Ultrasonic testing uses beams of high-frequency sound waves to detect flaws, measure thickness and evaluate material properties. Very short, high frequency sound waves with center frequencies or pulses are transmitted into materials to test their thickness or detect internal flaws. The frequencies range from 0.1-15 MHz up to 50 MHz.
Ultrasonic Testing for Sensitivity and Resolution
Sensitivity and resolution are often used in ultrasonic inspection to describe the ability to locate flaws. Sensitivity refers to the location of small breaks in the material such as foreign substances or hollow spaces. Resolution locates these discontinuities near the part surface or located close to one another. Both sensitivity and resolution generally increase as the testing frequency increases.
Industry Requirements
Ultrasonic testing is used in aerospace, automotive and transportation industries and is often performed on steel and other alloys. For certain industries, such as aerospace, the materials used may be thinner than most with tolerance thresholds that require these high precision measurements. It plays an important role in safety, quality assurance and cost.