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A piezoelectric transducer,
A backing material.
A matching transformer
Transformer matches the piezoelectric transducer’s electrical impedance to that of the cable to
the flaw detector,
to transfer maximum energy from the cable to the transducer and vice versa.
Wire from connection is bonded to it to carry the electrical pulses from the unit
Plastic plate or wear plate is fitted in the front to minimize wear and tear
Single crystal
Angle of wedge decides the angle of incidence and thus the angle of refraction in the material
Damping material or backing slug on the back of the crystal by absorbing the back pulses, controls
the length of the pulse
Any probe that contains more than 2 crystals (elements) is called a mosaic probe.
The probe are up to 100 mm long and if swept sideways, can inspect a 100 mm wide strip very
quickly.
a non-contact technique
Without a couplant, i.e. with air as the natural couplant, the impedance mismatch causes the
following typical high reflection losses:
Specimen : 60 - 90 dB
Transducers: 90 dB
usually have an impedance matching layer that helps to get more sound energy into the water
and, in turn, into the component being inspected.
A focused transducer can improve the sensitivity and axial resolution by concentrating the sound
energy to a smaller area.
Immersion transducers are typically used inside a water tank or as part of a squirter or bubbler
system in scanning applications
To generate shear wave in steel the probe angulation should be
23.5 60
25.6 70
24.6 60
27 70
Immersion-Focused Probes
Immersion tank systems allow use of “focused beam transducers”.
The beam is focused to a point at a particular distance called the “focal point”.
Focused probes acts as a spherical lens, and focuses the sound at the centre of its radius.
Acoustic Lens
Straight (flat) crystals with a focusing lens attached and causes the sound waves to refract to a
focal point.
V1-lens material
V2 –Water
Spring loaded system helps the wheel to travel over the specimen
Inside the nozzle the water passes by the front face of the probe then passes out of the nozzle
through a small diameter hole to produce a jet of water, jet of water acts as a couplant
pairs of probes kept in alignment and usually achieved by mounting them on a moveable gantry.
The component is mounted rigidly while the pair of probes on the gantry performs the scanning
action.
Alternatively, the probes may be fixed and the component passed between the probes.
Bubbler Probes
water provides a couplant cushion as the components are manually passed over the probe
assembly.
Delay tip probe
wave generated by the crystal passes through the plastic before it reaches test specimen.
introduces a time delay between the generation of the sound wave and the arrival of any
reflected waves.
This allows the transducer to complete its "sending" function before it starts its "listening"
function so that near surface resolution is improved
Only the time base beyond the plastic delay tip is monitored
The interface between the delay tip and the specimen will still produce a signal that will conceal a
portion of the time base close to the entry surface.
Delay tip probes also be used when inspecting high temperature components .
Surface waves have a velocity, which is approximately 90% of a shear wave (or 45% of a
longitudinal wave).
will be attenuated or reflected back by surface contamination (paint, liquids, etc.) or small
surface breaking discontinuities.
suitable for applications where the surface is not readily accessible for other inspection means
crystals cut for use above 10 mhz are too thin and fragile for contact testing.
a low test frequency for coarse grained internal structure, such as a casting.
a high test frequency for fine grained materials because the lower frequency will not detect the
desired discontinuity.
a higher frequency will provide the greatest sensitivity for small defects.
SELECTION OF FREQUENCY
SENSITIVITY REQUIRED
RESOLUTION REQUIRED
THICKNESS OF MATERIAL
ATTENUATION CHARACTERISTICS
STABILITY OF PROBE
SELECTION OF FREQUENCY - GUIDELINE
CASTINGS, GREY IRON, CAST IRON, COARSE GRAINED MATERIAL, COPPER, STAINLESS
STEEL
2 MHz – 4 MHz
WELDS
2 MHz – 6 MHz
6 MHz – 10 MHz
10 MHz – 20 MHz
IMMERSION TESTING