Three types of welded tubes are often inspected with ultrasound: Submerged arc welded pipes (SAW pipes) with either longitudinal
or helical weld and electric resistance welded pipes (ERW pipes) with longitudinal weld. This paper will focus on the
online test of ERW pipes.
Initially, the state of the art of conventional multi-channel UT is summarized. Afterwards, recent developments in phased
array UT (PAUT) are presented. The optimization of the phased array probe design and the setup of complex testing configurations
are supported by the CIVA simulation software. Examples of industrial installations of phased array UT using a large
number of parallel channels are described. The technical performance (signal noise ratio, testing speed, ultrasonic coverage,
etc.) of conventional UT and PAUT is compared. Conclusion: There are good arguments to continue with a combination of
the advantages of both worlds.
1. Deutsch, Volker, Michael Platte and Manfred Vogt, “Ultraschallprüfung – Grundlagen und industrielle Anwendungen
(Ultrasonic Testing – Principles and Industrial Applications),” Springer Publishing House, 1997.
2. Deutsch, Volker, Michael Platte, Manfred Vogt, Wolfram Deutsch and Volker Schuster, “Ultrasonic Testing – Compact &
Understandable,” Castell Publishing House Wuppertal, 2002.
3. Deutsch, Wolfram, “Automated Ultrasonic Inspection – Examples from the Steel Mill,” WCNDT World Conference for
Nondestructive Testing, Rome, Italy, 2000.
4. Möller, Peter, “Ultrasonic Testing Applications with Probe Holders with Water Jet Coupling (Ultraschall-
Prüfanwendungen mit Prüfkopfträgern für die Wasserstrahl-Ankopplung),” DGZfP Conference Proceedings, Garmisch,
pp. 109-117, 1993.
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Testing, Shanghai, China, 2008.
6. Deutsch, Wolfram, Michael Joswig, Klaus Maxam, Stefan Nitsche, Michel Vahe, Alexandre Noël, Patrick Pichard and
Sylvain Deutsch, “Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing of Heavy-Wall Seamless Tubes by Means of a Testing Portal,”
WCNDT World Conference for Nondestructive Testing, Moscow, Russia, 2010.
7. Deutsch, Wolfram, Martin Gessinger and Michael Joswig, “ECHOGRAPH Ultrasonic Testing of Helical Submerged
Arc-Welded (HSAW) Pipes,” WCNDT World Conference for Nondestructive Testing, Durban, South Africa, 2012.