Ultrasonic Weld Defect Sizing Using the Synthetic Aperture Focusing Technique

The synthetic aperture focusing technique (SAFT) has been shown to increase lateral resolution of appropriately acquired B-scan images [1,2,3,4]. The requirements of very accurate transducer position information and a well understood divergent ultrasonic beam can make it difficult to incorporate the technique into conventional inspections or to use it on previously acquired data. By using a reference reflector and an echo locus matching procedure it is possible to ease the latter requirement so that data acquired using conventional focused or flat transducers can be enhanced using the SAFT process.