Phased Array

Permanent Records

Automated Ultrasonics (AUT), sometimes called Advanced Ultrasonics, employs the same high frequency sound wave principles applied in conventional Ultrasonics. Using AUT, Pro Integrity NDT® can also provide a permanent record of the inspection. We use computer-controlled mechanized scanners to acquire the inspection data, which can then be re-evaluated as required or compared with data gathered at future inspections.

Automated Ultrasonics can often be preferable to Radiography because it is safer, quicker and usually more cost effective. Pro Integrity NDT uses AUT to conduct complete volumetric inspections of welds and adjacent material. Inspections of longitudinal and circumferential welds on piping and vessels are common applications, while more specialized applications for components such as nozzle welds, along with and corrosion and thickness mapping in materials, are also possible.

We specialize in the use of Phased Array (PA) Automated Ultrasonics, an advanced welding inspection technology capable of recording multiple angle beams simultaneously.

A PA probe utilizes several independently pulsed ultrasonic transducers. The timing of those pulses can be varied to guide the beam electronically. Typical scanning patterns include sectorial scanning, in which the beam is swept along the test area similar to a searchlight, and linear scanning, which moves the beam from the back to the front of the probe while maintaining a consistent angle. The combination of data from multiple beams creates an image depicting a virtual slice through the test object.

Benefits of this method are:

• Fast, reliable and highly reproducible inspections
• Is safe for other employees to work around
• Provides a permanent record of inspection
• Computer controlled data acquisition
• Delivers complete volumetric coverage of welds
• Accurate height and length sizing of defects