Stainless Steel

Weld Inspection
Application Solution

© Zetec Inc. All rights reserved 1

 Overview

• Inspection Challenge

• Recommended Phased Array Ultrasonic (PA UT)

Solution

• Results

• Benefits of Zetec Solution

© Zetec Inc. All rights reserved 2

 Inspection Challenge

• Various industries want to use PA UT for manufacturing

inspection (“in lieu of RT”) and for in-service inspection of
stainless steel (SS) and other austenitic welds : dissimilar
metal, Inconel, Corrosion-Resistant alloy (CRA)

• These welds are challenging for UT examination, because of

sound propagation issues in the coarse-grain austenitic weld
structure (see next slide)

• Reliable examination of austenitic welds requires careful

selection of inspection techniques

• Most elements of a “successful” inspection solution for

austenitic material are known to UT experts, but implementation
is still perceived as laborious and expensive (requires high-end
equipment and software, or multiple software packages)

© Zetec Inc. All rights reserved 3

 Inspection Challenge
Propagation issues caused by anisotropic coarse-grain
structure of stainless steel and austenitic welds :
• High, and variable attenuation
LW
• High noise level, caused by
reflection on individual grains

• Low-pass filtering effect

SW
• Beam skewing and distortion

• Local variations of material

structure

© Zetec Inc. All rights reserved 4

 Recommended PA UT Solution

• Low-frequency 2D matrix array probes, to generate both

LW and SW beams, for complete weld coverage
• High-performance portable PA UT unit, with
fully integrated support of 2D matrix arrays :
– On-board setup and adjustment of probe
and wedge configuration
– Visual feedback on focal laws
– Volumetric Merge for efficient data analysis
• Efficient deployment on-site, compatible with
automated and manually driven encoded
scanners

© Zetec Inc. All rights reserved 5

 Inspection Technique

• Examination for circumferential flaws using dual 2D matrix

arrays (TRL mode), with frequencies between 1.5 and 3.5 MHz:
– Better sensitivity and SNR due to the “convolution” of T and R beams
– No dead zone or wedge echoes
• Refracted angles from 30° to 85°LW, covering the full thickness
• Effective inspection through coarse-grain weld material

© Zetec Inc. All rights reserved 6

 Inspection Technique

• Detection of axial cracks (e.g. IGSCC) in austenitic welds with

weld cap in place
• Single 2D matrix array probe, operating in pulse-echo mode,
generating skewed SW beams through base material
• Multiple skew angles and probe orientations to optimize detection
and coverage

© Zetec Inc. All rights reserved 7

 2D Matrix Array Probes

• Standard dual 2D matrix array probes: frequency and active

surface optimized for material attenuation and wall thickness
• Element configuration optimized for maximum steering
capability without side lobes
• Exchangeable wedge assemblies, contoured to match pipe OD

© Zetec Inc. All rights reserved 8

Zetec Instrument
• Fully integrated, portable unit
• 64-bit computer, 2 x faster
• PA UT 32/128PR + 2 UT at 200 V

UltraVision TouchTM
Advanced software
• On-board support of 2D arrays
• « Propose Setup » tool
• Visual feedback on focal laws
• On-line Volumetric Merge
• Full data analysis capability
• 2GByte data files on-board

© Zetec Inc. All rights reserved 9

 Results – SS Weld with Cap

PA UT data (30° to 85°LW) from 304 SS weld (T = 25 mm) :

all flaws detected from a single side with 2.25 MHz, 10x3 matrix array (TRL)

© Zetec Inc. All rights reserved 10

 Results – Axial Flaws

Merged PA UT data (SW) from axial ID crack in SS pipe weld (T = 23 mm):

Reliable detection using beams with multiple skews,
and accurate positioning of the crack in cylindrical geometry

© Zetec Inc. All rights reserved 11

 Benefits of Zetec Solution

• Standard 2D matrix array probes with proven design for

a wide range of austenitic weld configurations
• integrated portable PA UT system,
capable of performing 2-sided weld inspection using
TRL probes (32T/32R):
– High performance from on-board 64-bit computer
– Capability to record large data files (up to 2 GBytes)

• Efficient setup and optimization of inspection techniques

using only the on-board UltraVision Touch software
• Easy to deploy:
– Dynamic Merge views for on-line monitoring of inspection data
– Complete data analysis capability
– Indication Table & Report Generation

© Zetec Inc. All rights reserved 12

Thank You!
Learn more at: www.zetec.com

© Zetec Inc. All rights reserved 13