Ultrasonic Testing

What is Ultrasonic Testing?

Ultrasonic nondestructive testing, also known as ultrasonic NDT
or simply UT, is a method of characterizing the thickness or
internal structure of a test piece through the use of high
frequency sound waves. The frequencies, or pitch, used for
ultrasonic testing are many times higher than the limit of
human hearing, most commonly in the range from 500 KHz to
20 MHz.

What sort of materials can be tested?

In industrial applications, ultrasonic testing is widely used on
metals, plastics, composites, and ceramics. The only common
engineering materials that are not suitable for ultrasonic testing
with conventional equipment are wood and paper products.
Ultrasonic technology is also widely used in the biomedical field
for diagnostic imaging and medical research.
Principle of ultrasonic testing.
LEFT: A probe sends a sound wave into a test material. There
are two indications, one from the initial pulse of the probe, and
the second due to the back wall echo.
RIGHT: A defect creates a third indication and simultaneously
reduces the amplitude of the back wall indication.

How does it work?

High frequency sound waves are very directional, and they will
travel through a medium (like a piece of steel or plastic) until
they encounter a boundary with another medium (like air), at
which point they reflect back to their source. By analyzing these
reflections it is possible to measure the thickness of a test
piece, or find evidence of cracks or other hidden internal flaws.
In ultrasonic testing, an ultrasound transducer connected to a
diagnostic machine is passed over the object being inspected.
The transducer is typically separated from the test object by a
couplant (such as oil) or by water, as in immersion testing.
There are two methods of receiving the ultrasound waveform,
reflection and attenuation.
In reflection (or pulse-echo) mode, the transducer performs
both the sending and the receiving of the pulsed waves as the
"sound" is reflected back to the device. Reflected ultrasound
comes from an interface, such as the back wall of the object or
from an imperfection within the object. The diagnostic machine
displays these results in the form of a signal with an amplitude
representing the intensity of the reflection and the distance,
representing the arrival time of the reflection.
In attenuation (or through-transmission) mode, a transmitter
sends ultrasound through one surface, and a separate receiver
detects the amount that has reached it on another surface after
traveling through the medium. Imperfections or other
conditions in the space between the transmitter and receiver
reduce the amount of sound transmitted, thus revealing their
presence. Using the couplant increases the efficiency of the
process by reducing the losses in the ultrasonic wave energy
due to separation between the surfaces.
 Inspection of pipe with Ultrasonic Flaw Detector

What are the advantages of ultrasonic testing?

Ultrasonic testing is completely nondestructive. The test piece
does not have to be cut, sectioned, or exposed to damaging
chemicals. Access to only one side is required, unlike
measurement with mechanical thickness tools like calipers and
micrometers. There are no potential health hazards associated
with ultrasonic testing, unlike radiography. When a test has
been properly set up, results are highly repeatable and reliable.
What are the potential limitations of ultrasonic
testing?
Ultrasonic flaw detection requires a trained operator who can
set up a test with the aid of appropriate reference standards
and properly interpret the results. Inspection of some complex
geometries may be challenging. Ultrasonic thickness gages
must be calibrated with respect to the material being
measured, and applications requiring a wide range of thickness
measurement or measurement of acoustically diverse materials
may require multiple setups. Ultrasonic thickness gages are
more expensive than mechanical measurement devices.

At a construction site, a technician tests a pipeline weld for

defects using an ultrasonic phased array instrument. The
scanner, which consists of a frame with magnetic wheels, holds
the probe in contact with the pipe by a spring. The wet area is
the ultrasonic couplant that allows the sound to pass into the
pipe wall.
Ultrasonic Testing of Welds
One of the most useful characteristics of ultrasonic testing is its
ability to determine the exact position of a discontinuity in a
weld. This testing method requires a high level of operator
training and competence and is dependant on the
establishment and application of suitable testing procedures.
This testing method can be used on ferrous and nonferrous
materials, is often suited for testing thicker sections accessible
from one side only, and can often detect finer lines or plainer
defects which may not be as readily detected by radiographic
testing.

Standards
INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR
STANDARDIZATION (ISO)
 ISO 7963, Non-destructive testing - Ultrasonic testing -
Specification for calibration block No. 2
 ISO/DIS 11666, Non-destructive testing of welds -
Ultrasonic testing of welded joints - Acceptance levels
 ISO/DIS 17640, Non-destructive testing of welds -
Ultrasonic testing of welded joints
 ISO 22825, Non-destructive testing of welds - Ultrasonic
testing - Testing of welds in austenitic steels and nickel-
based alloys
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION (CEN)
 EN 583, Non-destructive testing - Ultrasonic examination
 EN 1330-4, Non destructive testing - Terminology - Part 4:
Terms used in ultrasonic testing
 EN 1712, Non-destructive testing of welds - Ultrasonic
testing of welded joints - Acceptance levels
 EN 1713, Non-destructive testing of welds - Ultrasonic
testing - Characterization of indications in welds
 EN 1714, Non-destructive testing of welds - Ultrasonic
testing of welded joints
 EN 12223, Non-destructive testing - Ultrasonic
examination - Specification for calibration block No. 1
 EN 12668-1, Non-destructive testing - Characterization and
verification of ultrasonic examination equipment - Part 1:
Instruments
 EN 12668-2, Non-destructive testing - Characterization and
verification of ultrasonic examination equipment - Part 2:
Probes
 EN 12668-3, Non-destructive testing - Characterization and
verification of ultrasonic examination equipment - Part 3:
Combined equipment
 EN 12680, Founding - Ultrasonic examination
 EN 14127, Non-destructive testing - Ultrasonic thickness
measurement
What industries use Ultrasonic Testing?
There are numerous applications where industrial
ultrasonic testing makes sense, but industries that rely on
UT to a large degree are:

 Aerospace
 Automotive
 Oil & Gas
 Power Generation
 Metals & Casting
 Electronics & Battery
 Additive Manufacturing
 Research & Development