Method and device for analyzing the conformity of an interposition mastic integrated into a structure, in particular of an aircraft

A device for analyzing a conformity of a faying-surface mastic integrated into a structure, wherein the structure includes at least two partially superposed parts between which is arranged the faying-surface mastic,

• wherein the device comprises:
• an ultrasonic measuring unit configured to generate an ultrasonic signal, send the ultrasonic signal to the structure from at least one measurement point, and measure a time-of-flight of the ultrasonic signal and measure an amplitude of the ultrasonic signal reflected by said structure as a function of the time-of-flight of the ultrasonic signal;
• a first processing unit configured to:
• determining a propagation model of faying-surface mastic and auxiliary data;
• determine a thickness of the faying-surface mastic at said measurement point based on the amplitude measured by the ultrasonic measuring unit, and using the propagation model of said faying-surface mastic and auxiliary data, wherein the propagation model is representative of the faying-surface mastic and determine a thickness value of the faying-surface mastic based on the time-of-flight of the ultrasonic signal through the faying-surface mastic and on the auxiliary data;
• and
• a second processing unit configured to determine, from the thickness value a conformity or a non-conformity of the faying-surface mastic.

A method comprising:

• sending an ultrasonic signal into a structure including a faying-surface mastic integrated sandwiched between parts;
• receiving reflections of the ultrasonic signal by the structure;
• measuring time-of-flights between the sending of the ultrasonic signal and the reflections of the signal;
• measuring amplitudes of a plurality of the reflections as a function of the time-of-flight associated with each of the reflections;
• determining thickness values associated with the faying-surface mastic using the time-of-flights, the amplitudes, a propagation model representative of said faying-surface mastic and auxiliary data;
• and
• determining whether the faying surface mastic conforms to a thickness criteria based on the thickness values,
• wherein said auxiliary data includes a temperature of the structure, and a time at which the faying-surface mastic was integrated into the structure.