Honeywell leads structural test team
Staff -- Test & Measurement World, 1/1/2003
Honeywell announced recently that it will lead a team of industry experts developing an automated system for the rapid inspection of the surface of an aircraft for corrosion or other structural anomalies. The structural anomaly mapping (SAM) technology can be used with military, commercial, or business aviation aircraft.
"SAM is capable of detecting and tracking subsurface defects such as composite delaminations, honeycomb damage, and metal corrosion on any type or class of aircraft," said Bernd Kessler, VP and general manager of Honeywell Aviation Aftermarket Services. "With the growing number of composite parts in aircraft and the aging of many aircraft fleets, early detection of these potential defects will greatly enhance aircraft safety. The use of SAM inspections for military or commercial aircraft will give the maintenance operations a database system for their aircraft fleet, ensuring that developing problems are detected and addressed sooner, helping reduce the time and cost of maintenance."
SAM is a laser-guided, computer-controlled robotic platform (about 6x9 ft in size) with a vertical mast and a horizontal extension that supports and positions acoustic and laser sensors. The sensors can view features 5 in. into an aircraft structure.
SAM can scan an entire aircraft in hours with no human interaction and without removing the aircraft from flight status. SAM will deliver a 3-D digital picture of the inspection. Technicians can compare this picture to previous inspections on the same air craft or measurements on other aircraft to identify developing problems.
Traditional aircraft surface inspection methods or localized and manual x-ray/ultrasonic scans often take days and require interpretation, which introduces variability. SAM positions itself with precision and security, does not require contact with the airframe, and can scan the whole external structure or just sections of it. With rapid, repeatable measurements, and a digital record of inspections, SAM will improve aircraft reliability and safety.
