TOFD Technique for Weld Inspection

TOFD

• Description of the TOFD technique (theory)

• Advantages
• Limitations
• Typical defect signals
 The Diffraction Phenomenon

• Huygens’ principle:

The incoming wave vibrates the

defect.

Each point of the defect

generates new elementary
spherical waves.
 The Diffraction Phenomenon

Incident
wave Diffracted
waves

All directions
Reflected Flaw
wave Low energy

Independent of
Diffracted incidence angle
waves
 Diffraction Summary

• Incident wave  reflected wave

• Incident wave  diffracted waves emitted by
defect boundaries
• Cylindrical/spherical waves emitted in all
directions
• Amplitude typically 20 to 30 dB below direct
reflection
 Conventional Use of Diffraction
• Tip diffraction method (satellite-pulse observation technique)

Amplitude 1
Angle
2
Tip diffraction
1
2 Slot or crack
Corner reflection
Time
TOF TOF, Angle and velocity  Height
 Basic Setup

• 2 probes (transmitter, receiver)

• Wide beam, longitudinal waves
• Symmetric to the weld center
• Diffraction signal detection (high receiver
sensitivity)
 TOFD Signals

Transmitter Receiver
Lateral wave

Upper tip

Lower tip

Back-wall reflection
 Data Visualization TOFD

• Large amount of data

• Phase information
• Need means to visually detect small amplitude
signals
• Performed by gray scale imaging of RF signal
 Data Visualization

White
+
Amplitude

A-scan

Time
- Black

Time
One A-scan picture is replaced by one
gray-coded line
Data Visualization (TOFD)
A-scan

Indication

Lateral Back wall

wave
 Typical TOFD Image
Lateral wave

Back-wall echo
Signals for Different Flaws Using the
TOFD Technique
 Near Surface Crack

1 2

The crack blocks the lateral wave

and the lower tip appears on the A-scan
 Incomplete Root Penetration

1
2

1 2 3 4

Note the two signals from the top and bottom

 Lack of Root Penetration

1
1

2
3

2
3

Note the inverted phase between LW and defect

 Lack of Fusion, Side Wall

1
1
2 2
3

4
3

Note the two signals from the top and bottom

 Porosity

1
2 1

2
3

Porosity may image in many forms

whether individual or clustered
 Transverse Crack

1
1
2 2
1
3
2

3 4
3

In the LW we can observe the wide beam effect

on the crack
 Concave Root

1
1
2

2
3
3

Distortion of back-wall echo

 Lack of Fusion, Interpass

1
2

3
 TOFD Advantages

• Diffracted rather than reflected signals

• Longitudinal waves
• B-scan type imaging (side view)
• Accurate sizing capability (height)
• Fast scanning
• Interpretation of defects
• Less sensitive to defect orientation
 TOFD Limitations

• Blind area - near surface, backwall

• Weak signals
• Flaw classification limitation
• Interpretation of defects
• Sensitive to grain noise
 Codes and Standard

• British Standard
• European
• ASME
 TOFD Guides Developed

• BS 7706 (1993) Guide to calibration and setting-

up of the ultrasonic time-of-flight diffraction
(TOFD) technique for detection, location, and
sizing of flaws. British Standards Institute 1993.
• pr EN 583-6 (1995) Nondestructive testing-
ultrasonic examination - Part 6: Time-of-flight
diffraction technique as a method for defect
detection and sizing.
 ASME Adaptations to TOFD

• ASME VIII Code Case 2235 (2000 Edition)

• Ultrasonic examination to be in accordance with
ASME Section V, Article 4
• “Alternatively, for techniques that do not use
amplitude recording levels, …”.
• This has opened the door for TOFD to be used on
Section VIII pressure vessels
TOFD and Pulse-Echo Combined Technique

• Technique description
• Data visualization
• Results
• Advantages
 Technique Description

TOFD
PE 45 SW

PE 60 SW

The µTomoscan system allows for

simultaneous acquisition and analysis of
TOFD and PE
 Data Visualization for TOFD and PE Combined
Probe movement

45 SW (left) 60 SW (left) TOFD 60 SW (right) 45 SW (right)

Inspection Results

Here TOFD can’t find

the indication but PE can
Advantages of TOFD/PE Combined Technique

• TOFD is very sensitive to all kinds of defects

• But, it has some limitations
• PE is providing the solution to these limitations
• TOFD/PE combined gives us 100% coverage of
the weld during inspection