Characterization of damages in materials by computer-aided tap testing

The tap test is an easy and effective way of characterization of flaws and damages in different materials (especially honeycomb sandwich composites). When the tapping is carried out systematically to cover an area, the measured impact duration can be used for generating a "scan image" of the tapped area. Such an instrumented tap test and imaging system can be used for the detection of flaws and damages, for the evaluation of repaired areas and for the verification of normal reinforced substructures. In this study, the images of intact and damaged aluminum honeycomb sandwich composite, pine board and poplar board samples were obtained by using Computer Aided Tap Tester (CATT) system in the electric and magnetic field and also without any field. As a result of the tests made, it has been figured out that the tests made in the electric field and the magnetic field increased the quality of the images for damages. Also, it has been found out that the CATT system is quite successful in detecting damage of honeycomb sandwich composite materials. (paper)