A Nondestructive Inspection System for the Inspection of Wear Surfaces in Tank Track Shoes

In this paper we present a unique nondestructive inspection (NDI) system for inspection of al/sic metal matrix composite (MMC) inserts in cast aluminum tank track shoes (TTS). The system is based on two different nondestructive inspection methods, ultrasonics (UT) and eddy current (EC), which are capable of detecting and identifying defects in MMC, such as porosity, debonding, and cracking. This paper also discusses results obtained during inspections of Al/SiC MMC samples with different levels of porosity, and debonds using UT and EC inspection. The prototype version of the system is designed to perform an acceptance inspection after TTS manufacturing and before deployment. Other potential applications of this system are in the evaluation of complex MMC parts in the automotive industry.