Application Cases

Welding technology, as a fundamental process in modern industry, is characterized by its material-saving, high production efficiency, good density, convenient manufacturing and processing, and ease of mechanization and automation. It has been widely applied in aeronautical engineering, mechanical engineering, civil engineering, and other industrial fields.

However, stress concentration easily occurs at weld defects. If the stress at the defect is too high, deformation and tiny cracks may appear, which can eventually develop into larger macroscopic cracks, leading to brittle fracture and ultimately causing the failure of the welded structure. Therefore, effective and timely inspection of welded structures, as well as real-time quality monitoring, to eliminate potential hazards and prevent further development of damage, is of great engineering and economic significance for ensuring the safety and reliability of welded structures.

Tail wave interference non-destructive testing utilizes the principle of wave superposition, considering the transmitted wave as the superposition of waves propagating through all possible paths in the structure. When the characteristics of the propagation medium change, such as the presence of minor defects or damage, these changes will interfere with the propagation path of ultrasonic waves, resulting in slight variations in the tail wave signal. These variations can be detected through the principle of interference.

The ATA-2000 series of high-voltage amplifiers, based on Class AB amplification circuits, feature low distortion and high stability. With a maximum bandwidth of up to 1 MHz and a maximum output voltage of up to 1600 Vpp, they are widely used in the testing and performance evaluation of various piezoelectric materials.

Experiment Name: Research on Weld Defect Monitoring Based on Piezoelectric Signal Tail Interference

Experiment Principle: The tail wave interference method primarily uses multiple scattered waves in the medium to detect minor changes in the medium. When ultrasonic waves propagate through a welded specimen, the inhomogeneity at the weld (such as micro-cracks, incomplete penetration, etc.) causes complex reflection and scattering phenomena. These reflected and scattered waves interfere with each other, ultimately forming multiple scattered waves. As defects develop, such as the expansion of micro-cracks, the degree of multiple scattering will further increase. When an excitation signal is applied to the welded specimen, the detected response signal consists of a direct wave signal followed by a segment of signal with smaller amplitude but longer duration, resembling a long "tail," hence the name tail wave. Compared to the direct wave, the tail wave propagates back and forth multiple times in the welded specimen, repeatedly sampling minor defects at the weld, thereby amplifying them continuously, making the tail wave highly sensitive to minor defects and damage in the weld.

Experiment Photographs:

Experiment Process: A signal is emitted using the NIPXIe-1078 integrated chassis, amplified by the ATA-2021B high-voltage amplifier, and then used to excite PZT1 to generate stress waves. These waves propagate through the welded specimen and are received by PZT2. The generated piezoelectric signal is received and recorded by the integrated chassis and finally displayed on a computer.

Application Directions: Aeronautics and astronautics, industry, civil construction

Application Scenarios: Non-destructive testing, ultrasonic guided waves, piezoelectric transducers, detection of internal structural damage

Product Recommendation: ATA-2000 Series High-Voltage Amplifiers

Figure: Specifications of the ATA-2000 Series High-Voltage Amplifiers