Ultrasonic Testing for Defects in Complex Shaped Metal Products

Abstract

Automation is a topical issue in the development of methods and equipment for ultrasonic nondestructive testing. The conditions of modern industrial production require the development of ultrasonic testing equipment that would be sufficiently flexible for a wide and changing range of manufactured products, which, as a rule, have a complex shape. This paper proposes a technology for ultrasonic flaw detection of complex shaped objects. Within the framework of this technology, it is proposed to use six-axis robotic manipulators to ensure the required angle of input of ultrasonic waves into the test object at each measuring position. The correct trajectory of robot’s movement during scanning is ensured by reconstructing the surface profile of the test object using optical profilometry and determining the location of the test object relative to the robotic manipulator using an electric probe. The effectiveness of the developed technology is verified experimentally within the framework of this work.