Boeing Finalizes AcoustoCam™ NDT Procedure for 787 Dreamliner

All Nippon Airways Spearheads Quick and Quantitative Composite Inspection Method

02-21-2014 – BELTSVILLE, MD – Imperium, Inc. today announced that Boeing has included a procedure for using Imperium’s ultrasonic imaging device, the AcoustoCam™, in its 787 Dreamliner Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) manual. The procedure provides a method to inspect the 787 Dreamliner’s carbon fiber-composite airframe in the field quickly and nondestructively.

Boeing, the world’s largest aerospace company and a leading commercial aircraft manufacturer, publishes NDT manuals that contain maintenance and inspection procedures for its aircraft. Boeing’s procedure for the AcoustoCam™ is available to all 787 Dreamliner owners. The procedure, entitled “Part 4 – Ultrasonic Inspection of BMS 8-276 Solid Laminate Fuselage Structures for Damage (Ultrasonic Camera),” helps NDT inspectors capture real-time, highresolution ultrasound images of composite structures.

Hiroshi Kobayashi, Senior Manager of Structural Engineering at All Nippon Airways (ANA), said that the AcoustoCam™ produced superior results over other NDT devices and was “very helpful in capturing the image of internal structures quickly.” ANA, Boeing’s largest 787 Dreamliner customer, initiated the AcoustoCam™ procedure development process in 2013.