Surface damage evaluation of honeycomb sandwich aircraft panels using 3D scanning technology

Abstract

A 3D scanning method is proposed for the measurement of surface damage on aircraft structural panels. Dent depth measurements were shown to be within 0.04 ± 0.06 mm (95%) of those taken using a Starrett 643J dial depth gauge based on 54 flat panel dents, and 0.04 ± 0.05 mm (95%) based on 74 curved panel dents. Dent depths were quantified by the difference between a point cloud rendering of the damaged surface and a surface fit approximating the original, undamaged surface. Convergence studies were used to evaluate the accuracy of the surface fit, enabling this technique to be used as a stand-alone inspection method. Image processing was used to measure dent length and area, and the results showed that this method is more efficient and reliable compared to manual methods. This novel non-destructive evaluation technique thus demonstrates potential to enable the timely extraction of surface dent measurements during on-site aircraft inspections.