NDE Test Specimen Fabrication via Laser Micro-fracturing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current nondestructive testing methods for industrial equipment, such as pressure vessels and aircraft wings, lack the ability to accurately identify flaws without damaging the equipment, which is essential for verifying the effectiveness of testing practices.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for creating intentionally flawed workpieces using a digital flaw map, where a high-energy beam CNC system applies laser beams to micro-fracture specific areas of a test specimen made from materials like crystal, borosilicate glass, or acrylic, mimicking real-world flaws to train and test nondestructive evaluation equipment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional NDE testing methods are used to inspect industrial equipment, then the equipment can be inspected without destruction, but the ability to accurately verify testing effectiveness and flaw detection quality is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-introducing known flaws into test specimens before NDE testing. The flaw injection system creates controlled defects at predetermined locations and depths, allowing the NDE equipment to be tested against known reference standards. This preliminary preparation enables verification of testing effectiveness and accuracy without requiring actual flawed industrial equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates simplified copies of real flaws through the flaw injection system. Instead of testing on actual industrial equipment with unknown defects, the system generates replicated flaw patterns (such as planar defects, volumetric defects, or surface-breaking defects) that mimic real-world conditions. These copied flaws provide a controlled environment for verifying NDE equipment performance.
2Manufacturing precision
If intentional flaws are introduced into test specimens using automated systems, then the precision and consistency of flaw locations are improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical flaw introduction methods with a laser-based system. Instead of using mechanical drilling, machining, or physical defect creation equipment, the system uses a laser beam delivered by a CNC-controlled positioning system to create precise thermal or stress-induced flaws. This substitution reduces mechanical complexity while maintaining or improving precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses parameter changes in the laser system to control flaw characteristics. By adjusting laser parameters such as power, pulse duration, scanning speed, and focal position, the system can create different types of flaws (planar, volumetric, surface-breaking) at precise locations without changing the physical hardware. This allows flexible flaw creation while keeping the device configuration relatively simple.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach allows for the precise creation of predictably located flaws, enabling the verification of nondestructive testing equipment's quality and accuracy without damaging the equipment, thereby enhancing the reliability of testing practices.
Implementation Method 1
applying a laser beam at a plurality of energy points within a portion of the NDE test specimen using the high energy beam CNC
Implementation Method 2
micro-fracturing a portion of an internal volume of the NDE test specimen to create a plurality of micro-fractured flaws
Data Source
AI summary
A method of manufacture for creating an NDE test specimen with predictably located one or more flaws according to a digital flaw map and of a material having an angle of refraction matching industrial workpieces for testing and training is disclosed. Comprising selecting a workpiece material for the NDE test specimen having a substantially similar angle of refraction to industrial workpieces, fabricating the NDE test specimen from the workpiece material, executing a CAD software on one or more processors of a controller computer, reading the digital flaw map comprising coordinates of the one or more flaws to be applied to the NDE test specimen, controlling a high energy beam CNC to apply the digital flaw map to the NDE test specimen, selecting the workpiece material among crystal, borosilicate glass, and acrylic, applying a laser beam at a plurality of energy points within the NDE test specimen.