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Adhesive Bond Strength of Bonded Structures in Confined Locations

Award Information
Agency: Department of Defense
Branch: Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
Contract: W911QX-13-C-0037
Agency Tracking Number: D123-001-0028
Amount: $149,999.00
Phase: Phase I
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: SB123-001
Solicitation Number: 2012.3
Timeline
Solicitation Year: 2012
Award Year: 2013
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): 2013-01-31
Award End Date (Contract End Date): 2014-02-28
Small Business Information
6145 Scherers Place
Dublin, OH -
United States
DUNS: 834959363
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 David Sokol
 Director of Research
 (614) 718-3000
 dsokol@lspt.com
Business Contact
 Jeff Dulaney
Title: President and CEO
Phone: (614) 718-3000
Email: jdulaney@lspt.com
Research Institution
N/A
Abstract

Composite structures are the future of aviation. They reduce weight and improve fuel efficiency. Composite structures are now incorporated into aircraft by all major aerospace manufacturers. Many composite structures are assembled with fasteners, but, to meet future design requirements, manufacturers need adhesive bonding for their composite structures. In order for the industry to determine the safety and integrity and certify these aircraft, the adhesive bonds in these structures must be tested to verify the manufacturing process and, in subsequent depot level maintenance to confirm they are still adequate. There is no conventional non-destructive testing method available to assure that the bond strength is adequate for service. An inspection technology developed at LSP Technologies, Inc. offers a solution to evaluate the strength of adhesive bonds in bonded structures. This inspection technique is a local proof-testing method that applies a well-controlled dynamic tensile stress to the composite structure and senses inadequacies of these hard-to-detect weak adhesive bonds in response to the tensile stress. The tensile stress is generated by a pulsed laser beam interaction at the surface of the composite material. The controlled local stressing of the composite material has no effect on the material or properly bonded structures.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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