Cracks occurring on commercial aircraft fuselage lap joints made of aluminum alloys often caused by scribe lines made during the removal of process of moisture sealing materials between two layers. These cracks on thinner bottom skin layers can be obscured by thicker top plates with paint. A portable GMR (Giant Magnetoresistive) sensor based eddy current system has been developed and tested on several simulated aircraft lap joints samples with EDM notches. Various thicknesses of layers are used to simulate the test as used on different combinations of lap joints. Length and depth of cracks are important factors for the safety of aircraft. Test results are used to come up with a portable nondestructive inspection system which is easy and fast with a high reliability of detecting cracks longer than a half inch in length and 0.010 inches in depth.

Topics
Magnetic ordering, Eddy current, Aircraft, Alloys, Machining, Educational assessment
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© 2006 American Institute of Physics.
2006
American Institute of Physics
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