Quantitative characterization and performance verification of a new phased array instrument for the automated PAUT inspection of steel bars in accordance with EN ISO 18563-1

In order to carry out periodic performance tests and to certify ultrasonic phased array instruments in the automated inspection systems in regular intervals, it is mandatory to carry out a complete verification of the functional characteristics of the integrated phased array equipment in accordance with the international standard EN ISO 18563-1. The complete and precise calibration of the phased array instrument in an automated PAUT inspection system serves not only to verify the performance of the instrument, but also to ensure 100% quality inspection of steel bars in real practice. Furthermore, by employing a reliable and automated PAUT calibration system greatly reduces the downtime in production lines. In the framework of an application-specific project by Rosenxt IDS and voestalpine Boehler, a new fully automated longitudinally conveyed PAUT inspection system "LOCIS-PAUT" was developed for the reliable inspection of steel bars in production lines. This paper presents the complete calibration measurements and their quantitative evaluation of the integrated 32/128 multiplexed phased array instrument of the LOCISPAUT system in accordance with the international standard EN ISO 18563-1: Group 2 tests. The calibration measurements were carried out using an in-house developed automated and highly accurate PAUT calibration system. The measured characteristics of both transmitter and receiver channels of the 32/128 PAUT instrument under real operational conditions are demonstrated. A total of approx. 12500 measurements were performed on the 4x32/128 integrated PAUT electronics on-site. Large-scale data acquisition, evaluation, visualization and automatic generation of the calibration certificate were carried out in accordance with EN ISO 18563-1. Finally, the significance of the measurements for the qualification and certification of the automated PAUT system for the reliable testing of steel bars for the aerospace industry is discussed.