Like an ultrasonic flaw detector, an ultrasonic Thickness Gauge is also non-destructive testing equipment used to measure a component’s thickness. This testing device can assess the thickness of a workpiece by calculating the time sound waves take to move from the transducer through the material and its reflection time back to the transducer. Then the gauge estimates the thickness of the material on the basis of sound waves’ velocity. This equipment can monitor corrosion, evaluate wall thickness, and mould thickness testing.
Quality control professionals use ultrasonic flaw detectors to detect flaws in industrial structures and ultrasonic thickness gauges to assess the thickness of different products utilised in multiple industries for decades. Over the years, the world has witnessed tremendous growth in hardware development and so the ultrasonic thickness gauge has become a potent yet user-friendly tool. Wondering how it works? We have explained it in the simplest way possible.
What Are The Usages of Ultrasonic Thickness Gauge?
However, ultrasonic thickness gauges are commonly used to measure a material’s thickness when a quality inspection professional can’t access both sides of the component. Apart from that, it has multiple significant usages to determine the wellness or integrity of workpieces that are likely to have erosion or corrosion such as ship hulls, boilers, pipelines, tankers, and pressure vessels. Be it TM210 Plus or Edison 10, every advanced ultrasonic thickness measuring device has different usages. Some of the common usages of ultrasonic thickness gauges are mentioned below.
1. To Measure The Thickness Of Tube Wall Or Metal Pipe
The ultrasonic thickness gauge is extensively used to examine the wall thickness of a pipe or tube, and it helps determine inevitable circumstances in an industrial unit. A non-destructive thickness assessment through a gauge isn’t limited to the accessible ends of pipes or tubes. It can measure the concentration of pipes or tubes automatically without shutting down the process or cutting the pipes. The ultrasonic thickness gauge measures thickness over the whole length of tubes or pipes when the process is on the go.
2. To Inspect The Wellness Of A Ship Hull
This is one of the most critical uses of the ultrasonic thickness gauge. As it is difficult to inspect the wholeness of a ship’s hull through eyes because a protective coating is applied on the hull’s outer surface to extend its life. The protective layer makes it difficult to evaluate the wellness of the ship hull. But, the thickness gauge assesses the metal thickness and detects the corrosion spot instantly without removing the protective coating. The tool figures the metal density by measuring the delay in the echo.
The ultrasound thickness gauge transmits multiple echoes to get a precise image. It measures and determines the thickness of the protective coating by the first echo. The device automatically logs the determinations, overlooking the material delay of the protective coating for the next two echoes. The hull inspectors use these figures to determine the ship’s wellness allowing them to make an informed decision related to the ship’s maintenance.
3. To Examine Weathering Steel Structures
Weathering steels encounter continuous decay due to extended corrosion. Therefore, industrial units use thicker steel and closely monitor corrosion. The ultrasonic thickness gauge measures the leftover steel through the rust layer. In this testing technique, transducers are not required to travel the sound waves through the steel. The device not only measures the thickness of the remaining steel but the thickness of the rust layer as well.
Different Materials That Can Be Measured With An Ultrasonic Thickness Gauge?
However, other techniques and methods have limitations as they can be used to measure the thickness of certain materials, an ultrasonic thickness gauge has varied applications for different materials for numerous purposes. Some of them are mentioned below:
1. Erosion
The ultrasonic thickness measuring device assesses the thickness of a coated material that is applied to a component due to erosion. Different parts of industrial structures, nuclear reactors, jet engines, water turbines, and boilers are prone to erosion.
2. Corrosion
When metals are exposed to natural factors such as atmospheric moisture, they frequently corrode. An ultrasonic thickness gauge, on the other hand, is a precise non-destructive inspection instrument that can determine the level of corrosion in concealed interior metal parts through a single checkpoint.
3. Metals
Ultrasonic thickness gauges are frequently used to gauge duplicate, machined, wadded, cast, or extruded metal components with thicknesses ranging from 0.2mm to 500mm, depending on grain formation.
4. Ceramic
The ultrasonic thickness gauge is used to inspect the integrity of all structural and electronic ceramics including ceramic pipes and valves, coatings, containers, and turbine blades. Apart from that, the tool is used to calculate the absolute value of elasticity through sound velocity measurement.
5. Other Materials
Because of their ability to measure general metals and plastics, ultrasonic gauges are utilized to measure an extensive range of different materials such as elastic polymers, porcelain, crystal soft contact lenses, wax patterns, and biological specimens including soft tissues.
Type Of Ultrasonic Thickness Gauges
The ultrasonic thickness gauges come in different types on the basis of their usages and transducers. Though, the most extensively used gauges are –
1. Corrosion Gauges
These are application-based gauges that are used to measure the corrosion in metals through the travel time gap of sound waves between the two sides of the material’s wall. Also, they are widely used to determine the time between two consecutive sound waves.
2. Precision Gauges
Apart from metals, precision ultrasonic thickness gauges are frequently used for materials such as plastics, porcelain, ceramics, crystals, and other materials utilized in industrial units. The term comes from the fact that these gauges can accurately and precisely measure a broad range of wall thicknesses ranging from 0.2mm to 500mm.
Conclusion
Ultrasonic thickness gauge manufacturers offer different ultrasonic testing equipment including ultrasonic flaw detectors, ultrasonic thickness gauges, probes, Edison 10, and calibration blocks. If you need these devices for industrial uses, Modsonic can be your trustworthy partner. It is one of India’s leading and trusted ultrasonic thickness gauge manufacturers which is known for its range of ultrasonic testing equipment.
