Abstract
The use of an automated version of the coin-tap method of non-destructive testing on honeycomb panels with CFRP skins has been investigated. The test involves tapping the structure in the region to be inspected with an instrumented hammer and recording the time history of the force applied to the structure during the impulse. The Fourier transform of the force pulse is then compared with that obtained on a area of the structure which is known to be good. The major advantage of the method is that no couplant is required between the structure and the tapping head. The technique is therefore particularly attractive for use in the field, and on honeycomb structures with thin skins which may be porous. It has been shown that the method can reliably detect defects smaller than 10 mm in diameter under 1 mm thick CFRP skins. This sensitivity is somewhat better than that obtained with the mechanical impedance method, and it has been shown that the coin-tap test is more reliable on thin structures than the mechanical impedance technique.
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