Automated non-destructive evaluation of composites and additive manufacturing

飞机机翼和机身壁板的跨度为几米，在起飞、着陆和滑行过程中受到循环载荷的作用。这些主要由碳纤维增强聚合物(CFRP)复合材料制成的组件，由于使用过程中的载荷条件或制造故障，会受到疲劳开裂和冲击损伤，导致基质开裂、层层剥离、纤维断裂和压痕。因此，组件应在制造时检查是否有任何制造缺陷，以便在进入服务之前进行纠正，以及ii)在服务期间定期使用无损检测(NDT)方法，以确保其在预期使用寿命内的安全运行。传统上，使用手持涡流/超声波探头的检查员会一英寸一英寸地扫描这些部件的表面，以确定在使用过程中可能出现的潜在缺陷。用人工涡流/超声波扫描方法进行检测是一个非常耗时的过程，有时会持续数天。此外，检查结果可能会受到检查员的疲倦、一天中的时间和工作环境的不利影响。为了缓解这些可能导致检测结果变化甚至导致缺陷迹象遗漏的问题，航空航天公司和航空公司需要更新的自动检测方法。该项目最初的目标是评估不同电磁无损检测方法和超声检测方法在复合材料检测中的效率，然后，它的目标是在工业机器人的帮助下实现涡流/超声波检测过程的自动化。为此，首先要对机器人控制器的检测路径进行编程，使机器人沿着期望的检测路径操纵平面上的涡流/超声传感器。其次，机器人应该与涡流/超声控制器接口，以便在采集过程中进行有效的通信，这是为了确保收集的检测数据标记有来自机器人控制器的正确位置数据。在这个多学科的项目中，学生们将模拟、设计和制造电磁/超声波传感器，将它们集成到自动化系统中，并对各种飞机复合材料翼板检测系统的性能进行评估

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