Ultrasonic Thickness Tests Ensure Infrastructure Viability

When it comes to ensuring infrastructure viability, even the tiniest components of the most complex, large-scale systems must be monitored and tested. Routine ultrasonic thickness testing of wall and coating thickness measurements serves as a vital check on the condition of ship hulls, pipelines, and other metallic elements where long-term exposure elements like saltwater or oil can corrode materials, degrading structural integrity. 

Nondestructive testing (NDT) is the preferred method for coating thickness measurement on conductive and non-conductive materials. Eddy current array NDT is typically used for non-conductive coatings, and ultrasonic NDT for most standard wall thickness testing measurements. 

Of these methods, ultrasonic testing—specifically phased array ultrasonic testing (PAUT)—is the best way to conduct fast, accurate, and efficient tests, preventing microscopic corrosions from causing huge problems. 

The Importance of Finding The Right Ultrasonic Thickness Testing Solution

The hull of a ship endures salty oceans. Pipelines may stretch across deserts and above frozen tundras. Railroad wheel flanges travel across miles of tracks. What each of these has in common is exposure to harsh elements. 

Protecting these materials is vital for general safety and can also be important for the economic health of a company. Conducting regular inspections to ensure this safety makes sense economically and can also be a matter of meeting industry standards and regulations. For example, many countries require ships to undergo routine inspections as a condition for entering their ports. The transportation and extraction industries are among the most heavily regulated in the world. 

Ensuring the components that make up these infrastructures meet regulations can be challenging. But it’s important to detect flaws as early and efficiently as possible to prevent further damage. 

Inspection solutions should have some of the following characteristics:

1. They should be relatively simple to use, allowing for a quick set-up and a simple user experience.
2. They should not create a lot of wear and tear on the inspection engineer, who has to carry it in the field.
3. They should be able to work on a variety of conductive and non-conductive surfaces.
4. They should be able to work on many different shapes (from flat to curved, and with difficult angles).
5. They should be durable and rugged, lasting a long time regardless of the conditions. 

In short, you want a solution that can perform corrosion mapping accurately and confidently no matter the challenges. That solution is phased array ultrasonic testing. 

How Ultrasonic Thickness Testing Works

Phased array ultrasonic testing uses sound waves to create echoes that translate into a 3D image of the surface layers, which allows the user to see a full picture in real-time. These echoes are caused by anomalies on and within what should be a smooth surface. The presences of pockmarks, tiny nicks, rust, and corrosion are what create these anomalies. 

By creating this map, inspection technicians are able to see corrosion well before it becomes clear to the naked eye—when it may be too late for a non-destructive solution. 

A good testing regimen requires the use of the right PAUT equipment. This entails:

• an easy-to-use encoded scanner 
• a portable ultrasonic instrument 
• intuitive and industrially-proven analysis and reporting software

Ultrasonic thickness testing needs to be conducted directly on the surface and sometimes those surfaces are incredibly large. That’s why any instrumentation needs to be easy-to-use for the technician. Phased array ultrasonic technology presents the perfect solution. It is portable, cost-effective, saves time, and is wholly accurate. 

Ensuring Infrastructure Viability with NDT 

Finding the right ultrasonic thickness testing solution is a crucial part of protecting your investments. In fact, the right solution is an investment—one which pays off by preventing tiny flaws from leading to large, costly problems.  

Having an NDT testing solution that is easy-to-use saves you time during testing, and saves you money during the lifespan of your equipment. While such a solution as eddy current array is invaluable when dealing with nonconductive coatings, phased array ultrasonic testing is the go-to choice for most projects. PAUT is advanced, affordable, and efficient for ensuring infrastructure viability, regardless of most size or structural complexities. 

Zetec is a major provider of portable phased array ultrasonic NDT technology to simplify thickness tests for multiple industries. Contact us today to get the best equipment and the top solutions for your industry needs.