Foundation of SCouP SRL, a dedicated company for SMA couplings

After several new SMA pipe coupling development contracts and corresponding technological and industrial break-throughs', a dedicated jointly held (50% ChP Consult + 50% Flexmet) company was founded in February 2020.

About the company name and logo:

  • The company's name SCouP was deduced from the first ESA project acronym (Shape Memory Alloy Couplings for Pipes).
  • The company's logo symbolically represents a pipe assembly with the help of SMA couplings. The blue colour of the couplings suggests the sky which in turn suggests an aerospace focus. The assembly features connections of pipes of same diameters, different diameters and a "Tee" connection. The aim is to suggest that SCouP can provide solutions to a wide variety of pipe connection situations.

 

 

New ESA/GSTP SMA coupling development contract secured

ESA - ESTEC, Noordwijk NL, July1, 2019

After  ARTES5.1 program initiated in 2016 which allowed to develop various concepts of Shape Memory Alloy pipe couplings, a new GSTP contract has been signed today between ESA, ChP Consult SPRL (with Flexmet BVBA as key partner) with a two year duration.

Main objectives of the project are couplings for different pipe diameters and materials.

 

Currently, the technology development status is such, that for a specific customer demand (specific pipe material/diameter), prototypes can be elaborated in typically two months.

Shape Memory Alloy Couplings for pipes - Standard or customized

In cooperation with the Belgian company Flexmet, the company SCouP srl has been created in order to develop the supporting activity development.

Typical applications:

  • Welds where X-ray tests would be mandatory, and your production rate or maintenance frequency are so low, that you should re-qualify your operator teams for each new weld.

  • Pipes that are so close to each other, that there is no space for a welding head.

  • Quick repair solution at customer site with limited equipment capacity (military operation theaters, satellite in Launch Vehicle integration site, ...).
  • Pipe diameters that are so small, that (i) there are no longer machines that could do this in a controlled and repetitive manner (ii) X-ray inspection is no longer a reliable way to monitor the result.

  • For joining two pipes, made of different alloys or processes.

Currently, this product in available as 1/4'' and 1/2'' pipe OD versions up to 320bar/4640psi MEOP, but rapid customization is possible, thanks to  in-house, very flexible R&D en Production entities equipped with CAD/CAM, very specific FEA tool, CNC equipment for prototyping and serial production, leak test bench with helium mass spectrometer,  1,300bar/19,000psi high pressure facility and vibration test shaker.

Depending upon Quality and Supply-Chain requirements, specific solutions can be provided.

In addition, ChP Consult can propose a complete solution for pipe kits (Development and Serial production):

  • Co-development of piping solution (including bracket constraints relative to couplings, bi-metal coupling, other component...)
  • Design/adaptation of couplings (material, dimensions, fatigue constraints, ...)
  • Manufacturing according to space quality rules
  • Acceptance test of segments (geometry, tightness, proof, electric continuity...)
  • Shipment
  • ...

More Articles ...

  1. Services
  2. ChP inaugurates new lab for testing space components
  3. Four Shape Memory Alloy pipe couplings concepts with "weld like" leak performance.
  4. Successful PDR milestone for ESA ARTES 5.1 project