Wireless Technology for Probes and Accessories for Nondestructive Inspection Testing Instruments

Aircraft structure nondestructive testing (NDT) is performed in a field or depot setting depending primarily on the amount of disassembly required to gain access to the inspection area. In order to reach set field and depot inspection intervals, the minimum detectable flaw size (Andi) must be sufficiently small. Legacy NDT methods with Andi's that are too large require out of cycle inspections which are extremely costly in terms of both aircraft availability and maintenance man-hours. This program will adapt the JENTEK® MWM®-Array sensor and jET® handheld impedance instrument to achieve Andi values that are sufficiently small for the selected NDT Individual Aircraft Tracking (IAT) locations such that the inspections can be transitioned from the field cycle to the longer programmed depot maintenance (PDM) cycle. IAT locations with both surface cracks and subsurface cracks will be addressed. Performance at the selected IAT locations will be validated through probability of detection (POD) studies. The MWM-Array is also expected to reduce false indications which have been excessive for some conventional eddy current testing (ET) inspections. JENTEK will deliver to the Air Force two second generation jET handheld systems configured for the selected IAT locations.