Fri, 10 June, 2022
The TACOMA CFRP inspection project has reached prototype completion and successfully demonstrated the concept.
TWI Ltd and Direct Conversion have collaborated in an Innovate UK part-funded project called TACOMA, which has explored the application of disruptive technology to address challenges in non-destructive testing (NDT) and quality inspection for the needs of the automotive industry. Specifically, carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) is finding increasing applications for motor vehicle production that is lightweight leading to better fuel consumption. This trend is set to continue and reinforces the necessity for a reliable inspection solution. The need for inspection is not just confined to the point of manufacture, but exists throughout the CFRP product’s lifecycle. Below is a summary of the inspection needs of the stakeholders:
Figure 1. Inspection needs in CFRP project life cycle
However, current inspections are limited due to CFRP materials being difficult-to-image, making volumetric inspection difficult. The current inspection technologies have limited capability to discriminate local densities of fibres to resin. X-ray computed tomography (XCT) is expensive and too slow to be useful for a real time production process as well as inapplicable to large planar components.
The TACOMA robotic air coupled ultrasound and X-ray inspection is a solution the industry stakeholders would utilise to improve their current composite inspection processes with minimal disruption to their existing setup. The TACOMA project has demonstrated that photon counting detector technology can scan parts faster to a high degree of sensitivity, which would improve the inspection requirements outlined above where current technologies are struggling, i.e. imaging local densities of fibres to resin, fibre alignment, cracks, delamination, corrosion, internal damages.
On completion of the TACOMA conceptual solution, the main equipment modules within the TACOMA system have been defined and a supply chain identified progressing towards a seamless technology transfer. There is a need for extended prototyping to factor in given operational requirements and final system sizing. The consortium are working towards finalising the TACOMA offering in preparation for commercialisation.
Figure 2. TACOMA cobot inspection cell
Figure 3. Air coupled image result acquired with the TACOMA system
Figure 4. Example digital radiography results acquired with the TACOMA system
The TACOMA Project team welcome input from interested parties to help steer product requirements and you can get in touch with them and find out more about the project right here on the TACOMA Project website.