In a paper published in the program for the 19th World Conference on Nondestructive Testing (WCNDT), Jatzlau et al. found that the resonance mode of our BondMaster™ bond tester can easily, quickly, and cost-effectively detect qualitative differences in porosity of CFRP automotive manufactured parts.

The goal of their study was to examine nondestructive testing (NDT) methods of acoustic resonance analysis to identify the most effective quality assurance and inspection method of flaws in CFRP parts. The experiments conducted in the study used CFRP samples with flaws of impact damages, fiber waviness, and porosity. The authors selected the BondMaster bond tester to identify CFRP parts with manufacturing errors, as well as damage during operation.

The results of the paper conclude that, "Compared to other NDT methods such as ultrasound and thermography, acoustic resonance analysis allows a simple and quick identification of flawed parts including approximate flaw localization. Subsequently, the identified parts can be inspected more closely by means of more complex testing instruments to precisely examine location, type, and size of the flaw."

To learn more about the experiment and results, click the link above.

The Role of Adhesive-Bonded Components and Structures in the Automotive Industry

Adhesive-bonded components and structures have become an important part of manufacturing in the automotive industry. The integrity and reliability of bonds are critical to producing high-quality end products.

Resonance testing can readily detect delaminations. This method also detects many types of disbonds (i.e., skin-to-core separation in honeycomb composite structures).

However, the setup and operation of resonance testing can be complicated. The testing requires a liquid couplant, which makes it harder to scan the joint. Liquid couplants are also not allowed for some composite materials and structures due to possible contamination.

The BondMaster 600 instrument offers bond testing methods that do not require couplant, such as pitch-catch and mechanical impedance analysis (MIA). The resonance inspection method, available on the BondMaster 600M model, is particularly good at detecting delaminations and disbonds in an array of composite structures. It works best on thin-skinned composites.

See more at Olympus.com.