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Ultrasonic Testing of Aluminum and Nonferrous Castings


This general category of cast metals includes many applications suitable for ultrasonic thickness gauging. Cast metal parts come in a wide range of geometries and compositions.

Because most castings scatter ultrasound rapidly, the maximum thickness that can be measured is often limited. In general, 4 in. (100 mm) is about the upper limit, although in some cases it is possible to measure up to 10 in. (250 mm). Poor surface conditions, large grain size, and sound velocity variations usually account for calibrated accuracies of ±0.002 to ±0.005 in. (±0.05 to ±0.125 mm). Thin aluminum castings can be measured with a calibrated accuracy of ±0.001 in. (±0.02 mm).

Ultrasonic Testing Equipment Used for Cast Metals

Three precision gauge models are commonly recommended for thickness measurements of cast metal: the 38DL PLUS™ gauge with High Penetration software, the 45MG gauge with Single Element High Penetration software, and the 72DL PLUS™ gauge. Transducer selection and gauge setup depend on the material and thickness range being tested. Common choices include the M1036 (2.25 MHz) and M109/M110 (5 MHz) transducers. Lower frequency transducers such as the 0.5 MHz M101 are recommended for very thick or coarse-grained castings.

For the detection of subsurface porosity, cracks, or inclusions in cast metals, we also offer a complete line of digital ultrasonic flaw detectors.

To learn more about cast metal inspections, see our application note on Ultrasonic Testing in the Foundry Industry.

Olympus IMS

Products Used for This Application

The 72DL PLUS™ advanced ultrasonic thickness gauge delivers precision thickness measurements at high speed in a portable, easy-to-use device. Compatible with single element transducers up to 125 MHz, this innovative instrument is ideally suited to measure the thickness of ultra-thin materials, including multilayer paint, coatings, and plastic. It can simultaneously display the thickness of up to 6 layers.

The handheld 45MG ultrasonic thickness gauge is packed with measurement features and software options. This unique instrument is compatible with the complete range of Olympus dual element and single element transducers, making this gauge an all-in-one solution for virtually every thickness gauge application.
The 38DL PLUS is an advanced ultrasonic thickness gauge. Uses dual element transducer for internal corrosion applications, and has features that include THRU-COAT technology and echo-to-echo. Uses single element transducers for very precise thickness measurements of thin, very thick, or multilayer materials.

The Magna-Mike™ 8600 Hall-effect thickness gauge uses a magnetic probe to accurately measure the thickness of nonferrous and thin materials such as plastic bottles.

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