Ultrasound imaging optimizes vacuum bag leak detection
CAMX 2024: The handheld Ultra CE by Distran combines acoustic information with a wide-angle optical camera to clearly and reliably detect leaks at a distance.
Source | Distran
Perfect vacuum integrity is paramount before composite products can be cured; any leak in the vacuum bag can compromise final product quality and will require additional time for repair afterward. (Zürich, Switzerland and Port Arthur, Texas, U.S.) introduces its ultrasound camera, the Ultra CE, as a fast and reliable leak detection method. Based on acoustic leak imaging (ALI) technology developed in 2013 by Distran Switzerland, this solution enables operators to visualize leaks from a distance by detecting the ultrasounds they emit.
In composites manufacturing processes, vacuum leaks can hinder product quality and production efficiency. Indeed, vacuum leaks create turbulence in their vicinity, which in turn, create audible sounds and ultrasounds. When ultrasounds propagate to the sensor, the Ultra CE’s 124 ultrasound transducers capture the ultrasound waves at different times (differing by less than a millisecond). These little time differences are processed by the device in real time to display the exact location of the sound source: the leak.
Attendees are able to the experience the technology firsthand and better understand how it pinpoint leaks. Experts are on hand to discuss how Distran’s clients leverage Ultra CE’s capabilities through real-life examples.
Related Content
-
We4Ce designs rotor blades for TouchWind’s floating one-piece rotor turbine
Tiltable, liftable one-piece composite rotor design aims to withstand storm-force winds, boost energy yield and enable more compact offshore wind farms.
-
Modular, curved racing track design enabled by composites and adaptive molds
X-Track worked with bespline to develop an easy-to-install, reusable, customizable composite sandwich panel alternative to dirt BMX and motorcross tracks.
-
From the CW Archives: Airbus A400M cargo door
The inaugural CW From the Archives revisits Sara Black’s 2007 story on out-of-autoclave infusion used to fabricate the massive composite upper cargo door for the Airbus A400M military airlifter.