Element and FRISA strengthen relationship with expanded LTA

Above: The Rancho Domingez Laboratory.
Courtesy Element

Under the agreement, valid through November 2026, Element will provide materials testing of critical forged components predominantly for use in aircraft and industrial gas turbine engines, as well as immersion ultrasonic testing (IUT). Testing will be conducted primarily by Element’s Monterrey laboratory located approximately 10 km from FRISA’s sites in Mexico, with the remainder performed by its Houston Baythorne, Hartford and Rancho Dominguez laboratories in the US. This critical work is essential to the client achieving certification of their manufactured forged components for aerospace and power generation end-use.

The testing programme includes: chemical etch, hardness, impact, low cycle fatigue, mechanical ultrasonic and stress and creep rupture testing; metallography, image, chemistry and failure analysis and consultancy; and fluoride penetrant inspection. In addition, Element will work collaboratively with the customer to perform joint forecasting and priority planning with all work meeting Nadcap and ISO 17025 standards, as well as FRISA’s internal quality standards and the unique quality standards of their customers.

Rick Sluiters, EVP for Aerospace at Element, said: “We are delighted to be awarded this expansion of scope to provide technically demanding services and local support and expertise to one of our key customers from our purpose-built Monterrey facility. Our long-standing relationship with FRISA, built over many years working with them (as Exova) in Mexico, brings real knowledge and understanding of their specific needs along with the accreditations and approvals required to service their testing needs. 

“This contract further complements our position as the global leader in aerospace materials testing and we look forward to supporting FRISA for many more years to come.”

Francisco Aldecoa, Quality Manager at FRISA, said: “We are delighted to have increased the scope of our LTA with Element following this latest addition of ultrasonic testing capabilities at their Mexico facility. Element has always been invested in growing with us as customer demand and NDT requirements evolve, and our long-term relationship has been consistently fruitful in terms of adding value for our customers.”

Element has over 80 years’ experience in commercial aerospace testing and dedicates more than 3,000 technicians, engineers and scientists to the sector. The company has 38 Nadcap-accredited laboratories with 49 Nadcap accreditations and its customer approvals, technical expertise and geographical footprint is unrivalled in the aerospace testing, inspection and certification industry.