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Article: Reinforced Plastics (UK)

Sensor Film Reduces Reject Parts

SENSOR PRODUCTS Inc of Madison, New Jersey, USA, introduces Pressures® thin sensor film, which carefully maps and measures the amount of interfacial stress exerted on honeycomb cores, composite lay-ups and bonded surfaces within composite structures.

The sensor film is said to allow engineers to see how surface stresses are distributed and thereby observe inconsistencies and misregistration in composite parts, and reduce the yield defect rate. Once cut to the required dimensions and placed between contacting or mating surfaces, the film instantaneously and permanently changes colour according to the pressure applied. A colour chart is then used to determine pressure magnitudes of 2 - 43,200 psi (14 - 3,037 kg/ cm²).

Pressurex can also be used for determination of press planarity in lamination processes, monitoring of vacuum bagging pressures, confirmation of pressure uniformity on filament wound parts, and calibration of tools and equipment.

The film has been used in the aerospace industry to determine the exact amount of pressure causing cracks in the inner spars of a helicopter's main rotor blade.