Ultrasonic Detection of Delaminations on Composite Materials

An accurate N.D.I. methodology can give a good knowledge of the internal damage status. The main purpose of the present paper is to describe the testing methodology and to discuss the testing procedures that have been performed in order to evaluate the position and the dimensions of the delaminations that occur in different composite materials under various load conditions. For the delaminations detection inside CFRP laminates and sandwich panels subjected to impact and fatigue loads, an ultrasonic apparatus, in form of reflection, has been utilized. This apparatus, suitable for in situ inspections, has been successfully utilized in our laboratory. The analysis of the experimental results shows the capability of the system to be adopted for any application where the presence of delaminations is expected.