Ultrasonic Inspection

Introduction
Ultrasonic Testing (UT) uses high-frequency sound energy to conduct examinations and make
measurements. Ultrasonic inspection can be used for flaw detection/evaluation, dimensional measurements,
and material characterisation, among other applications.
In industrial applications such as shipping, this test is used to check components like the ship’s shell plate
for internal flaws. It is also used to detect discontinuities such as porosity, lack of fusion, lack of penetration,
and cracks in welding joints. Compared to other NDT, UT is valued for its high sensitivity and ability to
detect internal flaws.
This experiment aims to enhance the understanding of the working principles involved in ultrasonic testing
by carrying out the basic procedures of using an ultrasonic testing flaw detector and interpreting the results
displayed on the A-scan.
Ultrasonic testing begins by applying couplant evenly on the surface of the plate. A probe is then placed on
the surface through which sound waves are sent into the steel plate. The probe receives the reflected waves
and transmits them to the UT flaw detector for display on the A-scan. By analysing these signals, it can be
determined whether a defect is present or absent in the material under ultrasonic testing.

Aim
The aim of this experiment is:
 To understand the working principles involved in ultrasonic testing
 To know the basic procedures involved in testing a material to detect internal defects using an
ultrasonic testing flaw detector.
 To know how to interpret the readings displayed on the Ultrasonic Test Flaw Detector

Materials/Equipment
 Couplant  0° angle probe (transducer)
 A sample plate (13.5 mm thick)  0° angle calibration block
 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector  45° angle calibration block
 45° angle probe (transducer)

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Experimental Procedure
1. There were two probes provided for the laboratory exercise as listed in the materials. Only the 0°
angle probe (transducer) was selected for use with the ultrasonic flaw detector; however, it had to be
calibrated before using it for flaw detection.

2. Using the 0° angle calibration block, the ultrasonic flaw detector and 0° angle probe were calibrated
to ensure they functioned correctly and accurately before applying the Couplant.

3. The 0° angle probe was moved on the plate’s surface after the Couplant was evenly applied on top. It
sent ultrasonic waves into the plate, received the reflected signals, converted them to electrical
signals, and sent them to the UT flaw detector, which processed them. They were then displayed on
the screen for flaw detection.

4. Inspection for internal defects was conducted using the UT flaw detector, which was connected to the
probe. The plate’s known thickness was 13.5 mm, and that corresponded to the back-wall echo that
appeared as the major peak on the scan display. If there was a discontinuity, an earlier echo with a
shallower depth, falling below 13.5 mm, would be visible before the back-wall echo on the scan
display.

Results

1 22 33 4

Figure 1 shows the labelled parts of the Figure 2 is a picture captured during the lab
UT Flaw Detector. experiment.

Figure 3 illustrates a defect detected in the steel plate during testing.

Discussion
In welding applications, the ultrasonic testing (UT) flaw detector detects internal flaws such as lack of
fusion, lack of penetration, cracks, slag inclusions, and porosity. There are advanced techniques in UT, such
as Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing (PAUT) and Time-of-Flight Diffraction (TOFD); however, the straight-
beam testing conducted in the lab is a conventional technique. In industry, a UT flaw detector is used to
check the ship’s shell plate thickness as well as the pipe thickness, fuel line tanks, and pressure vessels. The
velocity of sound waves depends on different material types. For example, the steel plate used in the lab has
a sound wave velocity of 5900 m/s.

An ultrasonic testing (UT) flaw detector can be used to check the thickness of a material by scanning and
detecting internal defects. However, the effectiveness depends on the type of probe used. In general, a
straight-beam probe is used to measure the thickness of a straight pipe section. These probes send sound
waves straight through the pipe wall and receive the reflected signals. Furthermore, the UT flaw detector is
used to verify the material’s physical integrity according to its material certificate.

Couplant is a medium that facilitates the transmission of sound waves through the steel plate. It eliminates
the air gap between the probe and the plate, which, if there were one, would disrupt reading for detecting
flaws. Without couplant, the A-scan will show no signal because the air gap present on the plate and the
probe blocks and restricts the sound waves from going through the plate. In the absence of a standard
couplant, grease or oil can be used as a substitute.

The plate’s thickness is 13.5 mm (see figures above). If no defects are present, the ultrasonic reading on the
A-scan display will show the full thickness of the plate. However, if there are defects present, the sound
wave will reflect off the defect, and the UT flaw detector will display a reading corresponding to the depth at
which the defect is located. For example, if a defect is found 10 mm below the surface, the sound wave will
reflect at that point, and the UT reading will indicate a 10 mm depth.

As shown in Figure 1, waveform labelled 1 represents the initial ultrasonic pulse transmitted by the probe.
Labelled 2 is the first echo received, which was reflected at a depth of 13.5 mm, which is the base of the
steel plate. Labelled 3 represents another echo received after the second waveform, possibly caused by a
backwall reflection. In ultrasonic testing, if two discontinuities are present in a material, each will generate
its echo. The first echo corresponds to the closest defect, while the second echo corresponds to the deeper
one.

Conclusion
In conclusion, ultrasonic testing is great for detecting internal flaws and for checking the thickness of
materials.
Reference

 Mohamed, A. (2025). Non-destructive testing (NDT) ME324 2025 [Google Classroom page]. Papua
New Guinea University of Technology. Retrieved July 18, 2025, from
[Link]