3D printing of high frequencies ultrasound angle probe wedges

• Main Author: Lim, Wei Kian
• Other Authors: Xiao Zhongmin
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2024
• Subjects: Engineering; Angled probe wedge
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/176477
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) is widely employed in businesses to identify material faults without causing any damage. NDT comes in a variety of forms, including Radiographic, Visual, Magnetic Particle, Penetrant, and Ultrasonic Testing (UT). Given that UT is the most advantageous approach in NDT, the author will be concentrating on it in this study. High-frequency sound waves in UT are sent by the transducer's pulser, pass through the test specimen, and return to the receiver as echoes. Defect analysis may then be performed using the signal received. The angle probe wedge can be highly expensive and difficult to build because of the high degree of precision needed in its production. As a result, the author of this project will look into creating the 45° and 60° wedges via 3D printing and joining them with a 90° transducer to create an angle beam transducer. This is being done in an effort to lower production costs and facilitate the fabrication of the angle probe wedge. To find the ideal material to employ for the 15 MHz transducer, a number of materials will be tested. Snell's Law will then be used to determine the angle of incidence based on the shear velocity of the material. Once completed, the wedge will be designed, and 3D printed. To ascertain if it is feasible to replace the conventional wedge with the 3D printed wedge, a series of defect testing will be conducted.