Xarion Laser Acoustics Debuts Laser-Excited Ultrasound NDT for Composites at CAMX 2026

Xarion Laser Acoustics, an Austria-based non-destructive testing (NDT) specialist, introduced its Laser-Excited Ultrasound (LEA) system at CAMX 2026. The system pairs a fiber-coupled laser with an optical microphone to perform fully automated, single-sided inspection of composite structures, detecting and localizing defects such as delaminations, voids, and impact damage without requiring contact or couplant. The LEA system is designed for in-process and post-production quality assurance on complex composite geometries, including those used in aerospace, automotive, and energy applications.

This launch addresses a persistent gap in the composites NDT market: the need for rapid, non-contact inspection that can handle curved, large-area, or geometrically complex parts without the labor-intensive scanning and coupling requirements of conventional ultrasonic testing. Xarion's approach competes with established methods like phased-array ultrasound, thermography, and shearography, but offers the advantage of laser-generated ultrasound that can be steered optically, enabling inspection of tight radii and deep internal features. The system's single-sided operation is particularly relevant for in-service inspection of installed composite structures, such as aircraft fuselage panels or wind turbine blades, where access to both sides is often impossible. The technology aligns with the broader industry push toward digitized, automated quality assurance workflows that reduce human error and inspection cycle times.

For Xarion, the practical challenge is moving from a CAMX debut to validated, repeatable deployment in production environments. The company must demonstrate that the LEA system can achieve defect detection sensitivity and false-call rates comparable to or better than established ultrasonic methods across a range of composite material systems and layup configurations. Buyers in aerospace and energy should evaluate the system's throughput relative to their existing NDT workflows and consider whether the capital investment in laser and optical microphone hardware is justified by the reduction in labor and couplant costs. The technology is promising, but its adoption will depend on qualification data from early-adopter programs and integration with existing MES or quality management software.