Future Inspection Technologies

Behold, the monitored machine.

In perhaps a decade or so, a mechanic might do a walk around inspection, much as the first officer does at pre-flight, just before departure. But this walkaround would be far more probing. Armed with a wireless ultrasound device, "your technician walks past the airplane and a little chip beeps at him," envisions Michael Moles, senior technology manager for Olympus NDT. "He knows then and there whether there's a problem." This, contends the veteran NDT executive, "will tend to be the future," a future predicated not so much on periodic inspection, as on structural health monitoring.

"It's one of the next waves," maintains Moles, "the sort of Holy Grail."

Michael Moles isn't Indiana Jones. He's a rational guy, grounded in science. An array of experts with whom Overhaul & Maintenance spoke agree that some decidedly exciting things are happening in the field of non-destructive testing and non-destructive inspection (NDT/NDI). But they also agree advances will be incremental, measured. Structural health monitoring -- at least at this stage of its maturity -- isn't even designed to supplant traditional inspection regimens en masse, just to supplement them.

Scientists are, by nature, cautious and circumspect.