TWI Industrial Member Report Summary 635/1998
C I K Sinclair
Background
This work goes in parallel with that performed on a number of other TWI Core Research Projects (CRP) under the general theme of in-service problems. It is concerned with the use of advanced automated ultrasonic testing, as opposed to the more traditional manual method, in circumstances where automation (in the sense that an image of the weld is produced) can make the inspection more effective.
The uptake of automated ultrasonic testing by industries other than those highly regulated sectors such as nuclear and aerospace has been slow. This is partly due to the cost of services and partly due to a lack of understanding of the technology and of the benefits that the application of such technology can bring under certain circumstances. However, the reduction in cost of automated ultrasonic testing services brought about by increased competition, coupled with a need in industry to make inspection add value rather than cost to operations, has resulted in an acceleration in the uptake of this technology: particularly in the oil, gas and petrochemical sector. Consequently, some guidelines on the interpretation of the resultant images is deemed timely.
Objective
To put forward guidelines for the interpretation of automated (pulse-echo) ultrasonic test data, illustrating by example.