REAL-TIME NDE USING MULTI-FUNCTION ROBOTIC SONOSCOPE

MANUFACTURING REQUIRES REAL-TIME EVALUATION OF MATERIALS TO DETERMINE STRUCTURAL PROPERTIES, INCLUDING INSPECTION FOR LATENT DEFECTS. CURRENT OFF-LINE EVALUATION TECHNIQUES UTILIZE SPECIAL FACILITIES AND INCREASE COSTS. THIS PROJECT DEVELOPS A MULTI-FUNCTION ROBOTIC SONOSCOPE (MFRS) FOR ON-LINE INSPECTION. MFRS IS A GENERAL PURPOSE NDE TOOL. IT USES A SCANNING LASER BEAM FOR INSPECTING SURFACE ANOMALIES, PRODUCES C-SCAN ACOUSTIC IMAGES TO DETECT SUBSURFACE FLAWS, USES SPECTRAL ANALYSIS FOR CHARACTERIZATION OF MATERIAL PROPERTIES, AND PRODUCES REAL-TIME THROUGH TRANSMISSION ACOUSTIC IMAGES FOR ON-LINE INSPECTION. MFRS CAN BE USED TO INSPECT INTERNAL DEFECTS SUCH AS DELAMINATIONS, INCLUSIONS, VOIDS, AND POROSITY IN METALS, CERAMICS, COMPOSITES, AND ELECTRONIC MATERIALS. IT IS ALSO USEFUL FOR NONDESTRUCTIVE INSPECTION OF FATIGUE CRACKS AND IMPACT DAMAGE IN STRUCTURAL COMPOSITE MATERIALS.