10157860Precision Detection for Delamination Defects in Fibre Reinforced Composites (DelFibre)ClosedGrant for R&DInnovate UKIn this project NDT Consultants LTD (NDTC) will partner with NPL to carry out research characterization of delamination defects and analysis of data in Glass Fibre Re-enforced Polymer composites using terahertz (THz) imaging. The current most widely used method by the NDT industry to assess delamination defects in composites is ultrasonic. However, this method has drawbacks such as low accuracy in detecting near-surface delamination as well as the need for direct contact between the ultrasonic transducer and the inspected material. Because of this, the industry often uses additional NDT methods such as Computer Tomography (CT) to obtain more accurate data regarding delamination., which makes the inspection time longer and the NDT method complex to interpret and costly. THz waves offer several advantages for detecting delamination defects in composite materials. These advantages make THz non-destructive testing an effective method for inspecting aerospace, automotive, and structural composites. The key benefits of THz are: * Non-Destructive and Non-Contact Inspection * High Sensitivity to Layered Structures * Depth Profiling and Layered Imaging * Better Contrast for Dielectric Materials * Complementary to Other NDT Methods Success of this project will strengthen the position of NDTC in the market of NDT products and services and improve their competitiveness.