For a long time, Ultrasonic Testing Machines for aircraft components have been built with almost 100% custom made mechanics (gantry or bridge design) to match customer needs. This design comes with several disadvantages like price, delivery time or lack of flexibility. This article illustrates an alternative approach to Testing Machine design for the Aerospace industry and describes in detail the advantages of robot based mechanics together with different types of coupling mechanics and shows the abilities of today's state of the art machine design to face CFRP component testing challenges. Mechanic concepts using industrial robots bear many advantages over fully customized testing machine layouts. Robots are compatible for through transmission testing, pulse echo mode and all previously introduced coupling mechanics. This makes the robot approach very versatile and powerful. Though not being applicable with every application, industrial robots offer a flexible and cost effective alternative to fully customized designs. GE Sensing & Inspection Technologies is driving forward the robotic solution to be able to answer every customer demand with top notch technology and to be able to offer the optimum solution for testing challenges in the aerospace industry.
Ultrasonic testing machines with robot mechanics. A new approach to CFRP component testing
Ultraschallprüfmaschine mit Robotermechanik. Ein neuer Ansatz zur Prüfung von kohlenstofffaserverstärkten Kunststoffen
2010
5 Seiten, 7 Bilder
Conference paper
Storage medium
English