Formed Metal Inspection of Aluminum Extrusion - Immersion

1) Level the table (floor) and the stand/frame as shown below.

Stand/Frame with
UT flaw detector Immersion
Level
transducer

Level

Table (Floor)

2) Once the set-up is leveled; put in the tub and fill it up to 75-80% with water.

Tub with water

3) Put in the DAC step and a set of ASTM D-A blocks (7075-5-0025, -0075, -0125, -0175, -0225, -0300)
into the tub of water and set up a distance of 3” (using 1”x2” blocks) to the transducer as shown below.
Make sure that the D-A blocks are level as shown below.

3" Level

-0 0 2 5 -0 0 7 5 -0 1 2 5 -0 1 7 5 -0 2 2 5 -0 3 0 0

DAC step with ASTM D-A blocks

Set Velocity  Set the velocity to the longitudinal velocity of aluminum

(6300m/s); the range to say 700mm and the “Zero Probe”
to “0”.
Set Range 
Also, ensure that the transducer is at the 7075-5-0025
Zero Probe  block (not center of block as it will hit the FBH) as shown
above.
4) So the screen would look something as shown below. This is your un-adjusted screen.

Initial pulse 1st entry

100
1st back reflection R=700mm

2nd back reflection

3rd back reflection

2nd entry

50

3” water path

0 2 4 6 8 10

Transducer

3"
D-A block

-0 0 2 5 VL(water) = 1480m/s
5) Using the “Zero Probe” move the 1st entry signal to the left towards “0” scale on the screen, then adjust
the range to 125mm. Using the “Zero Probe” and obtain a reading of 25.4mm from the 1st back
reflection from the 7075-5-0025 block as shown in the screen below. Then check the 2nd back
reflection at 50.8mm.

100
R=700mm

50

0 2 4 6 8 10

100
R=125mm

25.4mm
50.8mm

50

0 2 4 6 8 10

You are now calibrated to 125mm range with a water path of 3”. This is your adjusted screen.
6) To construct the DAC (Distance Amplitude Correction) curve, move to the center of the 7075-5-0075
block and obtain the maximum signal and set that to 80% screen height (1). Note the gain (reference
level).
Without changing the gain obtained a maximised signal from the
7075-5-0125 block (2). Depending on the frequency, this signal
1
could be higher in screen height than you first point.

Then move the transducer to the next block and so, until you get
-00 2 5

at least 3 or more points to construct the DAC curve as shown

below.
3"

-0 0 2 5 -0 0 7 5 -0 1 2 5 -0 1 7 5 -0 2 2 5 -0 3 0 0

You will use this DAC curve for evaluation of any discontinuity
detected.

-0 0 2 5

-0 0

3"

100
-0 0 2 5 -0 0 7 5 -0 1 2 5 -0 1 7 5 -0 2 2 5 -0 3 0 0

1
2
3

-0 0 2 5

3
50 4
3"
5
-0 0 2 5 -0 0 7 5 -0 1 2 5 -0 0 7 5 -0 2 2 5 -0 3 0 0

4
0 2 4 6 8 10
-0 0 2 5

- 0 07 5

3"

-0 0 2 5 -0 0 7 5 -0 1 2 5 -0 1 7 5 -0 2 2 5 -0 3 0 0

-0 0 2 5

-0 0

3"

-0 0 2 5 -0 0 7 5 -0 1 2 5 -0 1 7 5 -0 2 2 5 -0 3 0 0
7) Put the aluminium test piece into the tub of water and level it as shown below. Tape the frames as
shown below and mark the edges of the test pieces with a color pen (say blue for the edges). Also,
maintain the 3” water path for scanning.

Tape
Tape

Level Level

3”

8) With the edges marked, using a raster scan pattern as shown below with a width of 3 – 4mm for each
pass. Keep track of each pass and mark any indication with a different color pen (say red or green).

3”
9) For sizing obtain the maximised signal from the discontinuity and set the amplitude to say 80% screen
height. then move to one edge of the discontinuity to 40% screen height mark that edge; then move to
the opposite way and do the same. this will be the length or wide depending on the direction (axis).

1 2
40%

80%

2
Length
40%

10) Evaluation: From step (9), get the maximised indication (signal) amplitude and if it exceeds reference
level/gain/DAC, bring it down to reference (ie. “touch” the DAC curve). Calculate the difference, X;
X = Reference gain @ DAC – Indication gain @ DAC
Eg. X = 40 – 30.5 = 9.5 dB
Then substitute into formula;
x/20
% signal amplitude to reference = 10 (x 100%)
9.5/20
= 10 (x 100%)
= 2.985 (x 100%)
≂ 300%