Things You Should Know About Ultrasonic Thickness Measurement

April 13, 2023

Industrial buildings take advantage of various equipment pieces so they can carry out their operations effectively. One group of equipment that they maximise is pressure equipment.

Pressure equipment pieces often include steam boilers, pressurised hot-water boilers, air receivers, air compressors, gas storage tanks, chemical reaction vessels, and autoclaves. They often store and process elements at a specific pressure, helping industrial buildings carry out their major processes. Without handling these equipment pieces optimally, they can swiftly cause costly damages, serious injuries, and fatalities on site.

To ensure pressure equipment pieces or vessels can last for a long time without developing issues, you must subject them to proper inspection and upkeep. One method of inspection that can be applied to these things is the ultrasonic thickness measurement or UTM.

The Working Principles of UTM

UTM is a non-destructive method of inspecting the metal thickness of equipment pieces utilised in various industries. It can be used to check ship hulls, pipes, and pressure vessels.

One of the purposes of UTM is to monitor corrosion, damage, and erosion that may be present on the materials of equipment pieces. Upon checking the condition of equipment pieces, experts can determine whether repair or replacement work should be done or not. It then gives users of the tested equipment pieces vital information about their compatibility with their intended use.

This non-destructive method can be carried out through an ultrasonic transducer. This device can generate ultrasound energy that can be used to measure how long it would take for the sound pulse to travel through the equipment piece and go back from the far wall or inside surface. The thickness of the ship hull, pipe, or pressure vessel can then be calculated and displayed on a digital screen.

UTM Benefits and Applications

Many benefits can be obtained once UTM is applied to pressure vessels or equipment pieces. For one, this non-destructive method can provide accurate and precise measurements with readings as low as 0.1mm. The settings of the device for UTM can likewise be modified based on the specifications of equipment pieces. This benefit allows different metal coatings and linings to be considered during testing.

Another benefit of UTM is it can give a wide range of measurements. One more benefit of UTM is it can save a lot of time as it can already provide measurement just by assessing only one side of the pressure equipment pieces or vessels.

All these benefits and advantages of UTM make this method effective in several applications. One application of UTM is wall thickness determination. Checking the wall depth of materials can be conveniently achieved by UTM, which saves industries from accidents caused by incompatible equipment pieces or vessels. Two more applications of UTM are corrosion checking and material defect testing. Any disruption to the pattern of ultrasonic waves during testing only means that the materials have already obtained some damage or defect.

If you require UTM for the inspection of your pressure vessels, you can contact us at Fusion-Weld Engineering.

Contact Details

Fusion - Weld Engineering Pty Ltd
ABN 98 068 987619

1865 Frankston Flinders Road,
Hastings, VIC 3915

Ph: (03) 5909 8218

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