Ultrasonic Techniques for the Defect Monitoring of CFRP Composites for Lightweight Mobility Applications

Nondestructive ultrasonic technology has attracted attention as an inspection tool in various fields, including agriculture, medical engineering, and airport security. In this study, ultrasonic technology was utilized for the reliability assessment of aerospace and automotive components, specifically applied to the defect monitoring of carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) composites. This study focused on using ultrasonic technology to assess defects in unidirectional CFRP laminate plates for lightweight applications. Ultrasonic reflection signals were monitored along the fiber orientation, revealing variations in amplitude profiles owing to defects. The most sensitive response was observed with the transducer distances of 4 to 15 mm, indicating that the amplitude range with a high signal-to-noise ratio is crucial for nondestructive evaluation.