(XARION: Vienna) -- XARION Laser Acoustics, a pioneer in contact-free ultrasonic inspection, is ramping up operations in the United States.

Known for its patented laser-excited acoustics (LEA), XARION offers a dry, fully automatable solution that eliminates the need for coupling media like gels or water. Already trusted by industry leaders like Northrop Grumman, the technology is redefining nondestructive testing in advanced manufacturing.

Overcoming the limits of conventional ultrasonic testing

In the aerospace industry, where even single defects can lead to catastrophic events, quality control is of utmost importance. Nevertheless, the established nondestructive testing (NDT) methods have remained similar for decades. Traditional setups still rely on bulky water immersion tanks or splashing waterjet systems. These approaches complicate workflows and limit the materials that can be tested effectively. XARION’s LEA system removes these constraints by delivering fast, high-resolution testing without contact media.

Contactless precision for advanced materials

Using a pulsed laser, XARION’s LEA system excites ultrasonic waves directly within the tested material. The company’s proprietary optical microphone, a matchbox-sized sensor, detects those ultrasonic waves without physical contact.

Balthasar Fischer, founder of XARION, says, “Our solution offers enough flexibility to inspect a wide range of material combinations, from carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (CFRP) and adhesives to metals like steel and aluminum to ceramics.”

This flexibility makes LEA suitable not just for the aerospace industry but also for a broad range of sectors where the highest-level quality control counts.

High resolution meets high throughput

XARION’s LEA technology provides unprecedented precision in air-coupled ultrasonic testing. Even single-cell flaws in honeycomb-core CFRP structures are visible.

Inspection of a CFRP sandwich panel with a honeycomb core by LEA and traditional air-coupled UT. Frequency filtering of LEA’s broad bandwidth enables the detection of single-cell defects. Image: XARION

The small sensor head can be used either in single-sided or through transmission mode, characterizing even long, hollow, curved shapes, such as a helicopter tail boom. In single-sided measurements, XARION’s novel Pulse-Echo sensor head goes even further than comparative methods, giving information not only on defect size and position, but also its depth.

The novel Pulse-Echo sensor head from XARION provides not only information on defect size and shape but also on defect depth, which can be crucial for quality control. With its compact, matchbox-sized design, the sensor enables measurements of complex geometries. Image: XARION

With a wide frequency bandwidth (50 kHz to 4 MHz) and robust signal processing, the system produces high-resolution images at scan speeds up to 1 m per second, which is important for manufacturing lines.

From R&D to automized inline inspection

To ease adoption, XARION offers LEAsys, a turnkey inspection system for R&D environments.

The LEAsys is a user-friendly, turnkey solution designed for use in R&D departments. Image: XARION

This allows manufacturers to explore the capabilities of LEA before scaling up to full in-line integration.

Josef Pörnbacher, head of application development, says, “Customers appreciate the ability to validate performance in-house before committing to systemwide changes.”

In production lines, for example, for the control of weld spots in automotive components, the LEA sensor is mounted on a robotic arm and offers seamless automatization.

For automated quality control, the LEA sensor is mounted on a robotic arm. Image: XARION

In industries where failure isn’t an option, quality control must evolve beyond its traditional limitations. XARION’s LEA technology provides an essential tool to ensure quality and safety for its customers.