Among the non-destructive tests (NDT), widely used in the construction and maintenance of structures, the principle of ultrasonic measurement stands out as an NDT method for various materials.
By Elcometer
Elcometer Limited has meters for non-destructive testing in its ElcometerNDT division. These use the ultrasonic time-of-flight principle and are supported by ElcoMaster™ 2.0 data management software. This software allows simple and efficient data management for the transfer of recorded data, the organization and archiving of such data, and the development of additional analyses for decision making. It also has functions for the creation and publication of electronic reports that can be printed and distributed as electronic files.
Ultrasonic meters consist of two main parts: the transducer and the meter. In addition to the range of electronic meters, ElcometerNDT offers more than 450 single and double transducer probes for both material thickness and fault detection inspection processes.
These transducers are available in varying measurement frequencies, diameters and connections to meet the needs of virtually all ultrasonic measurement applications, while being available for measurements on materials at temperatures up to 480°C (900°F). Several of these transducers are designed to meet the specific requirements of specific meters, while others are for general use. The choice of transducer depends on the specific circumstances of the measurement application.
Data Management Software
The software is supplied with most of the meters in the aforementioned division, particularly those that have data-logging (DL) capability. The software can also be obtained as a free download from the www.elcometerndt.com or www.elcometer.com websites.
Communication with the range of meters is done through the RS232 data interface or port, which is built into meters that include the data logging function or that require the communication of information, such as the speed of sound in a specific material, to be loaded into the meter.
Connecting the meter to the software is a simple task and the software guides the user through the process so that the meter connected via RS232 interface cable can communicate with the host computer. Once connected, the data can be transferred as individual batches or as full memory viewable through the software.
NDT Meter Options
Ultrasonic meters cover the full range, from the VG10 simple handheld speed meter to the small but powerful FD700+ and FD700DL+ fault detectors.
The VG10 is a meter that allows to determine the speed of sound in an unknown material. It can also be used to determine the homogeneity of a component of known thickness.
The CG10 and CG20 are fixed speed gauges for measuring the thickness of a single material. The CG10 has a single speed calibrated in advance for steel thickness. The CG 20 features two user-programmable speed parameters, with predefined values for aluminum, steel, stainless steel, cast iron, Plexiglass, PVC and polyurethane, and can be used to measure the thickness of components made from these materials.
The CG30, CG50 and CG50DL meters can be adjusted in situ to the material to be measured and have a high-speed scanning mode that allows 16 readings per second to be taken. This allows the user to quickly explore an area to identify the least thick area. The CG50DL has full data logging capability and can store up to 1,000 thickness readings, which can then be transferred via the RS232 data port to the computer on which the software runs.
Both the CG60 and CG60DL have ultrasonic measurement modes, Pulse-Echo (PE) mode and Echo-Echo (EE) ThruPaint™ mode, and the DL option has memory for up to 1,000 readings. PE is the normal measurement mode that measures the time of flight from the probe, through the material and back to the probe after being reflected in the back wall. EE mode ignores the ultrasound energy reflected by a coating on the surface of the material and measures only the thickness of the material under the coating.
The CG70BDL and CG70ABDL meters provide a graphical representation of a sample section cut on a wide, easy-to-read display. The CG70ABDL also includes an A-scan display that allows a complete interpretation of the ultrasonic measurement. This unit takes 32 readings per second in scan mode and stores up to 12,000 readings along with their waveforms.
The CG100B, CG100BDL, CG100ABDL and CG100ABDL+ offer a full range of measurement modes for samples with complex coatings, as well as a full set of configuration options that allow for maximum flexibility.
The UG20DL is an underwater gauge for material and coating thickness. It is submersible to a depth of 300 meters (1,000 feet). This meter uses the measurement settings created in the software and loaded into the meter in its submersible case. This allows its use underwater through a single button, with a data storage capacity of up to 5,000 readings and waveforms (A-scans).
The PG70, PG70DL and PG70ABDL are ultrasonic material thickness gauges for measuring thin materials in the range of 0.15 to 25.4 mm, depending on the type of material and the transducer selected. The PG70DL option accommodates 1,000 readings, 10 batches of up to 100 readings in each batch, while the PG70ABDL accommodates 12,000 waveform readings.
The FD700+ and FD700DL+ are small but very powerful fault detectors with advanced material thickness measurement capabilities. They have a complete kit of fault detection tools that allow fast and accurate fault detection, which is ideal for the inspection of welds, slabs or composite materials.
The BG80DL and BG80TDL are meters designed to measure the elongation, load, stress and percentage stress of a screw under load. The BG80 series screw tension monitors measure the elongation of a screw that takes place when the nut is tightened using the ultrasonic flight time of a pulse of sound energy along the screw.
This measurement method is not affected by friction or resistance factors that affect the accuracy of torque measurements, and there is a temperature compensation option that can be used to eliminate any errors that could result from changing conditions during the test with respect to calibration conditions. The DL option accommodates a maximum of 8,000 readings and waveforms.
Screw tension monitors use a special software package called Bolt Link that is supplied alongside these meters.
Screw tension monitors are ideal for determining screw tension on pipe flanges.
Schematic diagram of the BG80 screw tension measurement principle
How the software works
In addition to the transfer and management of data sets, the software can be used to transfer information to meters. For example, the speed of sound in the material to be inspected can be set in the software and transferred to simple meters via RS232.
For meters with higher specifications, it is possible to create and transfer the complete configuration to other meters, including fault detection parameters such as TRIG for fault location, DAC for creating DAC curves that report the size of a given fault, and AWS for automatic defect size determination. These settings can also be transferred as files via email to other locations for upload to other meters via the software.
The software uses the concept of work file, which allows to associate the information of a set of meters to the same work. It is also possible to create two types of data record formats: the sequential record of linear data matrices, as a single line along the axis of a pipe, or the grid register, with a certain number of columns and rows, ideal for measurements around the circumference of a pipe section.
Once the data is transferred from the meter's memory, it is possible to add notes, photographs and documents to a specific batch to complete the content of the resulting report. Documents on specifications, work instructions or safety information may be retained together with the data in order to facilitate the operator's access to that information.
In the case of ultrasonic meters with A-scan and/or B-scan capabilities, the software displays the scan associated with a specific reading, which can be transferred to a report as an image using the photography function of the report generator.
If necessary, the batch name can be changed for easy identification, and project and batch labels can be used to annotate the data for further analysis, while the batch combination is associated with a particular job.
It is also possible to perform additional analyses of the transferred data. Boundaries can be set or modified, while a graphical representation of the data can be displayed with color codes: red for out-of-bounds, yellow for boundary warning, and green for readings within the boundary.
The format of reports can be customized with company logos and other relevant information. In addition, the user can determine the content and position of the data, the summary of the data, graphs, photographs, etc., which can then be used as a template for future reports.
Conclusion
When inspecting pipes, either during their construction or during their service life for maintenance purposes, ultrasonic testing is an important non-destructive testing technique. The management of the data generated by such tests has become an important aspect, both in terms of data accuracy and in terms of the time spent on reporting.
The data management by software is precise, since it does not present transcription errors, as well as fast, since it uses the cable for electronic data transfer. The reporting process is facilitated by data management software and, through the use of Cloud Computing, this data can be quickly and easily exchanged between facilities, countries or even continents.
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