Nondestructive Evaluation of Micro Casting Products for Aerospace

Zona Industriale ASI - 83040 Morra De Sanctis >(AV), Italy

E.M.A. Europea Microfusioni Aerospaziali SpA is a Third Tier End User partner of 4M producing components for the aerospace market fabricated by micro casting technology. E.M.A. has had long term collaborations with the University of Naples Federico II to which it recently submitted a technological enquiry regarding the identification of an appropriate metrology procedure for the nondestructive metrological characterisation of micro features in the aerospace components of its production.

Consultancy was given by the University of Naples Federico II to the E.M.A. company about the general aspects concerning the metrological problem applied to their micro cast aerospace products. The development of an ultrasonic (US) based nondestructive testing (NDT) procedure was proposed to simultaneously obtain the client required thickness measurements and external profile 3D geometrical characterisation within the same metrological testing procedure to drastically reduce testing time and cost. Demonstration of the feasibility of the procedure will be experimentally carried out and the specific metrological US NDT system design requirements for application to the company's micro cast products will be provided. The collaboration has already been started on the basis of a 10 days consultancy activity and is expected to be completed by September 30, 2005.