Ultrasonic testing is a common and well-known method for the non-destructive testing of welding materials. One of the most significant advantages of this technology is that it has no negative consequences for the operators. According to the welding inspectors in Brunie, the ultrasonic testing find internal discontinuities using mechanical vibrations in the form of ultrasonic waves. The technology has been utilised in several engineering industries since the 1950s and is now well-established. In this blog, we are going to discuss major things to know about ultrasonic testing.
Why is ultrasonic inspection used?
The ultrasonic inspection process is mainly to detect the following defects:
• Cracks in the weld zone
• Pores
• Lack of fusion
• Weld metal stratification
• Discontinuities & improper fusion of weld joints;
• Slack metal in the weld lower zone
• Corrosion
• Chemical composition discontinuity
• Geometric size distortion
What to consider for this inspection?
Ultrasonic welding inspection is kind of a complex process requiring qualified and well-trained welding inspectors. Several factors need to be considered before the inspection can be carried out. They include:
•Ultrasound physics (Propagation, waves modes, reflection, attenuation, mode conversions, etc.)
•Transducer operation, characteristics and theory (Radiated field, piezoelectric effect, energy loss, beam spread, etc.)
•Equipment operation (Receiver, data presentation, etc)
•Ultrasonic testing testings (Through Transmission, Pulse-Echo, Pitch-Catch, etc.)
•Specific requirements (Weld type, dimensions, shape and surface quality)
•Equipment calibration & evaluation techniques (AWS, DAC, DGS, etc.)
Benefits of ultrasonic testing
Ultrasonic testing is a powerful and highly efficient inspection procedure. It has a number of industrial benefits, such as:
• High sensitivity to subsurface and surface discontinuities
• High penetration depth in comparison to other NDT methods
• High accuracy rate in determining the discontinuity position & estimating its shape and size
• Minimal part preparation
• Digital equipment offers instant results
• In addition to flaw detection, thickness measurement is performed
The importance of ultrasonic welding inspection is huge. This is essential that NDT specialists or welding inspectors who perform an ultrasonic inspection of weld materials should have proper certification and training. The international welding standard (ISO 9712:2012 – certification and qualification of NDT personnel) determines the criteria. Not only the NDT operator or inspector should be qualified to perform the ultrasonic inspection process, the inspection equipment, procedure, evaluation method and calibration test blocks are also regulated by an adequate set of industry standards