Collapsible Scan Guide for Aircraft NDT Coverage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for non-automated area inspections, such as hand scanning and portable C-scan devices, are inefficient and costly, making it difficult to achieve complete coverage of large aircraft surfaces without leaving gaps, especially in complex structures like bonded aluminum and honeycomb parts, and are cumbersome to use.
Innovation Solution
A collapsible scan guide system with a support frame that includes a mounting member and a moveable member, allowing for easy attachment and detachment from the aircraft structure, and a translating straightedge that provides a guided path for the scanning device, enabling precise and complete scanning without the need for expensive portable C-scan equipment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If portable C-scan equipment is used to assure complete scan coverage, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The support frame is divided into multiple collapsible segments (first support member, second support member, third support member) that can be folded together for portability and deployed to form a stable structure during inspection. This segmentation allows the equipment to be transported easily while maintaining structural integrity and measurement precision during use.
Solution Approach 2:
The support frame transitions from a static, fixed structure to a dynamic, collapsible structure that can be configured as needed. The frame members are designed to collapse into each other for compact storage and then expand to provide a stable mounting platform, allowing the system to adapt between transport and inspection modes while maintaining measurement accuracy.
2Ease of operation
If hand scanning technique is used for area inspections, then ease of operation is improved, but productivity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting member acts as an intermediary device that provides a stable, pre-positioned platform for holding the scanning transducer. This eliminates the need for the inspector to manually stabilize the scanning device while maintaining the simplicity of hand-operated scanning, thereby improving inspection speed without sacrificing ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The support frame is designed to be quickly deployed and configured by the inspector themselves without requiring additional equipment or complex setup procedures. The collapsible nature allows rapid deployment, and the mounting member automatically provides stable positioning once deployed, enabling the inspector to begin scanning immediately with minimal preparation time.
3Measurement precision
If straightedge is used to guide the probe, then measurement precision is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting member combines the functions of the straightedge guide and the probe holder into a single integrated structure. The scanning transducer is mounted directly to the mounting member, which itself is attached to the support frame that provides the guiding edges. This merging eliminates the need to separately handle and coordinate a straightedge with the probe, maintaining scan path accuracy while significantly improving ease of operation.
4Stability of the object's composition
If adhesive is used to fix the straightedge to the part, then stability is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to ultrasonic couplant interference
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting member serves as an intermediary between the support frame and the scanning transducer, providing a stable mounting interface that does not rely on adhesive. The mounting member can be securely attached to the support frame structure through mechanical means (such as clamps or fasteners that work around the ultrasonic couplant), eliminating the interference problem while maintaining stable positioning of the scanning device.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for scanning an aircraft structure includes a collapsible support frame including a mounting member configured to be releasably mountable to the aircraft structure and a moveable member configured to be moveably mounted to the mounting member and to receive a scanning device. The support frame is configured to be positionable in: a collapsed condition in which the mounting member and the moveable member are disposed substantially acutely with each other and an operational condition in which the mounting member and the moveable member are disposed substantially orthogonal with each other.