tecnaLUS, the new aeronautical inspection system developed by Tecnatom and Airbus, has reached Technology Readiness Level TRL6, in accordance with the internal procedures of Airbus Defence & Space. This new equipment has been validated at the Airbus industrial facilities at CBC (Centro Bahía de Cádiz).
tecnaLUS is a system based on RABIT (Robotic Systems) technologies and Laser Ultrasonics (Ultrasonics generated by laser) with the purpose of performing quality control in the process of manufacturing aeronautical components.
RABIT is a technology designed, developed and manufactured by Tecnatom that allows all the sub-systems required for a non-destructive testing inspection system to be integrated in a coherent manner. In this way, the end user has available all the necessary information via a single interface: part, coordinates, safety systems signals, machine status hardware and software alerts, ultrasonic acquisition information, etc.
Furthermore, the laser generated ultrasonic technique is a novelty technology that uses two space and time synchronised lasers that, generate and detect ultrasonic vibrations in the material to be inspected. Use of this technique makes it possible to analyse parts without contact, and without the need for any coupling medium, since the ultrasounds are generated by the thermal excitation created by a CO2 laser on the surface of the material.
The tecnaLUS system offers an addition novelty with respect to the other robot-operated systems developed by Tecnatom: the robot involved transports the part to be inspected instead of leaving it in a fixed position and moves the ultrasonic generation mechanism. This concept is perfectly exportable to conventional ultrasonics.
In this way, Tecnatom consolidates its position in the development of automatic non-destructive testing inspection systems, which it has been supplying for decades. This new system implies a technological breakthrough that will make it possible to increase the efficiency of manufacturing processes in the in the aeronautical industry at world level.
