Industrial Applications Of Holography In Aerospatiale

AEROSPAT1ALE occupies a leading position in the European aerospace industry. Its industrial potential is exemplified by : - Its 4 divisions : Aircraft, Helicopters, Tactical Missiles and Space and Balistic Systems. - Its 11 factories. - Its 6 subsidiaries. The vitality of the firm can be demonstrated by a few figures : - Turnover (fiscal 1980 without the subsidiaries), 13, 169 millions French Francs. - Exports (in 1980), 48,2%. - Workforce (on 31st December 1980), 38,857 of whom 3,919 were with the subsidiaries. Among Aerospatiale products, we can quote : - Ariane. - Airbus. - Super Puma, Astar, Dauphin. - Tactical Missiles AS 15, AS 30, AM 59. - Satellites Meteostat, Intelsat V and Exosat. Certain projects were carried out in multi-national cooperation. These high-performance, high-reliability products presuppose the implementation of advanced technology. Hence, in order to maintain their standard, we use non-destructive testing thechniques such as X-rays or ultrasonics which have given complete satisfaction in the detection of flaws. However, to reduce the inspection contribution to the cost price of our products, we were led to develop new, large-scale methods, such as acoustic analysis and holographic interferometry. This paper covers the uses of holography in an industrial environment. We shall discuss the technical advantages of the method, illustrated by several examples,and the economical advantages, demonstrated by the practical example of an inspection line. Finally for the enhancement of Aerospatiale's technology (new materials, and holographic inspection) we will go on to outline other fields of activity.