Probe, system, and method for non-destructive ultrasonic inspection

A system for non-destructively inspecting a hat stiffener, the system comprising:

• a robotic arm;
• and
• a probe, fixed to the robotic arm and comprising:
• a body, comprising stiffener-engagement surface and a slot formed in the stiffener-engagement surface;
• an ultrasonic-sensor assembly, fixed to the body over the slot such that access to the ultrasonic-sensor assembly, through the slot, is unobstructed by the body;
• and
• a surface-engagement assembly, comprising a first foot and a second foot, wherein the surface-engagement assembly is movably coupled to the body such that the first foot and the second foot are on opposite ends of the slot of the body and the first foot and the second foot are movable relative to the body and the ultrasonic-sensor assembly;
• wherein the robotic arm is configured to autonomously move the probe along the hat stiffener such that at least a portion of the stiffener-engagement surface of the body contacts the hat stiffener and the first foot and the second foot contact the hat stiffener.

A method of non-destructively inspecting a hat stiffener, the method comprising steps of:

• contacting a cap portion of the hat stiffener with a stiffener-engagement surface of a body of a probe;
• moving a first foot of the probe, relative to the body, to contact a first web portion of the hat stiffener when the stiffener-engagement surface is contacting the cap portion of the hat stiffener;
• moving a second foot of the probe, relative to the body, to contact a second web portion of the hat stiffener when the stiffener-engagement surface is contacting the cap portion of the hat stiffener;
• and
• ultrasonically inspecting the cap portion of the hat stiffener with an ultrasonic-sensor assembly, fixed to the body over a slot formed in the stiffener-engagement surface of the body such that access to the ultrasonic-sensor assembly, through the slot, is unobstructed by the body.