Tele-shearography for nondestructive evaluation (NDE) of aircraft/composite panels: an analysis

Tele-shearographic system based on bulk optics shearing and optical fiber based illumination have been used for the Non-Destructive Testing (NDT)of aircraft/composite laminates. This paper describes the application of this system and a detailed experimental analysis to assess defects in Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic (CFRP) composite laminates by analyzing the fringe patterns. CFRP laminates and honeycomb panels have been studied using the this system in various optical configurations. This technique provides the full-field, non-contact method for Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDE) of composite specimens. A Comparative study between digital shearography and other NDTechniques are also discussed in this paper.