A_T_I_2015_04_

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APRIL 2015

AEROSPACETESTINGINTERNATIONAL.COM

z Automating NDT

N

on-destructive testing is used

extensively at every stage of

aircraft production and operation,

from raw material evaluation to in-service

inspection. Automating the process

promises to save time, cut costs and

avoid potential production bottlenecks,

particularly for composite structures.

Automated NDT systems are already

widely incorporated into the production

process of new airliner models. Airbus

factories in France, Germany and Spain,

for example, use ultrasonic systems

from Areva NDE Solutions and its

subsidiary intelligeNDT to inspect

wing covers and other structural

elements of the Airbus A350.

Phased array ultrasound transducers

(PAUT) are the only option for examining

such large panels at high throughput

rates. The arrays’ multiple elements

mean that the angle and focal depth

can be varied by changing the pulse

focal laws. For fuselage panels, which

are up to 20m long and 6m wide, the

center wing box, and keel beam parts,

six-axis manipulator systems are used

to position the PAUT instrument. For

wing covers, dual six-axis tower systems

are used: one system inspects the skin

side while the other is synchronized

and programmed to inspect stringers

in a different position to avoid

interference with water on the backside.

CLEAN SKY NDT

Exploiting the properties that make

composites attractive – including

improved stiffness to weight ratios and

better resistance to corrosion, impact

and fatigue – means fabricating

increasingly complex parts that are

correspondingly harder to inspect. For

Automating NDT will save time, reduce

costs and speed up the test process.

Now that systems are becoming more

refined, this will be particularly

applicable for composite structures

BY BERNARD FITZSIMONS

RIGHT: Robots

scan two areas of a

large aerospace

part simultaneously

in TWI’s IntACom

prototype robotic

inspection cell

Sounds ultra

advanced