Airbus Helicopters has received the DGZfP Application Award 2026 for the implementation of the “Implementation of the first hybrid robotic inspection center with Laser-Excited Acoustics (LEA) for aerospace serial production.”
The award recognizes outstanding industrial applications of non-destructive testing (NDT) innovations and highlights the successful deployment of advanced inspection technology in an aerospace production environment.
The awarded project involves the implementation of the first hybrid robotic inspection centre using Laser-Excited Acoustics (LEA), a new contact-free and dry ultrasonic inspection technology developed as an alternative to conventional water-coupled ultrasonic testing systems for composite inspection.
With the technology now deployed for serial inspection at Airbus Helicopters, XARION Laser Acoustics GmbH’s LEA solution has demonstrated its application in an industrial aerospace production environment, supporting advanced inspection requirements for composite components.
The hybrid robotic inspection centre combines robotics and LEA technology to enable automated inspection processes while addressing the requirements of aerospace manufacturing, where reliable quality control and non-destructive evaluation are critical.
The DGZfP Application Award highlights the practical implementation of NDT innovations that contribute to improving inspection processes in industrial applications. The recognition marks a significant achievement for the teams involved in developing and integrating the inspection solution.
Airbus Helicopters’ team, including Mathias Dambaur, Maria Mayr, Stefan Lang, Michael Winter, and Manuel Schreitmüller, was congratulated for their contribution to the successful implementation of the technology.
Special recognition was also given to the system integration and robotics experts at Fill, including Thomas Gramberger and Christian Schiessl, for their role in supporting the development of the hybrid robotic inspection centre.
The deployment of LEA technology at Airbus Helicopters represents an advancement in aerospace NDT, demonstrating the potential of contact-free ultrasonic inspection methods for serial production environments.
Reference: https://xarion.com/en/
