Laser Acoustic Disbond Detection

As aircraft become more technologically advanced, new technological difficulties arise. These can be particularly critical when they involve the skin, where failure of a small bond can lead to failure of the entire aircraft. Therefore, to address the Air Force need for an accurate, easy-to-use disbond detection system, Physical Optics Corporation (POC) proposes to develop a new Laser Acoustic Disbond Detection (LADD) system. The proposed device is based on POC Lavibe technology, and will produce a “sonic holography” 3D image of bonds to the underside of the aircraft skin. This image will localize and characterize defects in the bonds. In Phase I POC will demonstrate the feasibility of the LADD by computer modeling, fabricating a breadboard prototype LADD, and testing the prototype with components with known bonding defects. During Phase II, POC intends to optimize the design of the LADD, increasing its speed and accuracy, and fabricate a full-scale engineering prototype for further test.