Robotic platforms and methods of use are disclosed that include: at least one robot or robotic device, at least one computer-based control system, wherein the system is at least in part located on the at least one robot, at least one communications system, wherein the communications system is designed to communicate between the computer-based control system and the at least one robot, and at least one evaluation system that is designed to implement and process at least one nondestructive testing method.

The invention relates to an acoustic sensor system (1) for detecting a defect (2) of a pipeline wall (3), having: at least one transmitter unit (4) which is configured to emit ultrasound in the direction of a pipeline wall (3) and detect an ultrasound echo reflected by the pipeline wall (3); and a control unit (5) which is connected to the at least one transmitter unit (4) for signaling purposes and which is configured to detect a defect (2) of the pipeline wall (3) using a present change in he ultrasound echo. The invention additionally relates to an in-line inspection device comprising the sensor system (1), to a method for detecting a defect (2) in a pipeline wall (3), to a computer program, to a data carrier signal, and to a data storage unit.

A method of testing for thickness loss in a metal wall is disclosed. The method includes mounting a first and a second ultrasonic transducer to the metal such that the transducers are in ultrasonic communication along a beam line and moving the first and second ultrasonic transducers along a scan line. A series of composites of received signal measurements are obtained by, at multiple locations along the scan line, using the first ultrasonic transducer to transmit ultrasonic signals through the metal wall along the beam line at a plurality of transmission angles and obtaining composites of received signal amplitudes by combining signal amplitudes measured by the second ultrasonic transducer. The series of composites are input into a predetermined relationship to obtain a thickness profile indicative of a proportion of remaining wall thickness. The predetermined relationship is experimentally obtained to characterize a given metal wall of nominal thickness.

A method for determining the prestress force of a connection component (10) is proposed. In the method, ultrasonic signals (22) are introduced into the connection component (10) and ultrasonic echoes (24) of the ultrasonic signals (22) are received again. The method comprises the following steps: a) introducing a longitudinal ultrasonic signal and determining a first signal time of flight FTOF.sub.L of the longitudinal ultrasonic signal until the reception of an echo of the longitudinal ultrasonic signal, b) introducing a transverse ultrasonic signal and determining a second signal time of flight FTOF.sub.T of the transverse ultrasonic signal until the reception of an echo of the transverse ultrasonic signal, and c) determining an effective temperature T.sub.eff and the prestress force of the connection component (10) on the basis of the first signal time of flight FTOF.sub.L, the second signal time of flight FTOF.sub.T, previously determined reference data and calibration factors using the assumption that a prestress force F.sub.L ascertained using the first signal time of flight FTOF.sub.L and a prestress force F.sub.T ascertained using the second signal time of flight FTOF.sub.T are equal in magnitude,
wherein steps a) and b) are carried out successively in any desired order or in parallel. A further aspect of the invention relates to a device for carrying out the method.

A method includes receiving data characterizing a first acoustic signal reflected by a first defect in a target object, and a first depth of the first defect relative to a surface of the target object. The first acoustic signal is detected by a detector located at a first location on the surface of the target object. The method also includes assigning a defect color to the received data based on an amplitude value associated with the first acoustic signal and one or more of a first predetermined threshold value and a second predetermined threshold value associated with the first depth. The method further includes rendering, in a graphical user interface display space, a first visual representation of the first acoustic signal in a graph including a first axis indicative of target object defect depth and a second axis indicative of amplitudes of acoustic signals detected by the detector. The first visual representation of the first acoustic signal includes the assigned defect color.

Disclosed are an apparatus and a method for quickly and accurately inspecting a droplet on a substrate. An apparatus for inspecting a droplet on a substrate according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure includes: an ultrasonic sensor configured to apply an ultrasonic wave to a droplet on the substrate and detect an ultrasonic wave reflected from the substrate; and a processor configured to acquire a height of the droplet at each position on the substrate on the basis of a signal of the ultrasonic wave reflected from the droplet on the substrate, calculate a volume of the droplet on the basis of the heights of the droplet at the positions, and store or output data in relation to the volume of the droplet. The embodiment of the present disclosure may calculate the volume of the droplet using the ultrasonic wave, thereby quickly and accurately inspecting the droplet on the substrate.

The invention relates to an acoustic sensor system (1) for detecting the wall thickness (WT1, WT2) of a material layer (2) of a pipeline wall (3), having at least one transmitter unit (4), which is configured to emit ultrasound in the direction of a material layer (2) and detect an ultrasound echo reflected by the material layer (2), and a control unit (5), which is connected to the at least one transmitter unit (4) for signaling purposes and is configured to detect the wall thickness (WT1, WT2) of the material layer (2) using the ultrasound echo. The invention additionally relates to an in-line inspection device comprising the sensor system (1), to a method for detecting the wall thickness (WT1, WT2) of a material layer (2) of a pipeline wall (3), to a computer program, to a data carrier signal, and to a data storage unit.

Material properties between a wellbore and a casing having a partition separating respective domains inside and outside the casing are evaluated by disposing at least one ultrasonic transmitter and a plurality of ultrasonic receivers in longitudinally spaced-apart relationship alongside the partition inside the casing. The ultrasonic transmitter is activated to form ultrasonic waveforms comprising propagated quasi leaky-Lamb waves constituting flexural waves having symmetric and antisymmetric zero-order modes within the partition. A time-shift is applied to the received flexural waves so that the respective time-shifted waveforms corresponding to each of the flexural waves arrive at the same time. The time-shifted waveforms are clustered to form separate clusters respectively relating to a flexural wave part, and at least one post-flexural wave part which exposes characteristics that would otherwise be hidden behind more dominant features in the flexural wave and allowing determination of a material and geometry behind the partition.

A nondestructive method for a volumetric examination of a blade root of a turbine blade while the turbine blade is installed in a turbine shaft of a steam turbine includes attaching a bracket to the turbine blade, the bracket conforming to the geometry of the turbine blade, positioning an ultrasonic phased array probe within a slot formed in the bracket to enable the probe to translate along the geometry of the turbine blade to a desired position for generation of a scan of a portion of the blade root, generating a scan of the desired position by directing ultrasonic waves via the ultrasonic phased array probe, and capturing reflected ultrasonic waves by a receiver to generate the scan and comparing the scan to a reference scan of the blade root to determine defects within the blade root.

A method of forming parts uses a forming tool having a forming surface, and an ultrasonic transducer array on the forming surface.