NDTnet 1998 Aug, Vol.3 No.8

Full-Text - Abstract

A particular evolution of non destructive testing in the last twenty years is that aircraft manufacturers have to fulfil the inspections of the materials they transform to make parts that can fly.

Current non destructive testing at the manufacturing stage is mainly carried out with conventional ultrasound techniques, double through transmission on a glass reflector plate and through transmission with water squirters. X-rays are also used to a lesser extent as well as others techniques such as liquid penetrant, visual inspection and resonant testing.

The inspection of next generation aircraft is a great challenge due to the fast increasing number of parts made of various materials with complex geometries. These new components are the produce of new manufacturing technologies such as superplastic forming and diffusion bonding of titanium and aluminium metal sheets (SPFDB), resintransfer moulding (RTM) and others. To tackle on one side the large number of composite parts and on the other side the complexity of these new structures, Dassault Aviation has investigated directly or indirectly in cooperation new inspection techniques based on acoustical microscopy or high frequency ultrasounds (50 to 100 MHz), acoustical interferometry with the RTUIS system (Real Time Ultrasonic Imaging), air coupled ultrasounds and laser ultrasonics with the LUIS system (Laser Ultrasonic Inspection System) bought in common with Aerospatiale.

An overview of these advanced ultrasonic techniques is presented as well as their use and developments in Dassault Aviation, their relative advantages and drawbacks are compared with some emerging techniques such as Infrared Thermography and Optical Interferometry. Potential applications of these techniques at the manufacturing stage and in maintenance are discussed as well as specific one's such as process monitoring and mechanical characterization through the measurements of elastic constants.

Abstract Source:
Book of Abstracts, 7th European Conference on Non-Destructive Testing, 26-29 May 1998, ISBN: 87-986898-0-00

Full-Text Source:
Proceedings of the 7th European Conference on Non-Destructive Testing, 26-29 May 1998, ISBN:

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