Vienna-based ultrasonic inspection innovator Xarion Laser Acoustics is strengthening its U.S. presence as it prepares to showcase its patented Laser-Excited Acoustics (LEA) system at the upcoming ASNT Annual Conference this October in Orlando. The move underscores Xarion’s ambition to scale its footprint in the aerospace and advanced manufacturing sectors with its contact-free, fully automatable ultrasonic inspection technology.
Trusted by major aerospace manufacturers like Northrop Grumman, Xarion’s LEA system eliminates the traditional reliance on water, gels, or coupling agents, offering a dry, non-contact alternative that significantly improves both workflow efficiency and inspection flexibility.
Redefining NDT for High-Stakes Manufacturing
In industries where structural integrity is non-negotiable, conventional nondestructive testing (NDT) methods are showing their age. From water-immersion tanks to waterjet setups, traditional ultrasonic inspection often introduces complexity and limits material applicability.
Xarion’s LEA technology overcomes these constraints using a pulsed laser to generate ultrasonic waves within a test material. A proprietary optical microphone, the size of a matchbox, captures these waves without physical contact, enabling high-resolution, high-throughput testing across diverse substrates including carbon fiber composites, metals, adhesives, and ceramics.
“Our solution offers enough flexibility to inspect a wide range of material combinations—from carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRP) and adhesives to metals like steel and aluminum to ceramics,” said Dr. Balthasar Fischer, founder of Xarion Laser Acoustics.
From Helicopter Tail Booms to Weld Spots
The technology is proving particularly effective for aerospace applications, where even single-cell flaws in honeycomb CFRP structures can be detected. The Pulse-Echo sensor head enables both single-sided and through-transmission scanning, identifying defect size, depth, and position—even in curved, hollow structures such as helicopter tail booms. With a wide frequency bandwidth of 50 kHz to 4 MHz and scan speeds up to 1 meter per second, the system is tailored for in-line manufacturing environments where precision and speed are critical.
“Customers appreciate the ability to validate performance in-house before committing to system-wide changes,” noted Dr. Josef Pörnbacher, Head of Application Development at Xarion.
Scalable, Turnkey, and Automation-Ready
To streamline industry adoption, Xarion offers the LEAsys, a plug-and-play inspection system for R&D environments. Once validated, the same core technology can be seamlessly integrated into automated lines, with robotic arm deployment for tasks like automotive weld spot inspections.
By removing the operational friction of conventional ultrasonic testing and enabling dry, high-speed, non-contact inspection, Xarion is helping U.S. manufacturers evolve their quality control protocols to meet the demands of modern high-performance materials and mission-critical components.
