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Inspection Of Titanium Castings Using Ultrasound Phased Array


General description of the application

Some aircrafts structural part such as engine mount and frame are now built with titanium casting. This material is very difficult to inspect because of its large grain structure. The usual inspection methods are X-ray and ultrasounds, however they present some limitations.
The use of ultrasound phased arrays brought a break­through in the inspection of casting by providing a much better detectability than the conventional methods.

Typical inspection requirement
• Finding and characterizing inclusions
• Covering casting part volume completely
• Flexible enough to fit various shapes
• Portable to perform inspections in-service or in-production

Defects detected
• Ceramic shell as small as 0.031 in. (0.787 mm) at a 1-in. (25 mm) depth
• Tungsten carbide as small as 0.031 in. (0.787 mm) at a 1-in. (25 mm) depth

Description of the solution
• Phased array probe steering the beam from -30°to 30°LW
• Merged top and side views
• 10 and 5 MHz linear phased array probe

Description of the inspection system
• FOCUS LT 32:32 or more
• Dynamic Depth Focusing 
• Linear phased array probe
• Manual or automated X-Y scanner

Parts to inspect
• Engine mount
• Frame
• Thickness: 1 (25 mm) to 6 in. (152.4 mm)

Method of inspection
The phased array probe steers the beam continuously between -30°to 30°LW with an angular resolution of 1 degree. It allows the detection of orientated inclusions. Dynamic Depth Focusing is applied to keep the beam focused over the depth range. The probe scans a X-Y surface and data is merged together to create a top-side view of the casting part. Analysis is performed.

Advantages
• Better detectability than X-ray (The smallest defect detected by X-ray is 0.065 in; by UT phased arrays, it is 0.031 in.)
• Versatility
• Fast and easy to use


Detection of ceramic schells. Merged top- and side-views display.


GLIDER scanner


TomoScan FOCUS LT

Olympus IMS

Products Used for This Application
Every flaw detector in the OmniScan™ X3 series is a complete phased array toolbox. Innovative TFM and advanced PA capabilities help you identify flaws with confidence while powerful software tools and simple workflows improve your productivity.
The capacity to accurately position probes according to the surface being inspected greatly influences inspection quality. Olympus offers a wide range of industrial scanners and accessories to assist inspectors in their work. Scanners come in various configurations including one or two encoded axes with manual or motorized motion.
The single group, lightweight OmniScan SX flaw detector features an easy-to-read 8.4-inch (21.3 cm) touch screen and provides cost-effective solutions. The OmniScan SX comes in two models: the SX PA and SX UT. The SX PA is a 16:64PR unit, which, like the UT-only SX UT, is equipped with a conventional UT channel for P/E, P-C, or TOFD inspections.
The OmniScan MX2 features a new phased array module (PA2) with a UT channel, and a two-channel conventional ultrasound module (UT2) that can be used for TOFD (Time-of-Flight Diffraction), as well as new software programs that expand the capabilities of the successful OmniScan MX2 platform.
The GLIDER scanner is a 2-axis (X-Y) encoding scanner for the manual inspection of slightly curved or flat composite surfaces. The scanner, held by suction cups is well suited for raster scanning. Technologies: ECA, EC, UT, PA.
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