AutoNDT: new software for remote ultrasonic scanning via the Internet

Abstract Non-destructive testing (NDT), especially ultrasonic scanning, is commonly used in the industrial world to reveal internal materials defects. However, the NDT specifications state that the scanning results should be interpreted and judged by qualified experts who charge a lot of money and are not available at any time in the scanning site. This work presents AutoNDT, a software that has been developed to provide new features to facilitate the evaluation of ultrasonic scanning results. The most significant feature is its ability to use Internet to transmit echo signals, on-line, as they are being acquired from the ultrasonic scanning device, to other copies of the software running on the computers of NDT experts all over the world. Consequently, expert committees from different companies and countries can be established on-line through the Internet to evaluate the ultrasonic scanning results for important structures without actually being present in the scanning site. Other features include the ability to record continuous streams of echo signals and save them in computer disks, analyze scanning data to locate hazardous peaks, hardcopy echo patterns graphically in formatted reports and paste data digitally or graphically to other Windows applications. The software is also able to communicate to AutoCAD drawings and mark the positions of hazardous peaks on the line drawings of inspected structures. The author has extended his previously developed computer program [submitted for publication in IWC-2001] that was interfacing with hardware equipment of one leading market supplier in order to develop AutoNDT software.