Developing a high-fidelity knowledge base for non-destructive testing and composite material products: a review
N Gandhi, R Rose, A Croxford and C Ward
Coping with the growing global concern of climate change places an imperative on the transportation industry to react. Adopting composite materials can be considered a logical solution for light-weighting; they play a vital role due to their unique properties that can be tailored to requirements. For composite materials to succeed in replacing conventional materials, they must be designed to a lightweight criterion, with safety margins essential to guarantee the safety of consumers. Non-destructive testing (NDT) is used to ensure safety and confirm that a component is fit for purpose. However, the National Composites Centre (NCC), Bristol, UK has identified gaps in understanding the state-of-the-art for NDT methods for composites inspection in industry. An opportunity exists to further NDT understanding by developing a detailed knowledge base mapping material, component and defect configuration to capabilities and limitations of detection methods. Tacit knowledge captured in a capability matrix provides NDT operators/engineers with explicit, validated applicability data to support method selection for application, ultimately acting as a decision tool when deployed in the NCC’s upcoming Composites Integrity Verification Cell. The database can be used to augment engineering teams’ operations and confidence through the design of efficient structures, capable of satisfying future sustainability goals.
