Description of Ultrasonic Cleaning technology. Description of Non-destructive testing technology process. Design of Ultrasonic Cleaning equipment. Design of equipment for the ultrasonic cleaning machine. Design of non-destructive testing equipment (Liquid Penetrant Inspection and Magnetic Testing). Feasibility study of designed technologies and supporting processes.

The first paper, “Dye Penetrant Induced Microcracking in High-Performance Thermoplastic Polyimide Composites”, studied the possibility of spurious microcracking in three high-performance thermoplastic polyimide composite materials due to zinc iodine dye penetrant. The material systems were IM7/LaRC™-IAX, IM7/LaRC™-IAX2, and IM7/LaRC™-8515. Specimens from each material system were subjected to one of three immersion tests. The first immersion test involved soaking composite specimens previously prepared with different polishing techniques in dye penetrant. In the second test, specimens were immersed in the individual components of the dye penetrant. The final test involved exposure of specimens to one of six solvents followed by exposure to dye penetrant. Results showed that the composite materials have sufficiently high thermal residual stresses to drive microcracking in the presence of dye penetrant without external mechanical loading. There was no evidence that the different polishing techniques had an effect on dye penetrant-induced stress cracking. The dye penetrant components did not produce microcracks in the composites. Some combination of the components must be present to induce microcracking. Observations also revealed that polishing had an effect on the microcracking process of the composites that were initially exposed to solvents then dye penetrant. The second paper, “The Effect of Environmental Stress Cracking on High-Performance Polymeric Composites”, studied solvent stress cracking and solvent-induced strength degradation on four polyimide matrix materials developed at NASA-Langley Research Center. These materials are LaRC™-IAX, LaRC™-IAX2, LaRC™-8515, and LaRC™-PETI-5. Cross-ply specimens were used to characterize solvent stress cracking in composites. Matrix cracking due to solvent exposure was observed in all of the materials. The solvent exposure time of the materials ranged from 1 minute to 96 hours. The results show that residual thermal stresses due to processing in the cross-ply composite specimens are sufficient to drive solvent stress cracking in the matrix. Solvent application lowers the microcracking toughness, G_mc ,values such that the available strain energy, G_m, within the transverse ply groups is sufficient to initiate microcracking. In the absence of a solvent, the same G_m value would not induce microcracking. Transverse flexure tests were performed on unidirectional specimens to determine the effects of the solvents on the material strengths. The presence of certain solvents severely degraded the materials. The manner in which the solvents were applied to the materials determined the degree of material degradation. The results revealed a synergistic effect between stress and solvent. The tests showed that diglyme, MEK, and acetone produced the most severe damage to the materials. The most solvent resistant material was LaRC™-PETI-5. This is followed by LaRC™-8515, LaRC™-IAX2, and LaRC™-IAX respectively. LaRC™- PETI-5 is a thermoset whereas the remaining materials are thermoplastics. / Master of Science

Present and future demonstrator designs were used to demonstrate the quality assurance of welds. The NDT methods tested on prototype demonstrator parts are: visual inspection, radius gauges, throat size gauge, liquid-penetrant testing, magnetic particle testing and ultrasonics with pulse echo and phased array. The other methods like eddy current, time of flight diffraction, radiography, impression test, macro test and infrared thermographs are currently being analyzed along with their inspection costs.   The control plans for present and future designs with corresponding present and future NDT methods are suggested to minimize a shift in process. Magnetic particle testing revealed a lack of fusion and cracks for fillet welds, whereas ultrasonic pulse echo and phased array identified an internal lack of fusion, inner pores/slag inclusions on butt welds. Ultrasonic PAUT & TOFD could be used for accurate defect identification and thermography for online identification of lack of penetration, depth of penetration and weld parameters. / Weight reduction by improved weld quality (WIQ)

Idag finns det inte tillräckligt underhåll på de 15 svamp- och bakterietankar som finns på AstraZenecas vattenreningsverk i Gärtuna, Södertälje. Företaget använder sig av avhjälpande underhåll där de väntar på att tankarna ska gå sönder för att sedan laga dem. Reningsverket vill skapa en underhållsstrategi på tankarna genom att ta reda på om livslängden kan förlängas eller om, och i så fall när, utrustningen behöver renoveras, uppgraderas eller bytas ut. I litteraturstudier undersöktes underhållsstrategier, vattenreningsverk och olika tillståndskontroller. Besök gjordes för att få en bättre uppfattning om hur arbetet på vattenreningsverket ser ut idag. Intervjuer hölls med chefen för vattenreningsverket, en erfaren drifttekniker samt två externa företag som jobbar med underhåll. I resultatet framgår information om vilka fel som uppstått, vilka åtgärder som vidtagits samt vad det kostat. Det framgår även hur underhåll kan ske med olika externa parter och kostnader för detta. Två olika tillståndskontroller, digital röntgenskanning och penetrantprovning föreslås för att upptäcka fel på tankarna. Efter analys av resultatet har slutsatser om en ny underhållsstrategi kunnat dras. Rekommendationer om hur den kan implementeras och lämpligt intervall har tagits fram. AstraZeneca föreslås gå från ett avhjälpande till ett schemalagt tillståndsbaserat underhåll, där tillståndskontroller utförs var tredje, fjärde eller femte år beroende på personalens bedömning och de rekommenderas också att använda sig av externa resurser när det kommer till tvättning och tillståndskontroller av tankarna. Avhjälpande underhåll är omöjligt att planera och kommer med vår lösning att minimeras. Schemalagt tillståndsbaserat underhåll som vi rekommenderar kommer resultera i en mycket enklare planering och oväntade kostnader likväl som oväntade stopptider kommer undvikas. Regelbundet underhåll kommer troligtvis resultera i att tankarnas livslängd ökar vilket bidrar till en bättre hållbarhet och man slipper köpa in nya tankar. / Today, there is not enough maintenance on the 15 fungal and bacterial tanks found at AstraZeneca's wastewater treatment plant in Gärtuna, Södertälje. The company uses a maintenance strategy where they wait for the tanks to fail and then fix them. The treatment plant wants to create a maintenance strategy for the tanks by finding out if the life span can be extended or if, and if so, when the equipment needs to be renovated, upgraded, or replaced. With literature studies maintenance strategies, wastewater treatment plants and various condition investigations, were analysed. The visits were made to get a better idea of how the work at the wastewater treatment plant looks like today. Interviews were held with the head of the water treatment plant, an experienced operating technician and two external companies working on maintenance. The result shows information about what errors occurred, what measures were taken and what it cost. It also shows how maintenance can be done with various external sources and costs for this. Two different condition investigations, digital x-ray scanning and penetrant testing are suggested to detect errors in the tanks. After analysing the results, conclusions about a new maintenance strategy could be drawn. Recommendations on how it can be implemented, and an appropriate interval have been developed. AstraZeneca should go from corrective to scheduled condition-based maintenance, where condition investigations are performed every three, four or five years depending on the staff's assessment and they could make use of external sources when it comes to washing and condition investigations of the tanks. Corrective maintenance is impossible to plan and our solution will minimize this. Scheduled condition-based maintenance that we recommend will result in a much simpler planning where unexpected costs as well as unexpected downtime will be avoided. Regular maintenance will probably result in an increase in the service life of the tanks, which contributes to better durability and they will not have to buy new tanks.