Company Says New Test Removes Subjectivity From Rotor Blade Testing

Veracity Technology Solutions (Veracity) says it  has successfully completed a proof of concept demonstration with the U.S. Army for a non-destructive inspection (NDI) process used for testing helicopter rotor blades. But the AGC Aerospace & Defense company is keeping details of the test largely confidential.

“The U.S. Army selected Veracity to develop a more objective and trustworthy testing capability than they had,” said Gary Hensley, President of Veracity. “We were able to provide a proof of concept which can give the Army a viable solution for the inspection of rotor blades.”

The only utilized inspection method has been the “Tap Test” where a technician taps the surface of the rotor blade with a small hammer and then listens for any changes in the tapping sound which could indicate a possible defect. Even with the most skilled technician, this testing method is very subjective and can result in erroneous findings. The Veracity solution eliminates the subjectivity while maintaining the flexibility of being able to conduct the test either in the field or at a depot.

While Veracity has successfully tested rotor blades on the UH-60 and CH-47, this technology has a wide range of applications and has been successfully implemented in detecting and mapping delaminations in composite materials and corrosion in metal materials.

FMI:n www.veracityts.com, www.agcaerospace.com