Ultrasonic testing (UT) is a conventional NDT technique that can be used to obtain thickness measurements of materials and detect defects in welds. Ultrasonic testing works by transmitting ultrasonic pulse waves into a material in order to verify if any flaws are present. Once emitted, these waves reflect either off the far wall or off of any cracks or defects that happen to be in its path. The time it takes for the wave to return can be measured to see if there are any defects in the wall. The results of the examination are then displayed on a screen for examination.

 

ULTRASONIC TESTING APPLICATIONS

 

• Thickness monitoring of piping and pressure vessels to determine corrosion rates

• Baseline thickness measurements of pressure vessel components and piping nominal wall thicknesses

• Verification of weld quality

• Capable of detecting laminations, estimating size and orientation of defects within test specimens

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ADVANTAGES OF ULTRASONIC TESTING

 

Ultrasonic testing has quite a few advantages when compared to other NDE techniques:

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• UT is more economical than other methods because it is able to examine equipment quickly and at little cost.

• It has high penetrating power and is able to detect flaws on both the inside and outside surfaces of a piece of equipment.

• In most cases, only one surface of a test specimen is needed to perform the test.

• UT equipment is portable and non-hazardous to the surrounding environment.

• Minimal surface preparation is required when inspecting equipment using ultrasonic techniques.

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PRODUCTION

 

Ultrasonic testing only requires one person to perform in most cases, the exception being in elevated work environments where two-person crews are required for safety reasons.

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FORMAL REPORTS

 

Formal reporting for ultrasonic testing services consist of a detailed description of the equipment, inspection findings, summary of results with obtained data, and equipment drawing and TML location or test location.