Notus

NON-DESTRUCTIVE TESTING FOR COATINGS

Non-destructive inspection of the total coating thickness

Notus enables the inspection of the full layer thickness measurement and adherence control of each coating layer on top of composite materials used in the wind and aerospace industry. It works with any substrate: composite (carbon or glass) and metallic (steel, aluminium, titanium, magnesium, etc). With the possibility to operate in the lab, factory or field. Notus is now seeing the invisible so far.

This result is obtained thanks to the adaptation of one of das-Nano´s core technologies, Terahertz waves. Thanks to the particular properties of this specific frequency of the electromagnetic spectrum, this cutting-edge non-destructive inspection system is now commercially available.

Notus-lab

Notus-lab enables the inspection of full layer thickness measurement of each coating layer on top of composite materials used in the wind and aerospace industry. It is specifically addressed at researchers and developers in wind-power and new materials laboratories. Its main improvements deal with increasing accuracy and speed in characterization of a wide variety of materials. The positioning of the test piece to be measured in the actuator is manual, measurement is automatic and no sample preparation is needed. Notus-lab is able to work with any substrate: composite (carbon or glass) and metallic (steel, aluminium, titanium, magnesium, etc).

Notus-factory

Notus-factory enables the inspection of the full layer thickness measurement of each coating layer on top of composite materials used in the wind and aerospace industry. It is specifically addressed at blade manufacturing companies in wind-power since it allows the inspection of large surface areas thanks to its measuring head, which can be mounted on any robotic arm or structure, guaranteeing accurate and fast measurements of the entire production line of structures of large dimensions. Its main improvements deal with increasing material savings thanks to thickness optimization and reduction of reworks. The optimal positioning of the measuring head with respect to the surface to be inspected is guaranteed thanks to an automatic laser triangulation system and no sample preparation is needed. Notus-factory is able to work with any substrate: composite (carbon or glass) and metallic (steel, aluminium, titanium, magnesium, etc).

Notus-field

Notus-field enables the inspection of the full layer thickness measurement of each coating layer on top of composite materials used in the wind and aerospace industry. Notus-field is specifically aimed at wind farms owners and companies in charge of the supervision and repair of blades in these wind farms, since it allows inspection in the field on the mounted blade quickly and accurately. Its main improvements deal with reducing the cost of rework and the time and difficulty of repair, allowing the preventive maintenance of the defects of the blade. Notus-field system is placed manually and has a vacuum-assisted fitting that guarantees maximum grip without damaging the blade even in a vertical position up to the tip. Its friendly-use interface shows easily interpretable results in a few seconds. Notus-field is able to work with any substrate: composite (carbon or glass) and metallic (steel, aluminium, titanium, magnesium, etc).

Video demonstration

Notus is the first non-contact, non-destructive materials inspection system designed specifically for wind turbines, providing solutions to the challenges of the wind energy sector throughout the blade life cycle.

This is a project co-funded by the EU under Horizon 2020’s EIC SME Instrument.