Spherea’s ATEC ATMOS represents a timely innovation
At a time when aerospace manufacturers and maintenance organisations are under intense pressure to deliver more with less – less time, less energy, and fewer resources – Spherea’s ATEC ATMOS represents a timely innovation
As the newest member of the established ATEC portfolio, this compact automatic test bench redefines the balance between performance, simplicity and sustainability in avionic and systems testing.
Unveiled at MRO Europe 2025 in London, ATEC ATMOS is designed to meet growing demand for lightweight, flexible, and connected test systems that can handle both production and maintenance requirements. By distilling Spherea’s three decades of test engineering expertise into a smaller, smarter, and more adaptable package, ATEC ATMOS offers manufacturers and MROs a new path toward efficient, future-proof testing operations.
PROVEN RELIABILITY
For more than thirty years, Spherea’s ATEC systems have been the backbone of avionics testing for both commercial and defence aerospace programmes. The first ATEC Series 6 benches, introduced in the early 1990s, remain supported today – evidence of the company’s long-term commitment to customers. The more recent ATEC Series 7 continues this legacy, and the arrival of ATEC ATMOS extends it further, guaranteeing 20 years of support from launch.
“Today, we are taking on a new challenge by building on our ATEC expertise: making things simpler, more compact, and more flexible for our customers,” says Olivier Sentier, head of product lines at Spherea. “ATMOS complements and streamlines the ATEC range without compromising the quality that has made it renowned. It’s about accessibility, agility, and continuity.”
DESIGNED FOR TODAY’S MRO AND PRODUCTION REALITIES
ATEC ATMOS is built around a generic test core, capable of supporting a wide range of electronic and electro-mechanical equipment with a reduced number of signals. Its modular architecture makes it equally suited to Production Acceptance Tests (PAT) and Return-to-Service (RTS) operations, handling everything from control panels and sensors to displays, data concentrators, radio components, and power electronics.
For MRO providers, the system’s small footprint, affordability, and low energy consumption make it ideal for workshops where space and efficiency are at a premium. For manufacturers, its openness and interoperability with existing hardware, software, and ATEC infrastructure ensure smooth integration into established production environments.
In practical terms, ATEC ATMOS offers users a complete, stand-alone platform for avionics and systems testing without requiring extensive customisation or proprietary add-ons. Its plug-and-play architecture allows operators to focus on test strategy rather than system setup, reducing development and operational costs.
SMART AND FLEXIBLE
Spherea describes ATEC ATMOS using four key attributes that define its design philosophy:
- +Small: Compact, accessible, and energy-efficient, ATMOS minimises physical and environmental footprint while offering the same level of precision as larger systems
- +Open: Compatible with major test software environments – TestStand, SMART, Visual, LabVIEW, C language, and ATLAS – as well as existing ATEC systems, ATMOS leverages COTS instrumentation to avoid vendor lock-in
- +Smart: An intuitive interface and integrated data exploitation tools simplify test development and improve productivity. Its built-in “MEMO” module turns test data into actionable insights, aiding both engineering and maintenance teams
- +Flex: Modular, scalable, and upgradeable, ATMOS evolves with user needs. Whether adding new test interfaces, connecting external instruments, or integrating cybersecurity functions, the system is designed to adapt over time
BUILT FOR THE CONNECTED TEST ENVIRONMENT
ATEC ATMOS is a connected test platform aligned with Industry 4.0 principles. By integrating with the Spherea software suite, the system allows seamless data exchange and centralised supervision. This connectivity enables remote diagnostics, fleet-level performance tracking, and predictive maintenance analytics, helping operators make smarter decisions based on real test data.
Key integrated modules include:
- A cybersecurity drawer to protect sensitive test environments
- An energy consumption management module, supporting sustainability goals by optimising power usage
- A supervision module for real-time control and monitoring
These embedded features reflect Spherea’s wider commitment to sustainable, secure, and digitalised test operations, a growing priority in the aerospace sector.
OPTIMISING MRO EFFICIENCY AND LIFECYCLE COSTS
Maintenance operations face a dual challenge: reducing turnaround time while extending equipment lifespan. ATEC ATMOS directly supports both objectives. By automating repetitive procedures and standardising test sequences, the system eliminates manual steps that traditionally slow down troubleshooting and validation.
The platform’s automation and repeatability ensure consistent, traceable results, reducing the likelihood of test errors while improving compliance with quality processes such as EN 9100. Moreover, ATMOS requires minimal maintenance itself.
Existing ATEC users benefit from shared infrastructure across the product family: identical metrology instruments, common spare parts, and unified training frameworks. This approach streamlines logistics, minimises operational costs, and simplifies long-term maintenance planning.
LONGEVITY BY DESIGN
ATEC ATMOS aligns with Spherea’s broader sustainability vision. By optimising energy consumption, extending the service life of test assets, and offering compatibility across generations, the system reduces the need for frequent equipment replacement – an important lever for corporate social responsibility (CSR) and environmental stewardship.
Spherea’s obsolescence management and repair expertise ensure continuity of support for decades, allowing customers to safeguard their investments and comply with evolving product policies. ATEC ATMOS is the result of close collaboration between Spherea’s R&D teams and its network of customers: manufacturers, MROs, and global industrial players. This co-development process ensures that every feature of ATMOS addresses real operational needs rather than theoretical design targets.
By pooling elements from Spherea’s technology catalogue into a standardised, modular architecture, the company has created a test bench capable of serving diverse applications with unprecedented efficiency. The result is a single, universal solution that empowers aerospace professionals to configure, customise, and scale their test capabilities without compromise.
