Optical detection of defects in high quality surface composites

The principal focus of this study was to assess the feasibility of an experimental technique capable to detect the superficial defects that might be present on the surface of the composite panels fabricated through high volume manufacturing technologies, such as sheet moulding compound (SMC). The preliminary investigations performed suggest that reasonable similarities exist between numerical and experimental setups involving a collimated laser beam projected on a hemispherical concave defect located on a mirror-like flat surface.