Large Area Composite Inspection System

摘要

The Large Area Composite Inspection System (LACIS) successfully proved that Laser Ultrasonic Testing (UT) will meet the future needs of both Air Logistics Centers (ALC's) and aerospace contractors. Many significant advances in laser ultrasonic technology were demonstrated with the prototype system. Highlights of the program accomplishments are: large area complex composite structures were tested with Laser UT for the first time; rapid and accurate optical scanning was achieved; improved defect detection and signal-to-noise ratio was accomplished; and, advanced data analysis capabilities were demonstrated. Laser UT reduced the capital investment and lowers the labor cost of testing composite structures. The LACIS program conclusively demonstrated the superiority of Laser UT for testing large complex aerospace composite materials. Laser UT will be an important manufacturing and in-service method for Quality Assurance of next generation of advanced aircraft.