Angular beams are directional sound waves used to test welds and metal components for defects. The equipment consists of a wedge and transducer, with different wedges pointing the beam at different angles. Transducers must be set at a specific frequency depending on the material being tested. Wedges can be curved for more accurate readings on curved surfaces. Different designs allow testing of inside or outside bends. There are also angular beam transducer assemblies for testing plastics, ceramics, copper, and lead. Dual beam transducers and high-temperature angle beam wedges are available for specialized testing.
An angular beam is a beam of focused, directional sound waves used to test welds and metallic industrial components for defects or small cracks perpendicular to the surface of the part being tested. Small cracks in the welds or metal may be invisible to the naked eye, but an angled beam assembly can detect such defects. Angle beams are important tools for testing many important industrial components including machinery, pipes, welds of all types, and machined or forged metal components.
The test equipment for using angle beams consists of a portable apparatus consisting of two parts, a wedge and a transducer. The wedge is designed to hold the transducer at an angle to the surface of the test piece. The transducer is a powered device that generates and projects sound waves into the workpiece. Most corner beam assemblies are constructed in such a way that multiple wedges can be attached to the transducer. Each different wedge points the beam at different angles for a variety of different test conditions.
Corner beam assemblies are based on Snell’s law. This law allows for the calculation of the angle at which a sound wave bounces when it hits a boundary between two materials of different densities. The corner beam fires the beam into the test piece and detects any return beams, which indicate cracks or defects perpendicular to the surface of the test piece.
Transducers are specialized; must be set at a specific frequency depending on the material to be tested. The most common types are for steel testing. Other transducers are manufactured for testing materials such as aluminum and titanium. A transducer designed to test one type of material is not suitable for testing another material, as each is calibrated for the specific sound conductivity of only one substance.
Wedges for corner radius transducer assemblies are sometimes made with a curve to give more accurate readings when testing materials with curved surfaces. They can be convex or concave, with the axis of the curve running perpendicular or parallel to the transducer beam line. Different designs allow you to test the inside or outside bends of pipes or other equipment.
There are also angular beam transducer assemblies for testing other materials, such as plastics, high-density ceramics, and metals such as copper and lead. Dual beam transducers are sometimes used for more accurate test results when testing certain materials such as stainless steel. High-Temperature Angle Beam Wedges are available for specialized testing under high-temperature conditions.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
