Objectives:

• To ensure adhesive joint reliability in service
  

• Develop inspection technology for environmentally degraded adhesive bonds
  
  
• Provide damage tolerance models
  
  

Approach:

• Simultaneous bondline inspection using normal and oblique incidence ultrasonic beams.
  
  
• The oblique wave introduces shear stress on the bond line, improving discrimination of poor bond from good bonds. The frequency response of the bondline is measured.
  
  
• The bondline properties: Thickness, density, longitudinal and shear moduli, and attenuation are reconstructed.

Products:

• Inspection technique and prototype ultrasonic scanner for aircraft frame adhesive bond inspection.
  
  
• Technique and system will be validated at AANC
  

Links:

• Ultrasonic Testing
  
• CNDE Ultrasonics webpage