This paper describes the use of laser vibrometry and thermal non-destructive testing for detecting defects in GFRP composite by applying a single test procedure. The laser vibrometry involves the averaging of vibration amplitudes over an entire frequency spectrum accompanied by the frequency-phase analysis. Such procedure may lead to suppression of low signals, produced by smaller and deeper defects, by higher signals conditioned by larger and shallower defects. The fusion of results obtained with both laser vibrometry and thermal NDT was used to enhance defect detectability. The corresponding experimental techniques were applied to detecting four types of defects (air gaps, foam, blank grooves, resin) in GFRP composite, as well as evaluating defect size and depth. Also, laser vibrometry was used to characterise barely visible impact damage in CFRP composite, and test data was compared with C-scan ultrasonic inspection results. It has been shown that the results supplied by three inspection techniques have been reasonably consistent in characterisation of defect lateral area and depth. When analysing the complex structure of impact damage in composites, the detection of both shallow and deep defects can also be enhanced by performing fusion of test results supplied by laser vibrometry and active thermal NDT.

The total focusing method (TFM) is often considered to be the ‘gold standard’ for ultrasonic imaging in the field of nondestructive testing. The use of matrix phased arrays as probes allows for high-resolution volumetric TFM imaging. Conventional TFM imaging involves the use of full matrix capture (FMC) for ultrasonic signals acquisition, but in the case of a matrix phased array, this approach is associated with a huge volume of data to be acquired and processed. This severely limits the frame rate of volumetric imaging with 2D probes and necessitates the use of high-end equipment. Thus, the aim of this research was to develop a novel design method for determining the optimal sparse 2D probe configuration for specific conditions of ultrasonic imaging. The developed approach is based on simulated annealing and involves implementing the solution of the sparse matrix phased array layout optimization problem. In order to implement simulated annealing for the aforementioned task, its parameters were set, the acceptance function was introduced, and the approaches were proposed to compute beam directivity diagrams of sparse matrix phased arrays in TFM imaging. Experimental studies have shown that the proposed approach provides high-quality volumetric imaging with a decrease in data volume of up to 84% compared to that obtained using the FMC data acquisition method.

A significant gap in the known methods for assessing the levels of metal artifacts in X-ray computed tomography and approaches to their reduction is an almost complete disregard for the physical nature of this artifact—the proximity to zero of radioscopic transparency. The proposed work fills this gap. A mathematical model has been developed for evaluating metal artifacts in X-ray computed tomography as applied to the geometry of a parallel beam. The simulation model was transformed into an algorithm, and a Mathcad program was designed to simulate images of the internal structure of the test objects. The algorithm for estimating the studied artifact includes the stages of generating sinograms and estimating the distributions of the linear coefficient over the sections of the object based on the back projection method with filtering. The efficiency of the metal artifacts simulation algorithm is demonstrated in the example of symmetric and asymmetric objects with low- and high-density inclusions and inclusions from materials with high atomic number values. The possibility of reducing metal artifacts with the help of a rational choice of the maximum energy of X-ray radiation and the ADC bit depth is illustrated. For example, for an aluminum cylinder 200 mm in diameter with a central cylindrical cavity 80 mm in diameter, cylindrical inserts 12 mm in diameter with material densities from 1.5 g/cm³ to 10 g/cm³, and effective atomic numbers of materials from 13 to 47, the numerical simulation method proved the following: it is practically unattainable to significantly reduce the level of metal artifacts by increasing the ADC capacity to the maximum X-ray energy of 160 keV; the desired effect is achieved by simultaneously increasing the maximum X-ray energy to 225 keV and the ADC capacity to 24 or 32; increasing the maximum X-ray energy from 160 keV to 225 keV leads to an increase in the energy absorbed in the material of the test object by 26%. The results of this research can be used at the design stage of X-ray computed tomography systems designed to control objects with fragments of low radiation transparency.

This paper represents the concept of an intelligent system for manufacturing components with the complex shape that combines automated technological operation and nondestructive testing modules. The engineering solution for development of the automated ultrasound tomography module is discussed, which is the key element for quality assessment of the components at both early and final stages of the manufacturing process. The proposed solution includes a robotic manipulator to perform scanning of products of any size and shape, as well as the use of a specialized positioning table to achieve accurate testing results. The proposed automation solution for the ultrasound tomography module is performed as a three-level system, including development of an automated workplace for the operator, which provides interconnection between every module included in the manufacturing process.

Non-destructive quality assurance of complex shaped objects is one of the major challenges in the variety of industrial areas. Robot-assisted ultrasound tomography is one of the common methods used for this purpose. This study proposes a tomography based on the preliminary received 3-D reconstruction results. The obtained experimental details represent the applicability of the suggested method to ensure effective quality control.

A mathematical model of the formation of high-energy digital radiographic images in conditions of low levels of digital signals has been developed. The model is designed to increase the efficiency of the analyzed systems in relation to the testing of large-sized objects by virtue of digital summation of images. Based on the model, an algorithm and a MathCad program designed to simulate digital images of test objects have been developed. Based on the analysis of the results of computational and field experiments, the principal possibility of increasing the efficiency of high-energy digital radiography systems based on accounting for rare events is illustrated.