6 Top Uses Of Ultrasonic Thickness Gauge You Must Know About

The non-destructive testing method of ultrasonic thickness measurement (UTM) is done using equipment known as Ultrasonic Thickness Gauge. There are multiple uses of ultrasonic thickness gauge, such as inspection of the metal thickness of ship hulls, pipes, structural steel, etc.

Ultrasonic thickness gauging is a popular non-destructive testing (NDT) method for determining a material’s thickness from one side. It’s quick, dependable, and adaptable, and it only requires access to one side of the test component, unlike a micrometer or caliper. In the 1970s, small, portable equipment was designed to expand the uses of ultrasonic thickness gauges. 

 

What Is An Ultrasonic Thickness Gauge?

An ultrasonic thickness gauge is an NDT measurement equipment that uses ultrasonic waves to determine the thickness of a material. It is used to measure the thickness of a solid element using ultrasonic thickness measurement (UTM).

Ultrasonic thickness gauges are used to ensure the safety and reliability of materials that are prone to corrosion or erosion.

There are many uses of ultrasonic thickness gauge, among which steel thickness is routinely measured with the gauge in various locations of ships and offshore structures. It’s also used to keep track of pipelines.

 

Important Uses Of Ultrasonic Thickness Gauge

There are many significant uses of ultrasonic thickness gauge: on pipelines, pressure vessels, storage tanks, boilers, and other equipment prone to erosion or corrosion, ultrasonic thickness gauges can provide a precise measurement of the wall thickness of any substrate. Some of the most important industrial uses of ultrasonic thickness gauge are:

 

1. Inspection And Measurement Of Ship Hull

The integrity of a ship’s hull might be difficult to inspect solely by sight. Protective coatings are applied to the outer portion of the hull to extend its life; nevertheless, this makes evaluation difficult. Therefore, this is one of the most critical uses of ultrasonic thickness gauge.

Without removing protective coatings, a thickness gauge analyses metal thickness and immediately finds corrosion spots. The gauge typically measures metal density by recording the delay of returning of reverberation by transmitting an echo.  

An ultrasound thickness gauge broadcasts multiple echoes to acquire a distinct impression.

The thickness of the protective layer is determined by the first echo. The Gauge system automatically logs the findings, disregarding the temporal delay of the protective coating for the next two echoes. Hull surveyors can use these data to accurately determine the ship’s integrity and make informed decisions about maintenance.

 

2. Measurement Of Metal Pipe And Tube Wall Thickness

Among uses of ultrasonic thickness gauge, one is the measurement of metal pipe and tube wall thickness. It is used to verify the wall thickness of a pipe or tube; ultrasonic thickness gauges can help because measurements aren’t limited to the pipe’s accessible ends. Non-destructive wall thickness measurements can be taken in the mill to identify out-of-tolerance circumstances. 

Without cutting the pipe or shutting down the manufacturing process, the concentration of a continuously created pipe can be measured on a continuous and automatic basis. Similarly, ultrasonics allows for nondestructive thickness measurements over the whole length of thin-walled tubing when a process necessitates it.

 

3. Induction Of Weathering Steel Structures 

Weathering steels continue to deteriorate at a finite rate due to long-term corrosion. As a result, thicker steel must be used, and corrosion must be closely monitored. This leads to these uses of ultrasonic thickness gauge for measuring residual steel thickness has been evaluated.

This method measures steel thickness through a rust layer, requires no couplant to transmit ultrasound into the steel, and simply delivers the steel thickness, not just the steel thickness but the thickness of the rust layer. This tool is useful for determining the residual steel thickness on weathering steel structures with somewhat uniform corrosion.

 

How Does Ultrasonic Thickness Gauge Work?

One of the uses of ultrasonic thickness gauge is to detect the thickness of a test piece using the physics of sound waves. They do so by examining the pattern of how organized mechanical vibrations flow through metals, plastics, and other industrial materials, as well as the timing that a sound pulse takes to travel through the test component until it bounces back off an inner surface or a remote wall, depending on the material’s thickness. The sound energy frequencies used by these ultrasonic devices are significantly higher than those heard by the human ear. These uses of ultrasonic thickness gauge include its operation at frequencies of up to 500 KHz or even more than the audible range.

Piezoelectric components, which are triggered by brief electrical impulses, are used in the transducers that transmit sound pulses. Ultrasonic sound waves are generated, which travel through the test piece and are reflected back to the transducer. The sound pulse is turned to sound energy once it returns. This sound energy is used by the gauge to calculate the thickness using the following equation:

T = (V) x (t/2)

Where,

T = Thickness of the part to be measured

V = Velocity of sound through the test material

t = Measured round-trip transit time

 

Advantages of ultrasonic thickness gauge

In a variety of typical industrial and in-service test uses of ultrasonic thickness gauge, ultrasonic thickness gauges offer a number of advantages over mechanical and optical measurement methods.

1. One-sided measurement

Ultrasonic gauges can only measure one side of pipes, tanks, tubing, containers, hollow castings, huge metal or plastic sheets, and other test pieces with an internal surface that is impossible or difficult to reach.

2. Completely Nondestructive

In various uses of ultrasonic thickness gauge, there is no need to cut or segment pieces, reducing scrap and labor expenses.

3. Reliability

Uses of ultrasonic thickness gauge offer high accuracy, repeatability, and dependability. Modern digital ultrasonic gauges are extremely precise, repeatable, and dependable.

 

Modsonic is a market-leading ultrasonic thickness gauge manufacturer and your best choice when it comes to top-quality assurance and services. Our testing and inspection gauges are the best in the industry, having undergone extensive research and development over many years. Call us now!