MKMB 2603 Materials Testing and Quality

Control

Weld defect detection using PPM EMAT

generated shear horizontal ultrasound
(P.A. Petcher, S. Dixon. NDT&E International,
74(2015) 58-65)

YAP PUI YEE

MKM 171013
 Introduction
Austenitic welds are inspected using PPM
EMAT* generated shear horizontal (SH) waves.
SH waves suffer less beam steering in a weld.
Even there are some welded areas which
difficult to inspect (highly anisotropic and
attenuating nature of weld region) defects
able to detect at every side

*PPM EMAT: Periodic permanent magnet electromagnetic acoustic transducers

 Weld defects
Hydrogen induced HAZ
cold cracking
Formation of porosity
or cavities
Solid inclusions (slag,
flux)
Lack of fusion
Incomplete
penetration
Imperfect shape such
as undercut

https://www.slideshare.net/surajaggarwal094/welding-lectures-14-16
 Shear Horizontal Ultrasound Waves
The scale of the displacement is greatly
exaggerated.
Oscillation direction is parallel to the surface plane,
and perpendicular to the propagation direction.
The displacement is constant along the thickness
direction (for SHO guided mode).
 Short propagation distances, SH waves can be
treated as bulk waves.
SH wave polarized parallel to the direction of
austenitic weld will propagate through
1. Less reflection
2. Beam steering
3. Attenuation
Then increased sensitivity to defects
Attenuation: the reduction of the amplitude of a signal, electric current, or other oscillation.
 Weld inspection using PPM EMATs
The 316L Stainless steel plate contains 6
defects within the double-V-weld.
The plate thickness is 25 mm at the weld cap.
The lines drawn on the sample are markers for
B-scan positions.
Defects that presence in the plate
 Scans of the sample were taken using 6mm
and 10mm wavelength.
Smaller than 6mm, wavelength shorter, size of
magnet smaller, result in reduction in the SH
wave generation
Larger than 10mm, transducer can become
relatively large and unwieldly.
 Procedure
Two scan confrigurations for the thick SS plate
with weld (in-line & side-by-side)
Separate generation (G), detection (D)
transducer were used.
Both scanning for waves back-scattered from
defects.
Thin sample: SHO formed immediately; thick
sample: wave propagate as bulk wave.
 The scan progresses in 5 mm increments.
In-line case: the lateral scan position relates to
the lateral center of the transducer pair; side-
by-side case: lateral scan position is same as
the line between G & D.
Serial: TA,TB (same surface serial); sides
UA&UB (opposite surface as the serial)
 Results

Top side A (TA); Top side B (TB); Underside A (UA); Underside B (UB)

These are the scans of the weld in the thick SS plate, using 10mm wavelength
SH EMATs, a) In line; b) Side-by-side, dashes line represents the defect
positions
 Conclusion
SH waves generated and detected by PPM
EMATs are effective at detecting weld defects
in B-scan.
The 10mm wavelength EMATs in the in-line
configuration provide the best performance
by small margin.
All defect can be detected.