Analysis of Commercial Aeronautics Applications of Laser Ultrasonics for Composite Manufacturing

Laser-based ultrasonic techniques have been investigated for the nondestructive testing of advanced aeronautic composite structures for more than twenty years. Several organizations have evaluated the technology at various levels during this period. In one case, EADS (formerly Aerospatiale) acquired, jointly with Dassault Aviation, a laser ultrasonic system from a now defunct provider. In another case, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics independently developed its own laser ultrasonic technology, named LaserUT®, which is used for the inspection of composites in the manufacturing of advanced military aircraft. After several years of production operation, the LaserUT design has been proven particularly costeffective for the inspection of complex-shaped composite parts associated with fighters. This paper presents an overview of the current state of the technology and outline future developments. As the next generation of commercial aircraft will certainly use large quantities of composites, an analysis of the anticipated cost saving associated with the laser ultrasonic technology for large commercial aircraft is presented using the example of the LaserUT systems as a basis. Inspection techniques currently used by the commercial aircraft industry are compared with the laser ultrasound technology and experimental results will be presented. As a conclusion, the predicted advantages and limitations of the technology for the commercial aeronautic industry are discussed.