One form of damage to fiber reinforced plastics (FRP) is delamination. This damage is often not detectable by conventional visual inspection. Methods such as the cyclical replacement of components or regular inspections are time-consuming and above all expensive. The detection of such defects requires complex non-destructive testing methods such as ultrasonic testing or computer tomography. In order to avoid the costs arising from these measures as far as possible, sensor technology is to be integrated directly into such components in the future.
Within the scope of the research project, a fabric-based bending sensor system was developed and characterized as part of the woven reinforcement structure of FRP. Due to this sensory fabric structure there are no negative influences on the mechanical component properties due to defects in the basic textile structure. With the help of the developed sensor systems made of a multilayer woven fabric structure it will be possible in the future to detect possible overloads during operation, to avoid or detect possible damages and thus to minimize maintenance, repair and downtime costs considerably. The integrated sensor technology enables continuous monitoring during operation of dynamically loaded components and additionally guarantees the safety of the component.
The short report on the research project can be downloaded here:
