standards and customer needs.

TechnicalServices

In-Service Support