Composite materials are increasingly used in the aerospace industry. To fully realise the weight saving potential along with superior mechanical properties that composites offer in safety critical applications, reliable Non- Destructive Testing (NDT) methods are required to prevent catastrophic failures. This paper will review the state of the art in the field and point to highlight the success and challenges that different NDT methods are faced to evaluate the integrity of critical aerospace composites. The focus will be on advanced certificated NDT methods for damage detection and characterization in composite laminates for use in the aircraft primary and secondary structures.
Many of the existing non destructive evaluation (NDE) standard procedures applied to conventionally wrought, forged, and molded metal components are generally applicable to parts made by AM. However, specific challenges must be addressed by newer AM-specific standardized NDE procedures. In addition, there is a recognized need to develop in-process monitoring techniques to inspect parts during the build process.
A wide range of challenges for NDE of AM needs to be addressed: complex part geometry, surface finish, deeply embedded flaws, lack of defined critical defect types and sizes, lack of physical NDE reference standards, lack of written inspection procedures tailored for AM processes, and a lack of probability-of-detection data.
Although many of the existing NDE standard procedures for conventionally fabricated metal and plastic parts are generally applicable to parts made by AM, specific requirements (geometrical complexity, porosity, surface finish and deeply embedded flaws) must be addressed by newer standardized NDE procedures.
Once the effects of critical defects are understood, physical reference standards have been fabricated, and suitable NDE inspection procedures have been developed, qualification and certification of parts made by AM becomes achievable and practical. Currently, there are no NDE protocols currently in place to evaluate the quality, workmanship and acceptability of these parts.
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