Introduction to

Ultrasonic Testing
Research by Robert Mitchell.
Engineering Technician: L.E.P.
Registered welding Consultant
M.InstNDT: AINDT.
Ex Owner- Director of Mitchells NDT Ltd.
2008
Mitchells NDT Inspection Services
 Straight beam probe

Housing Co-axial
cable socket

Damping- Matching-
medium element
Probe shoe
Crystal (probe delay)
workpiece
Sound pulse
Back wall
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 Angle beam probe 10 20 30 40

Damping mediums
Probe
Housing
Socket

Perspex Wedge
(probe delay) Crystal
Probe shoe
workpiece
Sound pulse
Back wall
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 3

Sound field

N = near field length Near field

Far field

= angle of divergence
Acoustical axis (central beam)

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Flaw detection

Scatter

Defect

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Flaw detection
10 20 30 40

Scatter

Defect
Scatter

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Flaw detection
Compressional
10 20 30 40

Shear wave

Defect

Compressional

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Poor flaw orientation

Poor defect
orientation

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Improper flaw
location

Crack

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Angle reflection
10 20 30 40

crack

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 Angle reflection 10 20 30 40

crack

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Vertical, near surface flaw

10 20 30 40

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Tandem technique (top)
a1

T 5 10 15 5 10 15
R

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Tandem technique (middle)
a2

T 5 10 15 5 10 15
R

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Tandem technique (bottom)
a3
T 5 10 15 5 10 15
R

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Improper flaw
orientation

10 20 30 40

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Perfect flaw orientation

10 20 30 40

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 Flaw detectability with
improper flaw orientation
Reflected sound waves

5 10 15

Sound beam

Flat defect
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 Flaw Distance
Compressional
Probe.

Return
Echo
Depth.

Defect

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 Principle of transit time
measurement
Finish signal
(echo)
Transmitter
Stop-
watch
Start signal
(pulse)
Probe
Sound transit Transit time
path measurement

Return echo
Work piece
path
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CRT / A-scan display

0 2 4 6 8 10
Un calibrated time base
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 Priciple, transmission pulse
transmitter
Transmission
pulse
Sound wave starts at crystal

Work piece
Probe

Light point or Initial pulse

0 2 4 6 8 10
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 Priciple, sound wave in the
workpiece
Transmitter

Sound wave

Work piece
Probe

Light point or Initial pulse

0 2 4 6 8 10
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 Priciple, sound pulse at the back
wall
Transmitter

Work piece

Probe

Light point or Initial pulse

0 2 4 6 8 10
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Priciple, sound pulse at the
coupling surface
transmitter

work piece
probe

0 2 4 6 8 10
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Priciple, echo display and 2nd run

Transmitter

Work piece
Probe
Back wall
echo

Light point or Initial pulse

0 2 4 6 8 10

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 Probe delay

2 4 6 8 10
Electrical Mechanical
zero zero
(initial pulse) (surface)
Crystal
Compressional
Probe

Protecting face or probe shoe

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Probe delay
Electical
zero
(initial pulse)

Shear wave
probe 0 2 4 6 8 10

Delay
(wedge) Mechanical
zero
Sound wave (surface)

Work piece

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Flaw location and echo display
Flaw

Work piece

Probe
Back wall
echo

Flaw
echo

0 2 4 6 8 10

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Flaw location and echo display
Flaw

work piece

Probe

Back wall
echo
Defect
echo
Initial pulse

0 2 4 6 8 10

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Flaw location and echo display
Flaw

Work piece

Probe

Back wall
echo
Flaw
echo

Initial pulse

0 2 4 6 8 10

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Flaw location and echo display
Flaw

Work piece

Probe

back wall
echo
flaw echo
covered
by initial
pulse

0 2 4 6 8 10

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Flaw location and echo display
Flaw

Work piece

Probe

back wall
echo:
without
with flaw

0 2 4 6 8 10

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Flaw location and echo display
Flaw

Work piece

Probe

Flaw echo
sequence

0 2 4 6 8 10

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 Dead zone

Dead zone (can be

measured)

Work piece 0 2 4 6 8 10
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Longitudinal wave
Wave length (can be
measured)

Direction of Direction of propagation

osscillation

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 Transverse wave
wave length (can be measured)

Direction of Direction of propagation

osscillation

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Reflection and Refraction
L
L
Incident Reflected
wave wave
L

Medium 1

Medium 2
Refracted
wave

L
L

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Angle beam probe with both
wave types
10 20 30 40

L
Possible flaw T
locations

0 2 4 6 8 10
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 Longitudinal surface wave
L

Incident Reflected
wave wave

Perspex L

Steel L

Refracted
= 1 = 27.5 T waves
T = 33.3
L = 90
T
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45 transverse wave in steel
L

Incident Reflected
wave wave

Perspex

Steel
Refracted
transverse wave
T
= 36.4
T = 45
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T
Transverse surface wave
L
incident reflected
wave wave

surface
perspex wave

steel T O

= 2 = 57
T = 90

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 Total reflection
L
incident reflected
wave wave

perspex

steel
total reflection

> 57

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Ranges for incident waves
27,5
L
57

perspex 90
steel

33,3

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Near surface detectability with
angle beam pobes

10 20

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TR-probe / dual crystal probe

Transmitter Receiver
socket socket
Acoustical cork Damping blocks
barrier

Crystal

Delay
Probe Shoe

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Probe delay BE
with IP
TR-probes

0 2 4 6 8 10

TR-probe

Work piece
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Cross talk
BE
at IP flaw
high gain echo

Cross talk
echo

0 2 4 6 8 10

TR-probe
Flaw

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Range calibration

0 2 4 6 8 10 div.
0 50 100 mm
steel, L

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Calibration block 1 with angle
beam probes
Index 5mm
point
5 10 15

s
ou
di
70 Ra 10mm
m

85mm 100mm
m

60
0

90mm
10

45mm
45
15mm

300mm

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1st echo from circular section

5 10 15

0 2 4 6 8 10

100 mm

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Echo sequence from 100 mm
radius
5 10 15

0 2 4 6 8 10

100 mm 200 mm 300 mm

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25 mm radius of calibration block 2
this wave will be
absorbed !

s 1 = 25 mm
s 2 = 100 mm
s 3 = 175 mm
etc.
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50 mm radius of calibration block 2

s 1 = 50 mm
s 2 = 125 mm
s 3 = 200 mm
etc.
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100 mm range calibration on K2

5 10 15

0 2 4 6 8 10
0 100 mm
steel

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 Flaw loaction
s = sound path
s = kR k = scale factor
R = screen reading

0 2 4 6 8 10

15 10 5

Sound path

Test piece Discontinuity

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Flaw location with angle beam
probes
Sound entry point projection
point
Flaw triangle
a
Snells law

s d a = ssin
d = scos
a = surface
distance
= probe angle flaw location
d = depth
S = sound path
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 Flaw location with angle beam
probes
Index point -
Front edge of probe

a
x a'
15 10 5

s d

reflector
work piece
a = surface distance from index
point
a' = reduced surface distance
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x = x-value = distance:
Flaw location with an angle beam
probe on a plate

a
15 10 5

T s
d = apparent depth

apparent flaw location

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Flaw location with an angle beam
probe on a plate
d' = apparent depth a = s sin
d = real depth d = s cos
T = work piece thickness d = 2T - d

a
15 10 5

T d real flaw location

s
d'
apparent flaw location
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Large defects parallel to the
scanning surface

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Scanning the edge of the defect 6 db
drop

Flaw echo drops to 50% of

its maximum value

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Determination of the defect area
probe position
with echo amplitude delamination
reduced to 50 % = 6db drop

"half value" positions

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Flaw sizes and echo amplitudes

IP R BE IP R BE IP R BE

0 2 4 6 8 10 0 2 4 6 8 10 0 2 4 6 8 10
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Flaw distances and
echo amplitudes
IP R BE

0 2 4 6 8 10

IP R BE

0 2 4 6 8 10

IP R BE

0 2 4 6 8 10

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Distance amplitude curves on the
CRT screen B 4 S

6m
BE

m
F
3 mm
4 mm

0 100 200 300 400 500

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Defect evaluation by comparison
-1

instrument gain: G = 34 dB

IP F BE

80 %

0 2 4 6 8 10

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Defect evaluation by comparison - 2

IP R BE

0 2 4 6 8 10
instrument gain: 34 dB

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Defect evaluation by comparison - 3

IP RE BE

+ 8 dB

0 2 4 6 8 10

instrument gain: 42 dB

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Distance amplitude curve (DAC)

Echo 1 2 3 4

Position 1 2 3 4

10 20 30 40 10 20 30 40 10 20 30 40 10 20 30 40

0 2 4 6 8 10

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 DAC and TCG

DAC time corrected gain

0 2 4 6 8 10 0 2 4 6 8 10

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