【Industry】

Steel, Railway, Automotive & Aircraft

【Overview】

FAAST-PA is the ultra-fast phased array flaw detector that can transmit multi-focus, multi-frequency and multi-angle in one shot and receive in real time.

It is possible to significantly reduce the conventional UT inspection time.

[Main function]

・ Maximum 128 Ch. (Full parallel) per rack

・ Multi-angle / Multi-focus / Multi-frequency / Multi-beam / Advanced DDF

・ Sign burst transmission

・ PRF 20 kHz (maximum)

・ There is no limit to the transmission delay rule per beam

・ Maximum 64 receive delay rules that can be processed simultaneously

[Target application]

Bar, Billet, Pipe, Turbine blade & CFRP

Aircraft industry: Complex structure multi-zone parts inspection

Purpose: Complex structure Simultaneous inspection of multiple flaw detection zones

Method: Transmit three beams simultaneously by one array probe.

Uses multi-focus, multi-zone, and multi-frequency functions.

1 beam: Inspection near the surface

1 beam: Simultaneous inspection of multiple areas by multi-focusing

1 beam: Bottom surface inspection

The above 3 beams are transmitted in one shot.

 

 

Steel industry: Bar and Billet inspection

Titanium plate: Φ0.8mm FBH at a depth of 2.5mm to 250mm can be detected at high speed.

Aluminum plate: Φ0.8mm FBH at a depth of 1.5mm to 190mm can be detected at high speed.

Aluminum billet: located at a maximum depth of 500mm
Φ0.8mm FBH can be detected at high speed.

 

 

Gas and Oil industry: Automatic inspection of OCTG tubes

Purpose: Thickness measurement and internal inspection

Method: Using multi-angle function, vertical, beveled inside the tube,
and detect all internal defects such as the outside and measure the thickness at the same time.

 

 

Railway industry: Rail inspection on high-speed tracks

Purpose: Ultra-high-speed UT inspection of railway rails

Method: Utilizes the multi-angle function.

Inspection was performed from 8 directions by using a 32-element array probe for each rail.

Inspection speed: 4mm pitch 72km / h

 

【Feature】

 

– Multi-focus shot –

The multi-focal is one of the other prominent capabilities of our UT FAAST Phased Array (PAUT) system allowing the generation of multifocal beams through a multi-element probe in one single shot. 

The principle of Phased Array is to calculate the delay laws to focus at a given depth and/or angle and this method is usually used with either 1D linear or 2D matrix multi-element probes.The advantage of Phased Array compare to mono-element, cylindrical or spherical focusing, is the possibility to calculate the delay laws by Software instead of having a concave probe for each focus depth. 

When considering the multizone testing with 1 multi-element probe, 1D or 2D matrix, the Multi-focal advanced acquisition mode from the  FAAST PA is a real strength as it allows the reduction of the number of required shots due to its capacity to transmit multiple focal delay laws in one shot.

 

– Multi-frequency shot –

The FAAST PA offers also the possibility to shot at different frequencies (within the bandwidth of the probe) using the same probe, and firing simultaneously. For example, this is useful to generate 0° ultrasound beams at 5MHz and 7MHz in one single shot.

For pipe inspection, we have used the multi-frequency features using a 1D linear multi-element probe, meaning that with one probe, we are able to make wall thickness measurement at 5MHz, and delamination inspection at 7.5MHz, within 1 single shot and using only 1 probe.

 

    

– Multi-angle shot-

The multi-angle is one of the prominent capabilities of our Phased Array FAAST (PAUT) for generating multiple beams using a multi-element probe and up to 64 beam orientations or even more, are generated simultaneously in one single shot. Signals are processed in real time, up to 64 directions simultaneously, but this does not restrict the number of beams. This advanced acquisition mode can be used with either 1D linear probe or 2D Matrix multi-element probe.

 

 

 

It is possible to transmit beams at different openings simultaneously. This method can significantly reduce inspection time.

 

 

FAAST-PA has three prominent functions: multi-focus, multi-frequency and multi-angle, and these three functions can be combined together with multi-beam. It is possible to detect a wide range with one shot, which can shorten inspection speed.

Even if your inspection process changes, FAAST-PA can respond flexibly. Hence system change may not be necessary. Furthermore, even if bevel flaw detection is added to the inspection process of only vertical flaw detection as an example, the inspection time often remains the same.