Non-Destructive Testing and Evaluation (NDT&E) is one of the most essential assets in aerospace structural design. No component manufactured is allowed to pass without having been confronted with any of the various NDT procedures being around. As such NDT is a guarantee for safety in aerospace and a subject of highest attention.

Although aerospace industries have to clearly stick to certified NDT procedures, there is a large amount of technology being currently developed within engineering science which is worth to be discussed on the verge of applicability. The widespread use of modern materials as well as new manufacturing processes in the aerospace industry has also given rise to many new questions regarding their reliability and methods in the light of non-destructive evaluation, both from a research as well as a manufacturing point of view. The continuous discussion on carbon fibre reinforced composites versus high performance metals substitution and vice versa is just an example among many other aspects being discussed.

To communicate the latest R&D results on the one hand to industrial users and on the other hand to discuss the advanced and improved methods both with scientists as well as with industrial researchers, the Symposium for NDT in Aerospace has been established in 2008 with a first congress in Fürth, Bavaria, hosted by the DGZFP and Fraunhofer IIS.
After a successful 2^nd congress for NDT in Aerospace in 2010 in Hamburg and a 3^rd symposium in Montreal/Canada, we will continue this event and a 4^th symposium for NDT in Aerospace will now be held in November 2012 in Augsburg.

The main topics of this event will be the physics of NDT, sensors and material interaction, the system design of complete inspection machines and the data evaluation by automated image processing. A special focus is given to improvement in inspection speed and transfer of laboratory NDT towards production and manufacturing process integrated testing for inline inspection.

The presentations should have a strong relation to current and future applications for material characterization and component inspection for laboratory and production environment. We expect both, presentations about new results of already industrial established NDT systems as well as discussions about new and challenging NDT ideas still under research and development. Thus, we hope to combine and bring together the experience of industrial researchers with the ideas and the creativity of scientists to enable a fruitful dialogue for further improvement of NDT in Aerospace!

Topics

• NDT methods like ultrasound, x-ray, thermal imaging, laser based and optical surface inspection etc.
• Component inspection
• Material characterization
• Data evaluation and image processing
• NDT system design
• Production integrated NDT&E
• Mobile NDT&E for maintenance, repair and overhaul
• Damage tolerance
• Aircraft Aging
• Structural Health Monitoring

Presentations addressing the topics mentioned above and considering any NDT methods proposed such as thermal imaging, eddy current, ultrasonics, optics, X-ray testing and many others will be most welcome. Opportunities for exhibition of technology and posters will be provided, as well as technical visits to relevant aerospace companies.