Prospects and limitations of digital Shearography and Active Thermography in finding and rating flaws in CFRP sandwich parts with honeycomb core

This work shows the prospects and limitations of the non-destructive testing methods Digital Shearography and Active Thermography when applied to CFRP sandwich parts with honeycomb cores. Two specimens with different core materials (aluminum, NOMEX) and artificial flaws such as delaminations, disbonds and inclusions of foreign material, are tested with Digital Shearography and Pulse Thermography including Pulse Phase Thermography. Both methods provide a good ability for finding and rating the flaws.