Detection of debonding in adhesive joints using Lamb wave propagation

Abstract

Adhesively bonded joints are widely used in many branches of industry. Mechanical degradation of this type of connections does not have significant symptoms that can be noticed during visual assessment, so non-destructive testing becomes a very important issue. The paper deals with experimental investigations of adhesively bonded steel plates with different defects. Five samples (an intact one and four with damages in the form of partial debonding) were prepared. The inspection was conducted with the use of guided wave propagation method. Lamb waves were excited at one point of the sample, whereas the out-of-plane velocity signals were recorded in a number of points spread over the area of overlap. The processing of signals consisted of calculations of weighted root mean square (WRMS). The results of the analysis showed that the WRMS maps allow for identification and determination of size and shape of debonding areas.