Real-time monitoring of engineering systems combined with feedback to a high-fidelity physical model is becoming more commonly employed in industry to improve operational decision making.

Ultrasonic additive manufacturing, a three-dimensional metal printing technology, uses ultrasonic energy to produce metallurgical bonds between layers of metal foils near room temperature. This low-temperature attribute of the process enables integration of temperature-sensitive components, such as fiber optic strain sensors, directly into metal structures for load and health monitoring applications.

The fiber optic system allowed mapping of the strain along the length of the fiber with a spatial resolution near 1 mm, and the embedded fiber exhibited correlation with surface strains measured by digital image correlation. We are very happy to contribute with our Draw Tower Gratings to their technology. You can read the full study here.

Find more information about Fabrisonic on their website.