Have you ever found yourself unable to carry out a specific task with a general-purpose ultrasonic transducer?
While ultrasonic transducers follow a general working principle, not all ultrasonic transducers are created the same. Many inspection situations occur with unique challenges that require the use of certain ultrasonic transducers with specific features. However, these features are sometimes not ordinarily available except by special design. Hence, the need for a custom ultrasonic transducer might be necessary to achieve high-precision inspection with a high result accuracy.
This post will help you choose a suitable custom ultrasonic transducer for your unique requirement. So, if you’re ready, let’s dive in.
Choose Your Custom Ultrasonic Transducers with Full Options
After you identify the scope of the inspection and the challenges involved in this inspection, the following line of action is to choose your custom ultrasonic transducer. But more importantly, it is to choose the full options available to help you achieve the maximum utility of the ultrasonic transducer. Here are important considerations you may need to consider when at this phase of quality assessment.
- Material – The piezoelectric material of the transducer is a critical factor that you may need to consider since it should consider the uniqueness of the challenges involved. For example, suppose it will be immersed in a liquid, used on a rough surface or high-temperature zone. In that case, the material should withstand the challenges without affecting the accuracy of the result.
- Size and Dimension – The portability and accessibility of the test sample heavily rely on the shape, size, and dimension of the transducer. A bulky and wide ultrasonic transducer might take up so much space and end up unable to access the object under examination, especially in a confined space.
- Technology – Certain inspections depend on advanced ultrasonic transducer features to achieve the required level of accuracy. As such, using an ultrasonic transducer with a base technology will not cut it.
- Frequency – Though ultrasonic transducers often detect very high frequencies of between 1-10 MHz, a unique need might arise requiring a transducer to detect higher frequencies than 10 MHz and, in some cases, even lower than 1 MHz.
- Resonance – Ultrasonic transducers have different resonant frequencies at which they operate efficiently. However, this will be based on the operation and the transducer in question. Hence, you may need to be clear on this when customizing your ultrasonic transducer.
- Capacity – With various inspection requirements comes different transducer capacities. The chief determiner of an ultrasonic transducer capacity is the frequency it aims to detect. However, most have a 1 KW capacity based on your inspection requirements. You should choose.
- Bandwidth – Since different objects resonate differently and within a specific ultrasonic range, therefore, the range of frequency detection of the ultrasonic transducer is critical for inspection precision.
- Elements – The choice between a single element and a phased array ultrasonic transducer requires careful consideration. Nonetheless, the accuracy and maneuverability required will help in this choice.
- Accessories – With different inspection scenarios, it becomes apparent that certain accessories are necessary to achieve accurate results. Couplant, wedges, and thickness gauges are some of the more essential accessories you might need to consider while customizing your ultrasonic transducer.
➤ Related Article: Ultrasonic Transducer Types: How to Choose Your Right Ultrasonic Transducer?
Customizable Ultrasonic Transducer Manufactured By NDT-KITS
With close to thirty-five (35) years in the industry, NDT-KITS, a leading customizable ultrasonic transducer manufacturer, has acquired a wealth of experience with numerous clients seeking to improve their inspection outcomes. This opportunity has given NDT-KITS the required experience to meet all unique inspection challenges with a wide variety and range of customizable options for ultrasonic transducers. It all boils down to your inspection requirements, which stem from the unique challenges you face.
NDT-KITS offers customized ultrasonic transducers which meet inspection-specific requirements, including material, frequency, dimension, resonance, and capacity requirements. They also give you a choice of a single element or phased array transducer options with various accessories to meet your needs.
Custom Ultrasonic Transducer Used in a Wide Array of Applications
The main reason for ordering a customized ultrasonic transducer is based on the distinctive needs often associated with a particular industry. Some of these industry-based applications are highlighted below.
- Rail Inspection – In the rail transportation industry, where millions of passengers and tons of goods use this system all year round, a defect on the rail tracks can significantly affect the safety of these passengers. Detecting these flaws and anomalies in the rail tracks requires customized ultrasonic transducers.
- Aircraft Parts – The stress to which aircraft parts must overcome when used is so great that a deviation from the designed thickness of these parts may result in their failures. These failures can result in plane crashes and a massive loss of lives and investments. Customized ultrasonic transducers help avoid all these losses by meeting the unique inspection requirements required for these aircraft parts.
- Pipeline Inspection – Passing chemicals and other liquified industrial products through pipelines often comes with excessive temperatures and pressure. Suppose the pipelines are not produced to design specifications that meet this temperature and pressures. In that case, an accident might occur while in active use. Ultrasonic transducers are customized to identify erring pipelines during production to avoid all these accidents.
- Plastic Pipes – The thickness of plastic pipelines is specific for particular industrial use and operations. While the material is as important as the thickness, quality check during manufacture is paramount to avoid any unforeseen mishaps. Ultrasonic transducers with customized features are often the preferred tool for ascertaining production meets design specifications.
- Sheet Metal Inspection – Sometimes, metal thickness is critical to constructing specific structures like ships, pipelines, and aircraft. A slight deviation in the thickness of this metal sheet during production might render it inadequate for the stresses anticipated during use. Custom ultrasonic transducers with a specific frequency range help to identify any anomalies.
How to Order Custom Ultrasonic Transducers at NDT-KITS?
Knowing that you need a customized ultrasonic transducer or what your inspection outcome should look like is not enough. You might require further steps to meet that desired inspection outcome. Some of these steps involve knowing how you order your ultrasonic transducers when ordering from NDT-KITS. Here are some steps for you.
- Identify Your Ultrasonic Transducer Idea – Before you place your order for a customized ultrasonic transducer, you must identify what your ideal ultrasonic transducer looks like. Identify the dimension and size that you know is suitable for your inspection needs. An ultrasonic transducer with an unsuitable dimension might make it hard to access the inspection area, especially if it’s a confined area with limited access. Also, ensure that you ascertain the suitable frequency range required for the inspection before placing your order. You will need to consider other requirements like material suitability, bandwidth, capacity, and support before placing your order.
- Consider Expected Budget – Another important consideration is the budget for the customized ultrasonic transducer. If, for instance, your budget ceiling is below the requirements you’ve identified, it means you might have to trade in some options for others or reduce the requirement for these options. Sometimes, you can chat with technical personnel from NDT-KITS to explain the implication of specific options and features to make an informed decision. Ultimately, the goal is for easy operation and an accurate result.
- Special Transducer Type and Application – It is also essential to compare special transducer types. For instance, if it meets your unique usage, you should compare transducers required for special applications like a high-temperature environment or one with a high-frequency detection requirement. You can also consider whether these special transducers can do little customization or if an overhaul is required. But the important thing is to make sure that it can adequately give the required result with little or no modification. Technical personnel from NDT-KITS can help you answer your question and clear your doubts before placing your order.
- Get Quotation and Confirm Design – The next step is to get your preferred and agreed design price. This design is often after a thorough walk-through of all considerations and requirements, making your inspection easier and giving you accurate results. Also, the quotation is after considering your expected budget with the NDT-KITS team to arrive at a suitable alternative that meets your main goals and helps you achieve your inspection objective.
- Place Your Order and Schedule Production – The final step is placing your order which typically involves a part payment as a commitment for NDT-KITS to begin the production. This part payment is often 50% of the quoted cost and a production schedule date which you agree with the production team. NDT-KITS will often collect the final payment for the customized ultrasonic transducer upon completion but before shipment is made.
Conclusion
A customized ultrasonic transducer might be the missing link between your inspection procedure and the expected accurate result you desire. However, desire alone won’t get you this result. Thorough planning and following through on a dedicated decision process will get it for you. This post has outlined what options you can get from a reliable, experienced, quality-driven, and customer-centric manufacturer like NDT-KITs.
This process involves critical options you should consider when customizing an ultrasonic transducer, including material, frequency, resonation, capacity, bandwidth, and accessories. Also, when ordering, you may need to consider your ideal design and requirements, special application, and your budget to make the customization process very smooth.
Now that you know how to customize an ultrasonic transducer, what is your next move?
