TPT May 2019

T E CHNOLOG Y

New por table inspection solution for the composite industry ULTRASONIC non-destructive testing manufacturer Sonatest has delivered its new generation of the RapidScan product family: the RSflite. Complemented with the agile WheelProbe2 linear array probe and the newly developed UTmap stitching and analysis software, Sonatest says that the new solution sets a new standard of performance, portability and efficiency for the inspection of simple to complex composite structures. The RSflite’s lightweight battery-operated equipment is two times faster than the previous generation. Handling small to large probes and with almost no file size limitation, it can cover large surfaces, and spare inspection hours down the production line or at the maintenance site. The responsive touchscreen user interface is optimised to operate linear scan, saving training costs and time often associated with unnecessary advanced phased array ultrasonic (PAUT) concepts. “Most people who useA-scan UT equipment are intimidated by the look and operation of advanced phased array ultrasonic equipment,” stated John Register, president at R-CON NDT. “An instrument like the Sonatest RSflite helps to bridge that gap because it is optimised for linear array composite testing. It has no component for PAUT testing, and thus makes the system very easy to learn and to operate.” Ultrasonic NDT has helped engineers inspect all sorts of composite materials for years. Whether using traditional aluminium laminates or more complex carbon fibre-based composites, the fast Sonatest RSflite linear scanning technology – also called electronic scanning – offers the ability to acoustically see through these parts, and create high-resolution inspection maps. Using the UTmap unique Tiled-Scan (T-Scan) stitching capability, comprehensive volumetric integrity reports can be generated and supported by imaging reports that are as easy to interpret as traditional X-ray, without the hazard mitigation plan. For large composite structure inspections, the position and overlap precision of the recorded ultrasonic information is a challenge. The UTmap unique stitching capabilities resolve this issue as each stripe of data (C-scan) can be re-gated and aligned precisely on the T-Scan workspace. It is also possible to import CAD/image overlays and assemble C-scan stripes from different sections to create a meaningful image for analysis and reporting. UTmap also offers real-time contouring defect annotations with algorithms that provide precise and automatic measure- ments for fast defect interpretation and reporting.

Sonatest – UK Email: sales@sonatest.com Website: www.sonatest.com

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