JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #112 - April/May 2017 - 35

AERONAUTICS
ndt

Computed laminography - production-integrated
inspection of large-scale CFRP components
CLARA®, a fully-featured computed laminography machine for non-destructive
inspection of CFRP components, provides measurement results and a complete volume reconstruction of the object in a very short time. This innovative
system is particularly well suited to aeronautics.
dr.-ing. miChael maiSl
Senior scientist and group manager
Fraunhofer-Institut für Zerstörungsfreie Prüfverfahren IZFP

Last year, Fraunhofer presented the
CLARA® CL machine for non-destructive inspection of CFRP components
using computed laminography, which
was developed by engineers and
researchers of the Saarland Institute.
The results of the measurements and a
complete volume reconstruction of the
object are available within minutes.
Aviation applications
Applications of fibre-reinforced plastics (FRP) in lightweight construction

Reconstruction at
any relevant resolution
Similar to CT, radiographs are taken
from different angles to compute a
three-dimensional representation of
the object's internal structure using a
reconstruction algorithm.
Unlike CT, however, the rotation axis
is not orthogonal, but inclined to the
beam direction. By this inclination, the

Scanning a car door with CLARA©

No112 April - May 2017

/ jec composites magazine

Feature Aeronautics

n the framework of non-destructive
inspection, computed tomography
(CT) is a reliable and effective
method for three-dimensional examination of the internal structure
of objects. However, the inspection
of flat components by means of CT
has its limits and is turning out to be
difficult due to restrictions by impossible but indispensable irradiation
directions. In these cases, computed
laminography (CL) is a time-saving
and cost-effective alternative.

or in aviation are steadily rising. FRP
components are often used in the form
of very large or flat shapes, which can
be examined using Fraunhofer IZFP's
CLARA® (Computer Laminography
And RAdiography) device. As
non-destructive inspection of complex
components and materials is increasingly required along the entire material lifecycle, and especially during the
production process, the development
of new, time-saving and cost-effective
testing methods is essential. As a
widespread X-ray method, CT can
provide high-resolution 3D volume
images to depict the finest structures
and details. CL is an efficient and
effective alternative for objects where
CT is unsuitable. While CL is widely
used in medicine, industrial applications are seldom found despite some
outstanding advantages compared to
CT. Unlike CT, CL is perfectly suited
for high-resolution inspection of large
or planar components, and inspection
times can be significantly reduced.
Additionally, a variety of different
recording shapes is available, which
also enable adjustments to perform
fully-automated batch inspection.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #112 - April/May 2017