Design Verification & Qualification Testing
We are design-led mechanical engineers. We decompose requirements, engineer the product so it will pass, and orchestrate the minimum effective lab time at accredited partners. Not a test house—our value is fixing designs so qualification is achieved on schedule.
Prepared by: Paul Schmitz MBA CEng MIMechE MIoA — Director, Environmentally Sound Limited • Updated 23 Oct 2025
Accreditations: Constructionline Gold • SSIP • Achilles UVDB
Professional Indemnity Insurance: £5,000,000 any one claim — evidenced via the above accreditations. Certificate/schedule available on request.
Engineering-led qualification without scope creep
Most qualification schedule overruns come from trying to qualify concepts that were never de-risked. We prevent that. Our role is engineering foresight, design governance and programme management—so products are proven by the time lab time starts.
The iterative design → A/FEA → test loop
Define acceptance criteria early and maintain a live DVP&R/RTM.
Run fast analysis–prototype–measure cycles: update models to match reality (EMA/ODS ↔ FEA) before any formal qualification.
Apply Design FMEA and targeted DoE to remove high-risk failure modes while the cost of change is low.
Rapid de-risk experiments (cheap, early, decisive)
Breadboards and “+1 DOF” rigs to validate the physics (stiffness/mass/damping) in days, not months.
Search-and-dwell surveys and boundary-condition checks to expose true modal behaviour.
Material/fastener/tolerance trials to close fatigue and survivability gaps without waiting for full qual.
Case in point: a competitor spent 18 months designing before any test; no A/FEA iteration. We were engaged to diagnose, redesign and correlate. The product then passed qualification on the next cycle—proof that de-risking beats re-testing.
What we do
Requirements & planning
Decompose specs into verifiable acceptance criteria and a test matrix (RTM).
Translate field environments into equivalent lab PSDs and shocks; define resonance search & dwell.
Risk-based notching justified by analysis and correlation data.
Design improvements to achieve qualification
Eliminate resonance/fatigue hot-spots through redesign (stiffness, damping, isolation), validated by FEA↔EMA correlation.
Re-tune mounts/interfaces to control transmissibility without over-testing sensitive axes.
Update drawings/BoM and change documentation aligned to the plan.
Pre-test engineering
Modal/ODS surveys, balancing, damping and isolation to eliminate avoidable failures.
Model updates to align FEA with measured modes; fix-list with actions and owners.
Execution & evidence
Lead ISO/API/MIL-STD sequences at accredited partner laboratories; capture photo logs and as-run profiles.
Conformity pack: QTP/QTR, lab-issued calibration certificates referenced, uncertainty statement, and any deviations/waivers with technical justification.
Airframes & OEMs (selected)
Engagements via primes/Tier-1s; names shown in text only.
Dassault Aviation — Falcon 7X
Airbus — A380, A400M
Boeing — programme-level work
Bombardier — Global Express
Eurofighter — Typhoon
Airbus Helicopters — EC135
Bell/Boeing — V-22 Osprey
BAE Systems — Nimrod
How we make your life easier
Design-led ownership: we remove failure modes and prove readiness; labs are used only when it’s time to certify.
Forecasts you can trust: realistic schedules and risk burndown; we said 3 months, we delivered in 3 months.
One set of evidence: RTM/DVP&R, correlation notes and QTP/QTR summaries that withstand review first time.
What you receive
Requirements traceability: mapping spec → acceptance criteria → test artefacts.
Redesign pack to pass: updated models/drawings/BoM, notch rationale, pre-test corrective actions closed.
Model–test correlation notes: modal updates, MAC tables, response comparisons used to justify notches/dwells.
Conformity evidence: QTP/QTR executive summaries, lab-issued calibration certificates referenced, uncertainty, deviations/waivers and close-out actions.
Executive summary for management, insurers, regulators or airworthiness reviewers.
Note: Calibration certificates for qualification tests are issued and held by the accredited test facility. ESL references these certificates within the conformity pack.
Standards & frameworks
API 619 — rotating equipment vibration acceptance intent.
ISO 20816 / ISO 7919 — machine vibration evaluation (housing/shaft).
MIL-STD-810 — vibration & shock (Methods 514/516) and environment.
RTCA DO-160 — environmental test for airborne equipment (e.g., §7/§8).
FAQs
Who holds calibration certificates for qualification tests?
The accredited test facility issues and holds the calibration certificates for the sensors and equipment used during qualification. ESL references those certificates in the conformity pack and ensures traceability is documented.
How do you justify a notch or deviation?
We combine FEA/EMA correlation with measured service environments. The rationale, risk analysis and residual margins are documented in the QTP/QTR with supporting plots and FRFs.
Can you help if a previous qualification failed?
Yes. We run a fast root-cause loop (modal/ODS, fixture FRFs, isolation/damping or redesign) and update the plan to prevent recurrence, supported by correlation evidence.
Do you run the tests or supervise at partner labs?
Both. We can execute tests directly where appropriate, or lead at accredited partner labs while retaining responsibility for planning, fixtures and evidence quality.
Need a qualification plan, a fixture that won’t compromise results, or a clean QTR for sign-off?
Book a consultation
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