Automated non-destructive evaluation of composites and additive manufacturing

飞机的机翼和机身面板跨度长达数米，在起飞、降落和滑行过程中承受循环载荷。这些主要由碳纤维增强聚合物（CFRP）复合材料制造的部件在使用或制造过程中由于负载条件或制造故障而遭受疲劳开裂和冲击损伤，导致基体开裂、层脱层、纤维断裂和压痕。因此，应该对组件进行检查：1)在制造点检查任何制造缺陷，以便在投入使用之前进行纠正；2)在使用期间定期使用无损检测（NDT）方法确保其在预期使用寿命内安全运行。传统上，检查员使用手持式涡流/超声波检测探头一英寸一英寸地扫描这些部件的表面，以寻找在服务过程中可能产生的潜在缺陷。通过手动涡流/超声扫描方法进行检测是一个非常耗时的过程，有时可能持续数天。此外，检查结果可能受到检查员的疲劳，一天中的时间和工作环境的不利影响。为了减轻这些可能在测试结果中引入变化或甚至导致缺失缺陷指示的问题，这可能会产生灾难性的后果，航空航天公司和航空公司需要更新的自动化检测方法。该项目最初的目标是评估不同电磁无损检测方法的效率，以及超声检测复合材料的检测，然后，它的目标是在工业机器人的帮助下实现涡流/超声检测过程的自动化。为此，首先，为机器人控制器编程检测路径，使机器人沿着期望的检测路径在平面上操纵涡流/超声传感器。其次，机器人应与涡流/超声控制器接口，以便在采集过程中有效通信，这是为了确保收集到的检测数据被标记为机器人控制器的正确位置数据。当审查检查结果时，这对于定位缺陷是必不可少的。在这个多学科项目中，学生将模拟、设计和制造电磁/超声波传感器，并将其集成到自动化系统中，并评估每个飞机复合材料机翼面板检测系统的性能

Aeroplane wing and fuselage panels, with a span of several meters long, are subjected to cyclic loads during take-off, landing, and taxiing. These components which are majorly manufactured from Carbon Fiber Reinforces Polymer (CFRP) composites are subjected to fatigue cracking and impact damages causing matrix cracking, ply delamination, fiber rapture, and indentations due to the loading conditions during the service or manufacturing faults.Accordingly, the components should be inspected I) at the point of manufacturing for any fabrication flaws to be rectified before entering the service, and II) periodically during the service using Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) methods to ensure their safe operation during their expected service life. Traditionally, an inspector with handheld Eddy currents/ultrasonic testing probes scans the surface of such components inch by inch for potential defects that may have been developed during the service. The inspection by the manual Eddy currents/ultrasound scanning method is a very time-consuming process, which can sometimes last for days. Furthermore, the inspection results could be adversely impacted by the tiredness of the inspector, time of the day, and the working environment. To alleviate these problems which could introduce variation in the test results or even lead to missing defect indications, which could have disastrous consequences, newer automated inspection methods are desired by the aerospace companies and airlines.The project initially targets the assessment of the efficiency of different electromagnetic NDT methods alongside ultrasonic testing for inspection of composite materials, and then, it aims at automation of the Eddy currents/ultrasound inspection process with the help of industrial robots. To this end, firstly, the inspection path should be programmed for the robot controller, so the robot manipulates the eddy currents/ultrasound sensor on a flat surface along the desired inspection path. Secondly, the robot should be interfaced with the Eddy currents/ultrasound controller to communicate effectively during the acquisition process, and this is to ensure that the inspection data collected is tagged with the correct positional data from the robot controller. This is essential for locating the defects when the inspection results are reviewed.The students during this multidisciplinary project will simulate, design, and build electromagnetic/ultrasonic sensors, integrate them in automated system, and evaluate the performance of each inspection system for aeroplane composite wing panels