The application of composite materials into high load bearing structures has required a better understanding of the impact non-conformities, defects and damage has on the structure integrity. Traditional NDI methods are only really successful in identifying the existence of the non-conformity or damage. Traditional NDI methods do not provide any assessment of the effect of the non-conformity on the structural performance of the composite structure. The optical NDI methods allow for non-contact, full-field interrogation of the component to visually reveal the impact on composite structural integrity of the non-conformity under representative load states. In this paper the five principal optical NDI methods are briefly reviewed and, using holographic interferometry, illustrated against the typical in-service damage found in composite structures. Each NDI method is further compared to show there relative range of capabilities against a variety of composite defects.
展开▼
