Vehicle research unit buys scanner for the evaluation of welded joints
19/02/2010
WMG, based at The University Of Warwick Centre of Excellence for Premier Lightweight Vehicle Research, with ongoing research and development projects on joining technology, has acquired a new AmsTech Miniscanner for the evaluation of spot welded and laser welded joints.The Miniscanner, which has been developed and produced by AmsTech in the Netherlands, utilises a high-resolution 35 MHz ultrasonic technique to scan material over and around the jointed area.
The ultrasonic pulse-echo A-scan data is collected using high-resolution sampling and stored for analysis. The data is presented as a C-scan with time-of-flight or peak signal image which allows for post-test evaluation.
The new technique is said to have significant advantages over traditional methods of spot weld analysis, allowing visual discrimination between good, bad and poor joints.
The scanner is distributed within the UK by BINDT Associate Member Goldthorn Electromech.
Mr Richard Hewitt, Project Manager from the Premium Vehicle Lightweight Technologies Centre, told NDT News: "We have chosen to investigate the AmsTech unit as, upon initial evaluation, it has the capacity to allow clear unambiguous data about a joint to be quickly and repeatably gathered and stored for future interrogation."
For further information on the Miniscanner, contact Mr Paul Bradburn at Goldthorn Electromech on tel: 0870 850 8972, email: paul@goldndt.com, or visit: www.amstech.nl
For further information on WMG at The University Of Warwick, contact Mr Richard Hewitt on tel: 024 765 75358, email: richard.hewitt@warwick.ac.uk, or visit: www.wmg.warwick.ac.uk or www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/wmg/research/pard/pardprojects/advbodyjoin
