Field Mapping and Performance Characterization of Commercial Eddy Current Probes

The reliability of eddy current nondestructive evaluation (NDE) depends not only on correct operator procedure but also on probe quality. With the increasing emphasis on detecting smaller flaws, the logical question is, “How can probe quality be measured quantitatively?” Electrical parameters are commonly measured to determine proper impedance matching of the probes to detection instruments. While this is important, impedance matching by itself is not necessarily an assurance of satisfactory eddy current probe performance.