The use of a Magnetic Probe Coupler to aid the reliability of manual ultrasonic testing (MUT) on Carbon Steel components

The reliability of MUT is arguably sub-par. There has been very limited work on the reliability of MUT of corrosion as most of the research focused on MUT of weldments. The current body of literature showed a host of human factors that affected MUT, and a survey carried out on Non-destructive testing (NDT) personnel working in industry highlighted that two areas of concern were the task and the inspector. It is proposed that the use of a magnetic probe coupler (MPC) will aid the task and the inspector in carrying out a reliable MUT inspection. It will do this by ensuring that probe coupling is maintained to the Carbon Steel surface when working in a variety of positions while improving the tactility of scanning a component. It will greatly aid the monitoring of known areas of wall loss by ensuring that the probe is coupled consistently and accurately in the same position. The areas of wall loss can be easily marked when the technician is not manually trying to hold the probe to the test piece. The research will look to demonstrate the effectiveness of the MPC utilising it in corrosion inspections trials to validate the MPC