The development of on-demand satellites has created the need for methods that quickly assess the structural integrity of the system. In particular, because of rapid testing and assembly, workmanship errors such as loose bolts within the satellite structure are a concern. Current methods of loose bolt detection, which often rely on baseline data or analytical models, are not practical due to the variable geometry of the satellites and the time constraints on testing. The method of impact modulation is a nonlinear vibration method which is quick to perform and is robust to changes in the geometry of the structure. This paper presents the results of applying impact modulation to a simplified structure used to model a single bolted joint within a satellite. Results show that impact modulation can distinguish changes in torque within the bolted joint. In addition, several examples of how the underlying linear characteristics of the system affect impact modulation results are given.

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