Contact array probes

TRL / SE Arrays (Separate Transmit Receive)

Typical Applications

• Wrought / cast stainless steel components, austenitic structures
• Dissimilar metal welds
• Clad components
• Safe end / sub clad of nuclear vessel
• Pressurised welds

Principle

Thanks to the acoustically isolated transmit and reveive transducers, the emitted wave does not interfere with the received wave, allowing a reduced blind zone under the surface, and a better signal to noise ration for the inspection. The angle between transmit and received transducers helps to reduce the level of back scattering echoes.

The transmit and receive transducers can be of various types:

Monolithic

No possible variation on refracted angle and focusing depth.

Linear Linear transducers allow a variable refraction angle.	Matrix Matrix transducers also allow the beam crossing depth to be varied or the beam to be deflected laterally

Probe concepts

TRL/SE probes can be either integrated or with removable wedge.
Both concepts can be used with monolithic, linear or matrix probes

Integrated probes

they are dedicated to industrial use with fixed configuration. They are more compact and easy to handle with a scanner, but the wedge angle and transducer position are fixed.

Removable transmit and receive probes

they are more flexible as the wedge geometry and transducers position can be changed by changing the wegde.

Standard configuration

Please contact us for the standard configurations corresponding to your application.

Advantages

• Possibility of steering and skewing (matrix only) the beam
• Absence of dead zone
• Focusing effect in the beam crossing region
• Improvement of defect response
• Reduction of the backscatter signal
• Improvement of signal to noise ratio

General Characteristics

• Frequency from 500 kHz to 5 MHz
• Unlimited number of elements, typically 2x16 to 2x64
• High S/N ratio and optimized pulse length thanks to acoustic matching to wedge material (Rexolite, Plexiglas, PEI, etc)
• High acoustic insulation between transmit and receive sides
• High reliability over time thanks to a robust, watertight design, compatible with difficult industrial environments

Options

• Housing customized for the mechanical environment (inspected parts, scanner, wedges, etc)
• Customized connection
• Adaptation to a particular environment (temperature, pressure, radiation, chemical compatibility)
• Halogen-free for nuclear environments
• Water inlets

Accessories

• TRL Wedges
• Cable extensions and adaptors