Quality Assurance Cell : Multi-domain Non-Destructive Testing for Digital Quality Assurance

Abstract

Conventional Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) of aerospace structures can be a labour-intensive process: often, small probes are used on the area of interest, manually placing this on the surface (ultrasonic inspection, eddy current inspection etc.). Furthermore, the human factor is a large contributor to the probability of detection, meaning that the experience of an inspector plays a significant role in the quality of the inspection. This uncertainty has to be accounted for in the design of aerospace vehicle structures, leading to potential over-dimensioning. Considering the development that in the future there will be fewer qualified inspectors with experience, NDT can become a bottleneck for the manufacturing and MRO industries, leading to reduced fleet availability and reduced revenues.