Integration of non destructive testing

4MP offers very promising insights into how future inspection processes may be supported by inspection procedures containing multimedia assets. The automatic combination of different inspection procedures, the provisioning of various access strategies are only some aspects to mention. In order to develop an industry application, further research is required. This is aimed in particular at the underlying functional/semantic structure of future inspection procedures. In addition, the automatic integration of already existing data (such as CAD) needs further research.

A system model with a layered structure, well-defined interfaces, and detailed functionalities has been established for the Aeronautical Life Cycle Monitoring System (ALCMS). The unique features include the epidemiological tool to track defects, the use of supplementary data such as flight data and other data sets such as weather to support diagnosis and prognosis, part biography and graphical query, as well as a maintenance schedule optimisation tool. The work has resulted in a prototype demonstrator developed by the University of Limerick and a software tool of ADSIP-LCM by the University of Central Lancashire. Whilst the former shows the functionalities of ALCMS, the latter enables visualisation and examination of defects by registering and interactive viewing of a sequence of non-destructive testing images as 3D data.

A unique software tool has been developed to enable integrated 3D visualisation of multi-modality non-destructive testing (NDT) images superimposing on their CAD models, thereby facilitating cross-modality interpretation of the image features observed. The software provides users four different image fusion methods, with one method based on direct fusion of multi-modality NDT images in the spatial domain on a pixel-by-pixel basis, and three methods based on indirect fusion of multi-modality images via their wavelets coefficients in the wavelet domain. For two of the wavelet fusion methods, namely, fusion by averaging and fusion by energy comparison, fusion rules do not depend on the material structures. Whilst the fusion by averaging constructs the fused image based on a weighted average of the wavelet coefficients, the fusion by energy comparison constructs the fused image based on the wavelet coefficients with significant local energy. For the third wavelet fusion method based on region, different thresholds can be assigned to different decomposed regions, thereby allowing the fused image to be constructed based on the wavelet coefficients responsible for the representation of the most predominant features in each region and of suspected defects.

A unique computer assisted defect extraction and modelling software tool has been developed to enable inspectors to match a non-destructive testing image with its corresponding 3D CAD model, and defects identified by inspectors to be extracted in 3D and modelled by automatic geometric fitting based on B-splines. The software enables the original CAD model to be modified and exported by including defects, thereby facilitating more accurate defect characterisation and reporting. Several measurement functionalities are included in the software tool for quantitative defect characterisation, such as defect centre position, boundary length, surface area, defect orientation, and distance between two defects.

Methodologies and algorithms have been developed to achieve automatic image registration based on ellipses, elliptic arcs, and non-uniform rational B-splines (NURBS). For image registration based on ellipses, an analytical solution has been developed for coarse matching and an objective function has been developed based on the non-overlapping area for fine matching. For image registration based on elliptic arcs, a novel objective function has been developed based on integral of squared distances (ISD) between two elliptic arcs, and a hypothesis-verification type of search algorithm has been implemented for correspondence search. For automatic image registration based on NURBS, a novel method has been developed which consists of rough 3D/2D alignment by estimation of the two 3D rotation parameters via comparison of the similarities between the silhouette extracted from the date image and the silhouette patterns projected using different viewing points; rough pose estimation by 2D similarity alignment of the image silhouette and the most similar projected silhouette; and pose refinement by iterative alignment of the model and the input data image based on the closest point method until the resulting error is sufficiently small. These automatic image registration methods can be applied to match an image to its corresponding CAD model, or to match two images acquired from the same component at different times.

A standardised general architecture, called OMA system, for running the remote relevant operations (data/information transfer/treatment, communication/authentication tools) has been developed. The OMA is conceived as a process where in-service (human and machine) operators are provided both with tools combining on-field measurements with additional relevant knowledge (automatically generated by heterogeneous information stored in remote databases) and real-time expertise (embodying the management of a complete work-flow to remotely revise and approve inspection procedures). The system supporting the smart assistance operation is based on the use of mobile instrumentation suitably connected to a distributed network of knowledge sources and it integrates different communication channel among the users, Intranet/Internet/GSM network connected, in order to support the diagnosis. In particular, two different and complementary modalities to perform Smart Assistance have been developed and tested: first one is based on Web protocols, the other one uses GSM network. Moreover, the non-destructive testing daily activities require hand free nomadic workers. At the same time they need to keep the contact with his environment. Work situations could be sometimes perilous, with uncomfortable positions. In many cases, the tools currently found in the NDT domain useful for the measurements become inappropriate tools (heavy, cumbersome, etc.). Besides, kilograms of technical documentation to follow become a real burden, both physically because of the weight and technically because it is not really user-friendly. From this point of view, INDET project has provided some solutions to these different items, taking advantage of a numerical support for NDT activities. For instance, thanks to different global and deepened studies the existing paper-based documentation was made available in a multimedia format, a global electronic system was designed to help operators in performing their job. All these numerical tools are supported by a tablet PC to be used by a mobile NDT operator. But in an ergonomics point of view, it seems to be interesting to exploit the head attached display devices for some information as measurements visualisation for example. Information for which the dynamic characteristic is important to perceive in real time by keeping focused on the task at the same time. This can give to the system a real added value.

The goal of our project is to be able to analyze testing results (cartography, US results&) from ViewTec 4M (on the client workstation) without being obliged to install the software PVWAVE. This is made possible thanks to Jwave 3.5, which is the web version of PVWAVE. Jwave is an applet: A web IHM that is able to exchange data between the client workstation and the server, which runs the PVWAVE processes. To carry out a NDT inspection, the user follows the NDT procedure. This procedure is a description of: -The environment of the tests; -The conditions of the tests; -The Non Destructive Testing; -Dimensional damage measurement. Thanks to Jwave, the user has access to the referential ASCAN signal stored in the database on the server side. All these links provide duties to assist the operator in diagnosis delivery all along the procedure. First he can visualised its inspection environment and pre-set its equipment with the more effective parameters, then he can visualised reference signals of sound or defect area finally he can measured and located the defect on the cad part. All these information are reported in an electronic document for publication and knowledge base growing.

PDM software gives NDT inspector a good overview of the environment required for testing. The main objective is to optimise the scanning curve in terms of shape and sampling in order to cover the defined inspection designed area. We have studied the correlation of a standard mesh part with an NDT image to produce a corrected 2d NDT image. We apply this technique in controlling the meshing of the part through a representative curve of the scanning. At each point of inspection measurement of the scanning trajectory we process ray tracing to retrieve the following information: - Order of points - x,y,z of the emerging projected point of the beam on part surface. - d1 distance from the plan of the scanning curve and front part surface. - d1 distance from the plan of the scanning curve and back part surface. - ep part thickness at the emerging projected point - a1 angle from surface normal at the front emerging projected point and plane xz. - a2 angle from surface normal at the front emerging projected point and plane yz. - a3 angle from surface normal at the back emerging projected point and plane xz. - a4 angle from surface normal at the back emerging projected point and plane yz This parameters will be passed through a processing function to create a 3d corrected NDT image of the inspection through an ASCII format file. The sampling step in the direction of the main displacement and the step in the incremental direction describe the trajectory curve can be set by the operator. We will use CATIA V5 to get the cross correlation matrix between a plane curve and part surface. DASSAULT SYSTEMES develops a visual basic function to achieve this work.

3MP is an innovative application supporting various stages in the maintenance process. It is aimed at guiding different personas through complex and time-consuming inspections. The prototype of 3MP has proven to meet the exceptions of the target group. Individual aspects of 3MP need further investigation/research to finally build an industrial application providing the services envisioned and partially implemented in 3MP. The expansion to different industries such as automotive needs to be taken into consideration.

The software called SIMPOLY is under development through collaboration between EADS CCR and INPG Grenoble (Thesis of Guillaume Drieux). The software has been tested within INDeT project on 2 Dassault applications (Horizontal stabilizer and gear door). These tests have lead to a very positive evaluation and showed all the capabilities of such simplification software on CAD files used for NDT application. At the end of Guillaume Drieux 's thesis, the first step of dissemination would consist in identifying clearly the essential and used functionalities of the software for NDT applications. On this basis, a specific NDT module should be created in a user-friendly way and available on a PC support. The application targeted for EADS CCR for such a simplification module would be the simplification of complex CAD files transferred by the design and calculation office. The availably of the real 3D geometry is essential to understand and define in a more efficient way NDT parameters before the part is manufactured. Modelling tools can also be used at this stage.

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