Mathieu Ducousso | SAFRAN Group
24th July 2025
Today, we have the pleasure of talking with Mathieu Ducousso from SAFRAN Group about research, education, but also CIVA, TraiNDE, and consulting with EXTENDE.
Dear Mathieu, you are a research engineer in SAFRAN Group’s “Tech” R&D entity. Could you describe the activities of this entity and your role within it?
SAFRAN Tech is SAFRAN Group’s Research & Technology entity. With 500 employees, including around 100 experts, its activity currently represents a quarter of the Group’s Research & Technology effort. Its focus is on three major technological areas: Materials and Processes, Energy, and Digital Science and Technology. SAFRAN Tech has a research mission for the Group’s activities and, when needed, a support mission for subsidiaries.
I am a researcher at SAFRAN Tech, in the Digital Science and Technology division, in Non-Destructive Testing. My expertise is primarily in ultrasound, with some activities that may also involve other methods. As a Sensors and Instrumentation Expert, I can also intervene to assist the Group’s companies with requests for specific expertise, or to help resolve specific needs.
Can you describe one or more recent projects for which you used CIVA simulations? What contribution did CIVA make to these projects?
I use CIVA regularly, but mainly the modules related to ultrasonic waves.
I currently have several research topics related to guided waves. I use CIVA to better understand and visualize the modes I can generate in complex inspection configurations (e.g., multi-layer structures), to simulate dispersion curves, evaluate propagation velocities, and simulate the displacement fields associated with the modes I want to use.
I also use CIVA for TFM imaging activities, particularly to better understand the advantages and limitations of different amplitude and phase imaging algorithms. I recently published an article in NDT & E that illustrates this activity.
Finally, I can use CIVA to size phased array probes and evaluate their imaging performance in given configurations.
What improvements or new features would you like to see in CIVA?
The current limitations I see are in guided waves, for rather high-frequency simulations on thick parts. This generates a lot of modes, which can lead to very long simulation times, or even failures. A simple solution could be to allow you to choose the number of modes you want to calculate. Still on the subject of guided waves, I have high expectations for the upcoming new version of CIVA, but I believe we’ll still have limitations in defect geometries (2D, I think), so I hope we’ll soon be able to use 3D. I have research projects that require this capability.
In terms of materials, I work a lot on composites, particularly 3D woven composite materials, and so being able to take this complex weave into account in simulations would be fantastic!
Finally, having trained in laser ultrasound, I am eagerly waiting for this possibility of generating and detecting ultrasonic waves to appear!
For one of these projects, you called upon the EXTENDE consulting team. What were the benefits of using our services?
Indeed, as part of a support activity for a group’s company, I needed to propose an industrial control solution for a bonding process in record time. There were two different inspection configurations. I asked EXTENDE to assist me with the simulations for this development. EXTENDE carried out all the simulations, which we had initially defined and which were identified as necessary during the study.
In this application case, the use of CIVA combined with EXTENDE’s expertise to support such a project significantly reduced the development time and costs of the deployed solution. We thus implemented a TFM imaging solution in a tandem configuration, in reflection, in just a few months. We went from defining the control strategy to simulating it on a real part, particularly to verify space requirements. This work enabled us to have an operational and efficient solution from the first attempt! In my opinion, it represents a very successful and fruitful partnership between SAFRAN and EXTENDE. We jointly published a scientific article on this development in the International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology.
You are also an Associate Professor at ENSAM Paris. Could you describe your activities within this university?
At ENSAM, I have both a research and a teaching activity. I teach NDT in particular, to some ENSAM students and doctoral candidates. My research topics are related to physical acoustics in solids, in linear and nonlinear regimes, with phased array and laser generation/detection. I was recently able to purchase a phased array electronics system as part of an ANR project that also benefits the laboratory for inspecting parts from the research activities of other laboratory teams (additive manufacturing, polymers and composites, etc.). I hope to be able to equip the lab with CIVA soon, for which I identify many needs, ranging from conventional NDT to SHM.
You recently acquired the TraiNDE simulator to train and educate students about radiographic inspection. What are the advantages of this tool? Did you receive any feedback on its use yet?
Indeed, I purchased TraiNDE RT for my teaching at ENSAM (engineers and doctoral students). This software is fantastic! It allows you to simulate an entire radiographic inspection on many parts (although I would like to see composites included as well…). It also allows you to illustrate this inspection without any radiation protection issues. Suddenly, the theoretical lecture takes on its full meaning and allows future engineers to get a proper idea of this control. The initial feedback is very positive. I plan to deploy it soon in practical, self-service format, as part of the Evolutive Learning Factory, an innovative initiative from ENSAM aimed at reinventing engineering training by immersing the students in real, connected industrial environments. I then plan to use CIVA Education for UT.