New Non-Destructive Testing For Composites In Aviation And Other Applications

A new joint venture of EADS and Russia’s Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute (TsAGI) will develop game-changing nondestructive testing techniques – offering commercial products that enable faster, more effective inspection of the composite structures increasingly used in aviation and other industries.
 

The 50/50 company’s goal is to bring specialized software products to market for the inspection of composites during their manufacture and when in service on aircraft, wind turbines, automobiles, boats and additional applications. These software products will use a quantitative physics-based approach for nondestructive testing that decreases the time and cost of inspections.
 
TsAGI’s cooperation with EADS marks the Russian institute’s initial step into such a business experience, as well as its first ever joint venture. Under terms of the joint agreement, EADS and TsAGI will pursue their research, development and commercialization of software packages based on active quantitative infrared thermography (AQIRT) techniques, with TsAGI responsible for the Russia/CIS markets and EADS overseeing the remaining worldwide regions through its wholly-owned subsidiary, TESTIA Holding.
 
In the aviation sector, targeted markets include aircraft manufacturers and their suppliers; airline operators; the providers of maintenance, repair and overhaul services; as well as design bureaus and structural testing centers. “EADS is very pleased to sign this milestone partnership with TsAGI. TsaGI is one of Russia’s most distinguished and internationally recognized aerospace research institutes;” stated Jean Botti, the EADS Chief Technical Officer. “This new cooperation is part of our long-term commitment to working with the best research institutes in Russia and around the world with the goal of developing the best technologies for our products and services.”
 
The EADS/TsAGI AQIRT activities are being established within the framework of Russia’s Skolkovo Foundation – the science and technology development center created by Russia near Moscow for the development and commercialization of advanced technologies.
 
“This joint venture with EADS is an important – and exciting – development that opens new technology and commercial opportunities for our institute,” said Sergey Chernyshev, the TsAGI Executive Director. “By teaming with EADS, we will bring leading-edge technologies to market that will make a difference.” As one of the world’s leading aircraft research institutes, TsAGI has extensive capabilities in aerodynamics and airframe structures, including its considerable expertise in composite structural components and their overall life-cycle performance.
 
Contributing to the AQIRT joint venture will be Russia’s Tomsk Polytechnic University, which is to participate in software development and adaptation, along with comparative studies and validation.
 
The active infrared thermography techniques to be pursued by the AQIRT joint venture offers many advantages for users, as it allows inspection of relatively large areas at one time and is scalable to any size – enabling its use directly on an aircraft fuselage or other large structure. While other infrared thermography non-destructive solutions currently exist on the market, AQIRT technology from the EADS/TsAGI joint venture addresses such quantitative aspects as the measurement of thermo-physical properties of materials, providing a major breakthrough in the way that non-destructive testing and evaluations can be performed.

FMI: www.eads.com