Following many years of investigating active thermal imaging techniques, Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Systems Company (LMASC) has introduced a time dependent thermography (TDT) system into the production inspection environment. Originally pursued as a rapid, non-contacting, nondestructive evaluation (NDE) tool for inspecting large areas, the TDT system has proven most useful as a rapid verification tool on advanced composite assemblies. TDT is a relatively new NDE methodology as compared to conventional NDE disciplines. Issues are being addressed such as inspector training and certification, system sensitivity assessments, and test results interpretation. Starting in 1991, LMASC began a beta-site evaluation of a prototype TDT system developed by the Institute of Manufacturing Research at Wayne State University (Detroit, Michigan). This prototype was the forerunner of the current production system, which is offered commercially as a fully integrated thermal NDE system (EchoTherm, Thermal Wave Imaging, Inc., Lathrup Village, MI). Applications investigated to date include quality assurance of advanced aerospace composite structures/assemblies for disbonds/voids between skin and core. TDT has a number of advantages over traditional NDT methods. The process of acquiring thermal images is fast, and can decrease inspection time required to locate suspect areas. The system also holds promise for depot level NDE due to its portability.
Thermal NDT for bonded composites in aerospace structures
1998
10 Seiten, 4 Quellen
Aufsatz (Konferenz)
Englisch
Advanced composites for aerospace structures
NTRS | 1970
|Applications for thermal NDT on advanced composites in aerospace structures
Tema Archiv | 1998
|Aluminum-boron composites for aerospace structures
Tema Archiv | 1970
|