[4B3] Process-to-part phased array inspection of a large-scale composite aerospace specimen
M Shields¹, R Vithanage¹, S G Pierce¹, T O’Hare², G Munro², J O’Brian-O’Reilly², C MacLeod¹ and
A Gachagan¹
¹University of Strathclyde, UK
²Spirit AeroSystems, UK
Robotic non-destructive testing (NDT) of large-scale structures is a bottleneck for manufacturing. The necessity to have large test specimens transported to a dedicated robotic NDT cell, precisely fixtured and, in lieu of a track, moved during the NDT process presents an intrinsic high cost to the process, as well as increasing the chances of specimen damage during transit. The safety requirements of industrial manipulators and the often-used offline planning methods only add to the cumbersome nature of this. Given the size and high value of many large-scale specimens, a more flexible method of NDT delivery would ameliorate these issues.
We present further advances in our ‘process-to-part’ robotic NDT research. Utilising a collaborative mobile manipulator and computer vision system, we leverage our novel methodology for localising, 3D imaging and phased array inspection of a composite aerospace wing cover test specimen. These key technologies facilitate ‘process-to-part’ inspection, allowing for NDT at earlier stages in manufacture, when corrective action of faults is easier to implement.
We present further advances in our ‘process-to-part’ robotic NDT research. Utilising a collaborative mobile manipulator and computer vision system, we leverage our novel methodology for localising, 3D imaging and phased array inspection of a composite aerospace wing cover test specimen. These key technologies facilitate ‘process-to-part’ inspection, allowing for NDT at earlier stages in manufacture, when corrective action of faults is easier to implement.
