Transparency Sensor System (TSS)

ABSTRACT: PaneraTech proposes a holistic approach to develop two different Transparency Sensor Systems for use in manufacturing line/Egress shops and in depot/field. Primary objective of the Manufacturing TSS is to extract surface resistance over the entire surface of the transparency to determine whether they have required minimum amount of conductive coating. On the other hand, the field/depot TSS aims to detect degradation in the conductive layer, scratches/cracks/nicks and pinholes on the transparency coating layer and assess their impact on the aircraft shielding performance. PaneraTech partnered with two premier research organizations, a major transparency manufacturer and an airframe integrator to jointly develop this technology and successfully transition to the market. BENEFIT: TSS sensor has tremendous applications in both military and commercial markets. This project will develop a sensor system that can significantly reduce number of rejects to the airframe manufacturers thus reduce delays and program costs. Field/depot sensor can quickly detect flaws on the transparency while on the aircraft and determine proper course of action. This significantly improves mission performance because this will eliminate any risk for compromised aircraft shielding performance. This technology also offers significant benefit to commercial airliners as they can also detect any damage to windshields and take necessary precautions to avoid any adverse interference to the on-board electronics due to compromised shielding performance of the windshields.