Ultrasonic Weld Inspection Solutions

The OmniScan flaw detector has an established track record for reliable and cost-effective phased array (PA) weld inspections as an alternative to radiography. Olympus ultrasonic weld inspection solutions provide an affordable means to inspect welds in compliance with major code and manufacturing requirements. An ideal combination of acquisition unit, scanner, encoder, and software, these solutions can be put to work virtually anywhere. Continuously improved and supported software makes the inspection of welds even easier, allowing you to complete your entire workflow more efficiently.

The Olympus weld inspection solutions applies to welds made of carbon steel or corrosion resistant alloy such as austenitic.

General Benefits:

• Fast weld inspection of different diameters, thickness, and materials
• 100% volumetric weld coverage
• Adaptable to butt welds, circumferential welds, long seams, one-sided access configuration, and most common weld profiles
• Portable for in-house and field inspections

Combining Different Techniques for Full Weld Coverage and Improved Efficiency

Phased Array Pulse-Echo Technique Phased array technique is based on the capacity to electronically modify ultrasonic beams generated by probes that contain multiple small elements. When these elements are excited using different time delays (focal laws), the beams are steered at different angles and focused at specific depths.

Conventional UT Pulse-Echo Technique This technique uses a single element transducer to generate an acoustic beam at a fixed angle. The echo coming back to the transducer is interpreted by the instrument to provide information on size and position.

Time-of-Flight Diffraction (TOFD) Technique Time-of-flight diffraction (TOFD) is an ultrasonic technique that relies on the property of defects such as cracks to diffract energy from their tips to the receiver probe when impinged by ultrasonic beams generated by the transmitter probe. TOFD technique uses a wide beam that provides good coverage and is independent of defect orientation.

Transmit-Receive Longitudinal Wave (TRL) This technique uses separate transmit and receive probes to generate refracted longitudinal wave. The use of separate probes minimizes vulnerability to noisy material, which is especially beneficial for inspection of coarse grain alloy, such as austenitic and nickel.

Surface Wave Technique The surface wave (creeping) technique is an ultrasonic test in which discontinuities are detected by the return of a creeping wave that tracks the surface of the component being tested.

Ultrasonic Testing (AUT) in Lieu of Radiography Testing (RT)

Ultrasonic testing in lieu of radiography has proven very effective for pressure vessels, tanks, piping, and other weld configurations. Olympus ultrasonic weld inspection solutions features comply with ASME, API and other radiography replacement code requirements such as full raw data collection and the use of an encoder. Compared to conventional radiography, Olympus ultrasonic weld inspection solutions offer multiple benefits such as:

• No radiation safety hazards
• Eliminates work area disruption
• Real time digital archiving of inspection data
• Elimination of film archiving
• Improved productivity
• Improved probability of detection (POD)

Comparing the Indications

Surface-breaking crack in a 50-mm thick weld, undetected with radiography Analysis of weld inspection results produced by ultrasonic and radiographic testing shows that ultrasonic methods provide both depth and height information, in addition to being more sensitive to planar-type defects.

Measurement Capabilities

Benefits of the Olympus Ultrasonic Weld Inspection Solutions