Laser Ultrasonic enabled "Smart" Mold for composite parts manufacturing

A Laser Ultrasonic "Smart" Mold, which provides in-situ information about the degree of cure of a composite part during manufacturing is described. The LUSM contains a laser ultrasonic source and an embedded fiber optic ultrasonic detector. The degree of cure can be obtained from measurements of the ultrasonic velocity and attenuation in the composite part. The results of ultrasonic measurements during manufacturing of a composite specimen are presented. The main advantages of the proposed technique are the ability to operate at high temperatures and high pressures, and the ability to provide distributed sensing that covers most critical areas of a component.