Project description DEENESFRITPL A hot new automated inspection technology will lift the aerospace sector to new heights Aircraft maintenance is fundamental to sustained airworthiness. It is also extremely time-consuming and costly. Aircraft inspection and maintenance generally follow a programmed periodic schedule, with many tasks largely still done manually. The EU-funded AUTHENTIC project will develop a fully automated system exploiting thermography for the inspection of the welding joints of aircraft. Thermography involves heating a surface and observing how the temperature distribution decays with time using an infrared camera. The technology will support not only detection but characterisation and localisation of structural defects and damage, enhancing accuracy while reducing time and cost. Show the project objective Hide the project objective Objective Thermography opens a new paradigm because shifts actual manual inspections like those of Fluorescent Penetrant Inspection (FPI) into automated inspection and detection to avoid human errors. AUTHENTIC addresses the development and adoption of automated inductive active thermography to improve the probability of detection (POD) of surface defects generated or appearing in welded safety-critical engine components both for in-process control and for final inspection and quality acceptance. The high sensitivity of the technology enables the detection of cracks down to 200 μm. An improvement higher than 50% is expected on the detectable critical defect size, on POD basis.Automation will be implemented during the inspection process through an adequate robotic system and also during the defect detection, characterization and localization, thanks to the developed algorithms. Furthermore, a second sensory will be added to the main system in order to tackle geometrically complex cases where thermography might fail or give a partial result due to accessibility issues. The system developed will provide (i) faster inspections on full-scale components, (ii) elimination of human subjectivity from inspections, and (iii) healthier and cleaner working environment for technicians. The easier, faster and more accurate maintenance inspections will lead to safer aircrafts and to the extension of their lifetime contributing to a globally more innovative, sustainable and competitive EU aircraft industry. AUTHENTIC will cover from the complete definition of the NDT system based on process and inspection requirements to its implementation and validation through the inspection of a real component provided by GKN (topic leader). The achievements of project objectives will be supported by the multidisciplinary consortium formed by experts in thermography (LORTEK, ULEOEBEN and EDEVIS), simulation (ULEOBEN), automated inspection (EDEVIS), sensorics (HV) and welding metallurgy (LORTEK, HV). Fields of science engineering and technologymechanical engineeringvehicle engineeringaerospace engineeringaircraftsocial sciencessociologyindustrial relationsautomationengineering and technologymaterials engineeringmetallurgy Keywords INDUCTIVE ACTIVE THERMOGRAPHY NDT (NONDESTRUCTIVE TESTING) WELDING INSPECTION AUTOMATION DEFECT DETECTION ALGORITHMS Programme(s) H2020-EU.3.4. - SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Smart, Green And Integrated Transport Main Programme H2020-EU.3.4.5.1. - IADP Large Passenger Aircraft Topic(s) JTI-CS2-2020-CfP11-LPA-01-90 - Automated thermography for inspection of welded safety critical engine components Call for proposal H2020-CS2-CFP11-2020-01 See other projects for this call Funding Scheme IA - Innovation action Coordinator LORTEK S COOP Net EU contribution € 309 475,00 Address ARRANOMENDIA KALEA 4 A 20240 Ordizia Spain See on map Region Noreste País Vasco Gipuzkoa Activity type Research Organisations Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Total cost € 309 475,00 Participants (3) Sort alphabetically Sort by Net EU contribution Expand all Collapse all MONTANUNIVERSITAET LEOBEN Austria Net EU contribution € 140 000,00 Address FRANZ JOSEF STRASSE 18 8700 Leoben See on map Region Südösterreich Steiermark Östliche Obersteiermark Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Total cost € 140 000,00 EDEVIS GMBH Germany Net EU contribution € 139 912,50 Address HANDWERKSTRASSE 55 70565 Stuttgart See on map SME The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed. Yes Region Baden-Württemberg Stuttgart Stuttgart, Stadtkreis Activity type Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Total cost € 199 875,00 HOGSKOLAN VAST Sweden Net EU contribution € 110 000,00 Address HOGSKOLAN VAST 461 86 Trollhattan See on map Region Södra Sverige Västsverige Västra Götalands län Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Total cost € 110 000,00