TOMOSCAN FOCUS

ULTRASONIC PHASED-ARRAY SYSTEM

Control of beam angle, focal distance,

and spot size
Multiple-angle inspections with a single
electronically controlled multielement probe
Greater flexibility for the inspection of
complex geometry
High-speed scans with no moving parts

WHAT IS PHASED ARRAY?

Phased-array technology allows the generation of an ultrasonic beam with the possibility of setting the beam parameters
such as angle, focal distance, and focal point size through software; furthermore, this beam can be multiplexed over a large
array. These capabilities open a series of new possibilities; for instance, it is possible to quickly vary the angle of the beam to
scan a part without moving the probe itself; phased array also allows the replacement of multiple probes and even mechanical components. Inspecting a part with a variable-angle beam also ensures detection regardless of the defect orientation
while optimizing signal-to-noise ratio.
The Tomoscan FOCUS phased-array system offers the following capabilities:
Software control of beam angle, focal distance, and spot size
Multiple-angle inspection with a single, small, electronically controlled, multielement probe
Greater flexibility for the inspection of complex geometry
High-speed scans with no moving parts

Software Control of Beam Angle, Focal

Distance, and Focal Spot Size

To generate a beam, the various probe

elements are pulsed at slightly different
times. By precisely controlling the
delays between the probe elements,
beams of various angles, focal distances,
and focal spot sizes can be produced.
The echo from the desired focal point

hits the various transducer elements

with a computable time shift. The signals received at each transducer element are time-shifted before being
summed up together. The resulting sum
is an A-scan that emphasizes the
response from the desired focal point
and attenuates various other echoes
from other points in the material.

Pulses

Emitting

A phased-array probe is typically a one- or two-dimensional array of small transducer elements. A few different probe types are illustrated here: rho-theta, circular,
2D matrix, and linear.

Probes

Incident wave front

Multiple-Angle Inspection with a

Single, Small, Electronically Controlled,
Multielement Probe

A conventional UT inspection would

require a number of different transducers. A single phased-array probe can be
made to sequentially produce the various angles and focal points required by
the application.

Applied delay

"Trig"

Acquisition
Unit

Phased Array
Unit

Angle steering

Flaw

Echo signals

Receiving
Acquisition
Unit

Reflected wave front

Phased Array
Unit

ADVANCED OPTIONS
Dynamic Depth Focusing

Another outstanding feature of R/D Techs FOCUS phased-array system is

the ability to dynamically focus the beam within a part, at the reception.
The image on the left shows the inspection of a standard calibration
block with a normal transducer with a fixed focus set at around half depth.
Compare this with the inspection of the same block but with dynamic
focusing (right). Dynamic focusing allows inspections of thick components
with a single probe, with flaws in perfect focus regardless of the depth.

Resulting wave surface

ADVANTAGES

OF

PHASED ARRAY

Inspection of Complex Shapes

High-Speed Scans with no Moving Parts

The capacity to produce at will, and

under computer control, various beam
angles and focal lengths can be used to
inspect parts with complex shapes such
as turbine disc, turbine blade root, reactor nozzle, and other complex shapes.
Note here the precise defect indication
shown on the top, side, and front view
of the root area of the blade.

While phased array implies handling the

many signals from multielement probes, it
is important to note that the resulting signal is a standard RF signal (or A-scan) comparable to that of any conventional system
with a fixed angle probe. This signal may
be evaluated, processed, filtered, and
imaged as any A-scan from a conventional
UT system. B-scan, C-scan, and D-scan built
from the A-scan are also identical to that of
a conventional system. The difference is
that a multiple-angle inspection may be
handled with a single probe.
Multiplexing also allows motionless
scanning. Here a focused beam is created
using a few of the many transducer elements of a long phased-array probe. The
beam is then shifted (or multiplexed) to the
other elements to perform a high-speed
scan of the part with no transducer movement along that axis. More than one scan
may be performed with various inspection
angles. FOCUS can be used in a production
environment to greatly improve the inspection speed, sensitivity, and resolution over
conventional systems.

The principle can be applied to flat parts

using a linear phased-array probe or to
tubes and rods using a circular phasedarray probe.

High-speed linear scan: FOCUS can

also be used to inspect flat surfaces such
as steel plates. Compared to a wide,
single-element transducer, sometimes
called paint brush, phased-array technology offers a much higher sensitivity
due to the use of a small focused beam.
Active group
16
1

64

Scanning direction

SYSTEM CONFIGURATION

FOCUS may be directly connected to any of

R/D Techs Tomoscan products. When used with
other UT system, however, a standard PC or any
other computer equipped with either Ethernet or
a serial link is required for the setup of the various parameters.

FOCUS May Be Used with Any UT System

The FOCUS system may be used as the front end to any existing ultrasonic system. Once the probes firing and reception
delays (focal laws) are programmed into FOCUS, a simple trigger to the system produces an amplified analog A-scan which
is fed directly into the input of a conventional UT system.
When using FOCUS as the front end with a nonR/D Tech UT system, phased-array parameters must be entered from a
standard PC (laptop or tabletop) or any other computer equipped with either Ethernet or a serial link.

FOCUS Is Expandable
FOCUS may be delivered in versions ranging from 8 to 128 channels. Expansion to a greater number of channels requires
the simple installation of plug-in boards. Also note that multiple FOCUS systems can be used in parallel to increase the effective number of active elements.

INDUSTRIAL INSPECTIONS
Electro-Resistance Welds (ERW)

This fully automated industrial system is developed to inspect

longitudinal welds on electro-resistance welded tubes at
speed of up to 1.1 m/s with an axial resolution of 2 mm.
Conventional ultrasound inspection of ERW seam welds
requires the transducers to mechanically track the weld centerline, not an easy task. With the FOCUS phased-array system, this tracking is done electronically, with no moving
parts. The beam is simply multiplexed within the probe array,
and the beam inspects a wider area, still with a focalized
beam. Each phased-array probe resting on either side of the
weld consists of 128 elements and covers a 60 sector.
By simply changing the probe wedge, tubes with diameters from 1.5 to 4.5 in. can be inspected with the same setup,
reducing costs and improving productivity.

Tubes, Bars, and Rods

R/D Tech can provide multiplexed phased-array ultrasound

system that produces a rotating ultrasound beam with no
moving parts, allowing the replacement of expensive and
troublesome rotating heads. This industrial system performs
the detection of longitudinal and transverse cracks and
dimensional measurement of diameter and thickness in stainless steel tubes. Changes in tube diameters and thickness can
be accommodated by software, eliminating the need for
costly mechanical adjustment.
Inspection speed of up to 500 mm/s
Electronic scanning equivalent to 18,000 r/min
No moving parts, easy to adjust
Software-assisted calibration

Thick Aluminum Plates

Until the advent of phased array, the inspection of thick aluminum plates required a multiprobe setup to ensure full
depth coverage. This approach was slow and cumbersome.
The use of a unique annular array probe, combined with
dynamic depth focusing, greatly improves the inspection of
thick aluminum plates.
The phased-array probe generates a single beam enabling
the detection of flat-bottom holes located between 1.2 mm
and 300 mm into the part. This beam is kept narrower than
2.5 mm over this range.
Single probe inspection
Only one A-scan for each mechanical position
Faster inspection, smaller files, faster analysis
Constant lateral resolution
Simplified mechanical setup

- A

WELD INSPECTION
Pipeline Girth Welds

The inspection of pipeline girth welds using the PipeWIZARD

ultrasound system has already proven its numerous advantages over more traditional inspection methods:
Elimination of radiation exposure
Excellent flaw depth measurement offering a significant
reduction in weld rework
Immediate feedback to welding team

R/D Tech reaffirms its technological leadership with the

introduction of the PipeWIZARD Phased Array inspection system. This cutting-edge system offers:
Electronically adjustable beam angle and focusing
Easier and faster inspection setup
More compact probe pan with less probes, providing easier
handling and faster circumferential scans
Inspection of a weld in a single circumferential scan at
100 mm/s giving full inspection results in less than 3 minutes

Output display from weld

inspection.

Thin Welds and Friction Stir Welds

The FSW technique has exceptional qualities when applied to

thin aluminum, but the process may generate small, tight
defects.
Ultrasonic phased-array technology was chosen over standard ultrasonic inspection technology as it has proven to be
very efficient in the inspection of FSW by allowing inspection
of the entire weld volume with a single line scan. A welldesigned phased-array probe may be used to generate narrowly defined ultrasonic beams in the weld volume, thereby
greatly increasing the SNR and the likelihood of detection of
small tight cracks. Inspection speed and data quality are
superior in the thin aluminum plates over standard ultrasonic
techniques, which would require multiple transducers and
raster scanning. Flaw characterization and evaluation is significantly enhanced over available radiographic technology
as well.
Inspection of Welds

Beam multiplexing as well as beam steering can be applied

to the inspection of welds. Phased-array inspection can
replace dual-axis weld inspections with a single-axis inspection, increasing inspection speed by a factor 10 or more.
The beam is multiplexed and its focal length dynamically
adjusted for optimum focusing on the weld line at all times.
Because the beam angle and focal length are controlled from
the software, it is easy to adapt to various material, thickness,
and weld profiles.
Full weld coverage with focused beam
Better detectability, discrimination, and positioning of flaws
One-line scan results in faster acquisition
Simplified mechanical setup
Volume-corrected imaging

In-plant vertical setup for 40-ft

long friction stir weld
inspection.
Courtesy of Boeing

POWER GENERATION
Turbine Discs

Turbine disc inspection with conventional ultrasonic technology would require up to 60 different transducers in order to
guarantee full coverage of the inspection area. The FOCUS
phased-array system can perform the same inspection with a
single probe.
Two different areas are inspected: the bottom of the antirotation keyhole and the turbine disc flange. These inspections were performed using the same scanner and transducer array.
Wedge and
Phased-Array
Probe

Formal system and inspection method approval was

granted by lectricit de France (EDF) in January 1994.
TOFD phased-array and pulse-echo phased-array
configurations
Large refraction-angle range of phased-array probes allows
full coverage of inspection area
Beam spot of 10 mm with a focal length of 500 mm

11 angles

Phased-array turbine disc

inspection system.
Courtesy EDF and SGS Qualitest
France

Pressure Vessel Nozzles

Complex shapes, such as nozzles, are difficult to inspect. Full

coverage of the inner radius would require the use of many
conventional transducers and a raster scan over a complex
shape. The FOCUS phased-array system can control the
beam angle, focal length, and focal spot of an ultrasound
beam, allowing full coverage with a single array probe. The
use of focused ultrasound beam also improves signal-to-noise
ratio.
Because of this flexibility, the FOCUS is the tool of choice
for the inspection of complex geometry such as nozzle welds,
primary pumps, and reactor penetrations.
Full volume coverage with large range of refraction angle
Pulse-echo and TOFD configuration
Inspection of inner radius and weld
Focused beam with large sound path
Volumetric imaging

Multiple-angle nozzle inspection

with phased array.

Blade Roots and Attachments

The turbine blade roots and attachments have very complex

geometry difficult to inspect with conventional UT techniques. In addition, the assembly of the complete turbine
leaves very little access room. Using a small 32-element
phased-array transducer (10 x 7 mm) combined with a backscattered diffraction technique, detection and sizing of
defects are performed in situ.
R/D Tech has developed, jointly with Ontario Hydro, a
phased-array technique to inspect the root area of turbine
blades which does not require the removal of the blades from
the disc.
Detection of notches 2 x 0.5 mm
Sizing of 3 x 1 mm notch
S/N ratio from the end of the blade is better that 14 dB
Inspection speed: 30 min/blade
Shear waves from 0 to 60 degrees; longitudinal waves from
30 to 70 degrees with the same probe

L0 blade root inspection.

Courtesy Ontario Hydro
Canada

SOFTWARE
ACQUISITION, ANALYSIS,
TomoView

AND

AND

PROBES

REPORTING SOFTWARE

Phased-Array Simulation Software (PASS)

Ultrasound Acquisition and Analysis Software

PASS is a Windows-based software that performs simulation

All of R/D Tech ultrasound products, whether using phased of the ultrasonic field generated by various types of phasedarray, ultrasound, or even EMAT, share the same data acqui- array or conventional UT transducers.
sition and analysis software. The software is PC-based and
Runs on Windows 95 or Windows NT
can be used on standard PCs ranging from simple laptops to
Imaging of top, side, and front views of beam energy distripowerful multiprocessor workstations.
bution for various 1D and 2D probe geometries
Data Acquisition and Analysis
Software setup and control of the phased-array system
Easy programmation of focal laws for sector, linear, and
depth scans, as well as dynamic depth focusing
Automatic volumetric settings
Real-time display of A-scans, B-scans, C-scans, and D-scans
Real-time display of phased-array sector scans
Real-time display of angle-corrected, top, side, and front
views from either A-scan, C-scan, or peak data
Real-time imaging on part drawing overlay
Analysis may proceed simultaneously with data acquisition
Measurement cursors and time-of-flight diffraction
measurement tools
Scanner control for automated inspections

Amplitude plots of any beam section

Prediction of A-scan response to point-like defects
Design of focal laws based on probe geometry and desired
beam angle, focal spot, and focal distance
Design of probe geometry parameters (for linear array, circular array, rho-theta, 2D matrix, etc.)
Ability to run simulations for flat or cylindrical interfaces,
including user-designed wedges
Simulations of diffracted field for both L or T waves and for
both pulse-echo or tandem modes

Simulation examples

This image uses a

focal law generating
a 0 focalized beam.

Another focal law is

used with the very
same probe to
generate a 30 L
wave with some
parasitic side lobes.

Reporting and Data Exchange

Many automatic data exchange and reporting tools
Data export in ASCII data formats (Mathworks Matlab)
Fully Windows compatible

PHASED-ARRAY PROBES
R/D Tech can design, test, and provide
you with a wide range of phased-array
probes and custom wedges.
These application-specific probes
have a range from 0.5 MHz to 18 MHz
and may come with 16, 32, 64, or 128
elements. Special probes may have up
to hundreds of elements.
R/D Techs phased-array probes may
be medium- or high-damped, of the
immersion or contact type.

This image shows the

resulting beam using
a wedge to generate
a focalized 45 S
wave without side
lobes.

This figure shows a

ray tracing simulation
showing the actual
path of the sound
beam from each
individual element
through the wedge,
into the material,
and to the focal
point.

SYSTEM SPECIFICATIONS
General

Pulser/Receiver

System bandwidth (-3dB) 650 kHz20 MHz

Maximum pulsing rate
20 kHz, with or without change of the
focal laws
Inspection modes
Pulse echo or transmit/receive (dynamically
selectable). Note that twice the quoted
number of channels are available in transmit/receive mode.
Multiple probe capability The system supports up to 4 probes of
32 elements in pulse-echo configuration
or any combination of probes up to
128 elements.
Dynamic range
56 dB/channel
Computer interface
Both RS232 and Ethernet standard. Direct
configuration from Tomoscan.
Windows NTbased software available
for setup from computer. Custom interfaces may be designed using standard
remote procedure call (RPC) functions or
dynamic link libraries (DLL).
Focal law storage
Up to 1024 different focal laws can be
stored for high-speed multiplexing.
Independent focal laws may be used for
transmission and reception.
Power requirements
85265 VAC 4763 Hz
Temperature range
0C50C

Number of pulsers

Configurations available with 8,16, 64, or

128 pulsers
Adjustable from 0 s to 25 s in
2-ns increments
6
Amplitude adjustable from 50 V to 200 V;
pulse width adjustable from 20 ns to
500 ns; fall time < 6 ns
Negative square pulse
Configurations available with 8, 16, or
32 receivers
(more in custom configurations)
Adjustable from 0 s to 25 s in
2-ns increments
Up to 30 dB/s on each element slope
before summing
080 dB. Independent gain for each
receiver and focal law.
+10 dBm (2 Vpp) for each element
4 user-selectable filter ranges: none,
500 kHz5 MHz, 2 MHz10 MHz,
5 MHz15 MHz
50
+10 dBm in 50

Pulser delays
Output impedance
Pulse output

Pulse type
Number of receivers

Receiver delays
Receiver DAC curves
Receiver gain range
Maximum input signal
Input filters

Input impedance
RF output

Available Configurations
FOCUS may be tailored for specific applications. The various configurations are identified with a two-number suffix as follows:
The 1st number is the maximum number of simultaneously active drivers (8, 16, or 32 drivers)
The 2nd number is the total number of available connections for transducer elements (8, 16, 32, 64, or 128 elements)
Example: A FOCUS 32/64 connects to up to 64 elements out of which up to 32 may be active at any time.
Please note that the systems may be expanded at any time up to the limit supported by the choosen housing with the simple addition of plug-in
boards. Also note that while the maximum available configuration is FOCUS 32/128, custom configurations are also available with more channels.
Multiple FOCUS systems can also be used in parallel to increase the number of active elements.

Benchtop version
48 cm x 39 cm x 18 cm, 22 kg
32/128 max. configuration
A 19 in. rack mount version is also available

Portable benchtop version

36 cm x 36 cm x 16 cm, 12.2 kg
16/64 max. configuration

S2000 version
36 cm x 30 cm x 36 cm, 15 kg
16/128 max. configuration

8-Channel Phased-Array EMAT System

Number of P/R channels

Output impedance
Output voltage
Receiver input impedance
Power requirements

4 or 8 channels
10
1 kVpp (no load). Output current: 30 A with 22 load.
50
110/220 VAC, 50/60 Hz

Representatives Worldwide Contact us for more information or to discuss your applications.

Belgium, Canada, China, France, Germany, Greece, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Slovakia, Sweden, Taiwan, The Netherlands,
United Kingdom, and United States
R/D Tech Head Office
4495, boul. Wilfrid-Hamel
Qubec (Qubec) G1P 2J7
Canada
Tel.: (1) (418) 872-1155
Fax: (1) (418) 872-5431

R/D Tech USA

240 Bear Hill Road, Suite 104
Waltham, MA 02154
USA
Tel.: (1) (781) 890-5901
Fax: (1) (781) 890-5950

E-mail: info@rd-tech.com Web Site: www.rd-tech.com

R/D Tech Europe

Parc Club Orsay Universit
4, rue Jacques Monod
91893 ORSAY CEDEX
France
Tel.: (33) (0) 1 69 41 10 95
Fax: (33) (0) 1 69 41 10 92

R/D Tech Asia

City coop
Esaka 303 17-37
Enoki-cho Suita City
Osaka 564 Japan
Tel.: (81) (0) 66 339 0896
Fax: (81) (0) 66 378 0686

R/D Tech and R/D Tech products are trademarks of R/D Tech inc. All other products are trademarks and registered trademarks of their respective owners.

FOCUS 10/99 PRINTED IN CANADA

3294

This stand-alone phased-array EMAT system is driven by the same software than the regular phased-array
systems. It can interface with either conventional EMAT probes or phased-array EMAT probes.