Patent ID: 8656779

Claim:
A method for determining the structural integrity of a panel, comprising: providing a non-contact measurement system and an excitation source configured to provide a vibratory load; exciting the panel with the source at at least one frequency at a first amplitude; acquiring first velocity data with the system of at least one point on the surface of the panel during said exciting at a first amplitude; exciting the panel with the source at at least the one frequency at a second amplitude different than the first amplitude; acquiring second velocity data with the system for the point on the surface of the panel during said exciting at a second amplitude; correcting at least one of the first data with a factor corresponding to the first amplitude or the second data with a factor corresponding to the second amplitude; comparing the first data to the second data after said correcting; identifying non-linear behavior of the point from said comparing; and determining the structural integrity of the panel from said comparing.