SOLUTION SHEETFlawExplorer NDT System

Laser Shearography NDT System for fast & reliableinspection of sandwich, honeycomb, composite
laminates (& overwraps), coatings & bondings, sprayfoams & sealants, and ceramics & compounds

Efficient & effective NDT Solution for in-field (service) NDT and quality
control (post-production) operations

FlawExplorer Laser
Shearography NDT Sensor
side view.

The FlawExplorer is a laser shearography non-destructive testing (NDT) sensor designed tobe used for; post-production quality control applications or in-field component inspections.
Depending on the application, the sensor can be configured with thermal or vacuum(partial) excitation systems and may also be automated. It incorporates the very latest inphase-shifting technology delivering accurate and reliable measurement results throughclear and sharp imaging with sub-micrometer displacement resolution.

Key benefits•

Portable, easy to set up, and ready to operate within seconds•

Can inspect 3.4 m x 2.8 m (11.2 ‘‘ x 9.3 ‘‘) within a maximum of 25 seconds•

Compact, robust design featuring aluminum housing with a detachable safe-guard ring•

Uses the 4+4 Phase Shifting technique removing measurement noise•

Safe to use system with eight laser diodes of laser safety Class 3R•

Fully integrated control electronics•

Software controllable automatic shearing•

Automatic projection calibration•

Thermal or vacuum (partial) excitation system available

FlawExplorer Laser
Shearography NDT Sensor
rear view.

Sub-micrometer, measurement resolution
Laser Shearography is an optical, Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) technique used toreveal sub-surface defects in structures. This technique works through the application of a load to a structure for which a laser shearography sensor observes(minimal) surface bending in the form of an out-of-plane strain field, and subsequently images the measurement as a phase map. Since the sensor is sensitive
to changes in the interference of laser light, the capability of the sensor to detectbending is within the sub-micrometer range.
The ultimate goal of any NDT system is to deliver reliable measurement results as
economically as possible. Laser Shearography is a perfect solution that can detect
defects that other NDT methods cannot, including disbonds, kissing bonds, nodebond splits, and ply wrinkling. In many cases the reliability of the technique, as
quantified through the smallest detectable defect size at 90% Probability ofDetection (PoD) and low False Call Rates is unmatched. The economic advantagesof using Laser Shearography include high inspection rates (i.e. m2/sec), low sample
preparation times, and formal NDT technique approval & recognition. The best
applications suited for the FlawExplorer are sandwich, honeycomb, composite
laminates (& overwraps), coatings & bondings, spray-foams & sealants, and ceramics& compounds (cross-section) constructions.

Applicable NDT Applications forLaser ShearogrAphy

Phase Map of an Aramid Honeycomb
Comp using the FlawExplorer(Aerospace NDT)

FlawExplorer Laser Shearography sensor with short-wave halogen thermal excitation presenting
an Istra4D phase-map image of a composite overwrapped GFRP pressure vessel from Automotive
NDT. The phase display presents two indications of ply wrinkling within the overwrap.

Phase Map of an Aluminum Honeycomb Comp using the FlawExplorer(Aerospace NDT)

Fully integrated sensor with high-resolution imaging
The FlawExplorer sensor is completely contained in one, lightweight (5 kgs / 11lbs) unit. Only two connections are required to operate the sensor; one for power
and one for camera data. With fully integrated imaging & control electronics, thesensor incorporates; a (standard) 3.2 MPx or (optional) 5 MPx, CMOS camera with amaximum frame rate of 37 & 24 Hz, respectively, a varifocal zoom lens, eight (Class3R) laser diodes, automatic shearing, automatic projection calibration, and phaseshifting piezos. The sensor is contained in an aluminum housing with a detachablesafe-guard ring, the rugged design of the FlawExplorer is designed to withstandshocks, knocks, and vibrations.

Schematic diagram ofFlawExplorer sensor
Page 2Phase Map of Ply Wrinkling of CFRP
Laminate using the FlawExplorer(Wind Power NDT)A workhorse for efficient & fast NDT inspection
Laser Shearography has one of the highest inspection rates compared to any NDT
method, specifically because it utilizes a large Field-of-View (FoV) from the use ofmultiple coherent laser diodes. A FlawExplorer uses 8 laser diodes to generate alarge illumination area = Field-of-View (FoV). For a standard 3.2 MPx camera, theachievable projected image size in one shot can be up to 2.9 m x 2.1 m (9.4 ft x7.0 ft) or for an optional 5.0 MPx camera, up to 3.4 m x 2.8 m (11.2 ft x 9.3 ft) The
inspection speed of the FlawExplorer is unmatched compared to any other NDTtechnique, delivering high throughput rates for time-saving inspections. Coupledwith short loading times application, an inspection rate of multiple m² can beachieved per minute! This allows for faster and more economical NDT inspections.
The effectiveness (and also sensitivity) of Laser Shearography depends on thetype of NDT inspection application and also the ability of the excitation techniqueto generate bending strain to the test object. At Dantec Dynamics we offer
three different types of excitation systems; thermal excitation, vacuum (partial)
excitation, and vacuum (ambient) excitation.

Inspection area of the FlawExplorer
with a 3.2 MPx (standard) camera(green) or 5 MPx (optional) camera(yellow).

Thermal Excitation
A thermal Excitation is a form of loading that requires a heat source to createa change in surface temperature (ΔT) that induces a change in the out-of-planebending. At Dantec Dynamics, we offer two different types of SW-controllable(infrared) heat lamps.
DSM 60074: Automatic Heat Excitation - Halogen Lamps with Halogen Short-Wave
Bulbs, which have the highest radiation intensity and relatively short heating times.
This solution is appropriate for; thick components more than 5 mm in thickness,testing at distances further than 80 cm to the object, and/or for the inspection ofcarbon-fiber and aramid-fiber laminates.
DSM 60072: Automatic Heat Excitation – Quartz Emitter Lamps consist of MediumWave Quartz Tungsten Emitters, which have an average radiation intensity, andmoderate heating times, but are quite robust. This solution is appropriate for; thincomponents less than 5 mm in thickness, testing at distances less than 80 cm to theobject, and/or for the inspection of glass-fiber laminates or bonded-components.

DSM 60074 Automatic Heat Excitation:
Halogen Lamps components

Istra4D Vacuum Excitation
Module (required to operate
DSM 60074 & DSM 60072)

DSM 60072: Automatic Heat
Excitation – Quartz Emitter
Lamps components

Vacuum Excitation
Vacuum excitation is used to create negative pressure (suction/vacuum) by using
a pump. This can be in two application forms, either as a surface section, whereby
a manual vacuum hood (with a window) is used to cause the inspected surface
to bend, or as a component, whereby a vacuum chamber causes entrapped gas
within the sample to expand in all directions causing bending.

DSM 61200 & DSM 61210
Components
Page 3Istra4D Vacuum Excitation
Module (required to operate
DSM 61200)

Istra4D – Laser Shearography
Istra4D, Dantec Dynamics’ advanced laser shearography software, is intuitiveand simple to use. With a clear user workflow, users have easy control of all
relevant measurement configuration parameters, including; brightness, shearing,projection, and visualization settings. Users can easily perform real-timemeasurements and also advanced post-processing analysis of acquired results.
Whatever the NDT application, Istra4D is the imaging workhorse behind all of
Dantec’s laser shearography systems.
To control the sensitivity of out-of-plane movement, the FlawExplorer includes afully-automatic (software controlled) shearing piezo for both the shear angle andshear distance.
For reproducibility, the shearing piezo can be controlled with sub-pixel accuracy,
ensuring that two measurements at different distances yield the same results.

Istra4D software presents a phase display
map of multiple disbonds within analuminum honeycomb component fromthe aerospace industry using manualvacuum control for vacuum (partial)
excitation.

System Automation
A FlawExplorer system can be completely automated, including camera and heat
triggering, display settings, filters, and control parameters. Whether mounted
on a robotic arm, linear traverse, or an XY gantry, the sensor uses a dedicatedcommunication protocol allowing complete interaction between the FlawExplorer
software, Istra4D, and an autonomous PLC interface. Numerous successful
automation projects for diverse NDT applications of Laser Shearography have
driven the normalized requirement for robotic integration. This possibility is now
available as a standard software module option, for complete reproducible testing.

NDT Applications

FlawExplorer Laser Shearography
Sensor mounted on a robotic arm.

Page 4Customer Service & Support Benefits

Unlimited access for an unlimited
amount of users to the LS user training
module via the Dantec eLearning
platform.

1-year free software updates withtechnical support (E-mail/phone)

Certificate of Calibration: phase shifter &automatic shearing.

User-exchangeable laser diode modules

Access to a yearly servicing package ata fixed price, including Istra4D software
upgrades.

1-year warranty (standard)Online help/support using TeamviewerTM
for application assistance and running
troubleshooting diagnostics online (if needed).

Dantec Dynamics works closely with accredited NDT training and servicing providers
for Laser Sheargraphy NDT. Our primary training partner, Testia®, an Airbus®
company, offers LS training to EN 4179 at Bristol in the UK. Certification can also becompleted on location.

Technical specifications
Specifications
Dimensions

316 mm x 218 mm x 233 mm (12.4 ’’ x 8.6 ’’ x 9.2 ’’)

Weight5 kg (11 lbs)

Camera3.2 MPx / 37 Hz (standard) or 5 MPx / 24 Hz (optional)

Shearing Sensor

12-bit CMOS camera
SW-controllable shearing piezo (shear angle and shear distance)
Phase-stepping piezo
Automatic projection scaling

Lens

Varifocal zoom lens (f=10-40mm)

Laser Unit

8 laser diodes / 120mW (CW) @ 660nm

Laser classClass 3R
Nominal Ocular Hazard Distance (NOHD): 27 cms (10.6 ’)
DIN EN 60825-1:2007 / IEC 60825-1:2007 / ANSI Z136.1-2014

Page 5

Technical specifications – Laptop PC
Specifications
Standard LS LaptopIntel® Core™ i7
Display: 15.6 “/ 16:9 / 1920 x 1080 (Full HD)
RAM: 16 GB / SSD: 512 GB

Ruggedized LS Laptop

IEC 60529: IP-53 / MIL-STD-810G&H
Intel® Core™ i7
Display: 14.0 “/ 16:9 / 1920 x 1080 (Full HD)
RAM: 16 GB / SSD: 512 GB

Ultra-Ruggedized LS Laptop

IEC 60529: IP-65 / MIL-STD-810H / MIL-STD-461GIntel® Core™ i5
Display: 15.6 “/ 16:9 / 1920 x 1080 (Full HD)
RAM: 8 GB / SSD: 500 GB

Order information
Category

Item

Item noSensor

FlawExplorer Laser Shearography Sensor

DSM 13180

Laptop PC

Standard LS Laptop
Ruggedized LS Laptop
Ultra Ruggedized LS Laptop

DSM 20130

Software (Istra4D)

Istra4D Software Platform
Istra4D Laser Shearography Module
Istra4D Thermal Excitation Module
Istra4D Vacuum Excitation Module
Istra4D Remote Automation Control Module

DSM 32000
DSM 32110
DSM 32130
DSM 32135
DSM 32150

Thermal Excitation

Automatic Heat Excitation - Quartz Emitter Lamps (*)
Automatic Heat Excitation - Halogen Lamps (*)

DSM 60072

Vacuum Excitation

Pressure Control Unit (**)
Standard Manual Vacuum Hood (***)

DSM 61200
DSM 61210

Accessories

Standard Tripod
Pan/Tilt Motorized Head with Heavy-Duty Tripod
Tripod DollyVacuum Tripod
Laser Safety Goggles (660 nm)
Membrane Demo Defect Sample

DSM 60030
DSM 60036
DSM 60086
DSM 60080
DSM 50050
DSM 50210(*) Requires the purchase of DSM 32130(**) Requires the purchase of DSM 32135(***) Requires the purchase of DSM 61200

Solution Sheet DS_0457_v6. Subject to change without notice. Copyright © 2023.
Dantec Dynamics. All Rights Reserved. www.dantecdynamics.com

DSM 20135
DSM 23000

DSM 60074