USA flag logo/image

An Official Website of the United States Government

Automated, Rapid Non-Destructive Inspection (NDI) of Large Scale Composite…

Award Information

Agency:
Department of Defense 		Branch:
N/A 		Award ID:
 Program Year/Program:
2011 / SBIR
Agency Tracking Number:
N092-097-0579 		Solicitation Year:
2009 		Solicitation Topic Code:
N092-097 		Solicitation Number:
2009.2
Small Business Information
Thermal Wave Imaging, Inc.
845 Livernois Street Ferndale, MI -
View profile »
Woman-Owned: No
Minority-Owned: No
HUBZone-Owned: No
 
Phase 2
Fiscal Year: 2011
Title: Automated, Rapid Non-Destructive Inspection (NDI) of Large Scale Composite Structures
Agency: DOD
Contract: N68335-11-C-0174
Award Amount: $749,915.00
 

Abstract:

Automated, rapid, non-destructive inspection of large scale composite structures is an ongoing challenge for just about every NDI technology currently deployed in the aerospace, power generation, wind energy, and automotive industries. Both hardware and software limitations have dictated the level of inspection throughput, accuracy and reliability. In Phase I, TWI developed and demonstrated feasibility of a novel technique to thermographically inspect large composite areas at a large standoff without expected trade-off in performance. Using a sophisticated signal processing scheme and projected, modulated optical excitation, we demonstrated detection of subsurface features in composite materials at a working distance of 45 feet from the target. The results were comparable to (and in some cases better than) results from commercial flash thermography systems operating at close range. In Phase II, we shall build on the Phase I program and develop a commercially viable solution (prototype) - LASLAT (Large Standoff / Large Area Thermogrpahy) offering flexibility so it can be readily adapted to a broad range of applications requiring rapid large area NDI with a focus on wings of C-130J family of aircraft operated by our military.

Principal Investigator:

Steven Shepard
President
(248) 414-3730
sshepard@thermalwave.com

Business Contact:

Rebecca Simpson
Administrator
(248) 414-3730
bsimpson@thermalwave.com
Small Business Information at Submission:

Thermal Wave Imaging, Inc.
845 Livernois Street Ferndale, MI -

EIN/Tax ID: 383076506
DUNS: N/A
Number of Employees:
Woman-Owned: No
Minority-Owned: No
HUBZone-Owned: No