Premiere at COMPOSITES EUROPE – small testing system for air-coupled ultrasonic examinations

SONOTEC: The ultrasonic testing system SONOAIR – especially designed for the contactless testing of composite materials – will be presented for the first time at COMPOSITES EUROPE, the European trade fair for composite materials.  In addition to viewing system demonstrations, visitors can test mobile ultrasonic flaw detectors, wall thickness gauges and non-destructive material testing sensors at the SONOTEC booth in Stuttgart.

The stationary small testing system for the non-destructive testing of composites made of carbon or glass fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP, GFRP) as well as steel and aluminum was especially developed by SONOTEC for laboratory examinations. The system, which can be customized for each testing task, combines newly developed probes with a powerful, low-noise amplifier and an innovative, powerful ultrasonic transmitter. In this way, the system guarantees meaningful test results even when examining particularly damping materials. Inclusions and inhomogeneities in the material or the adhesive connections and joints can thus be definitively recognized. Typical examinations are the inspection of adhesive connections for multi-skin polycarbonate sheets, the testing of bubble films in order to check the uniform filling of the bubbles, and the examination of wood composite materials and composite materials in aircraft construction. A positioning table, which can be controlled via a 3-axis portal system, enables the two-dimensional examination of the samples. Special control and analysis software for PC makes it possible for the user to view a color-coded representation of the examined area on the screen in real time.

The portable ultrasonic flaw detector SONOSCREEN ST10 is suitable for the non-destructive material testing of metals, plastics and ceramics. The ergonomic, functional testing device wins over users with its large 8" display and its ease of use. The menu navigation, co-developed by experienced material testers, significantly facilitates the testing process. All adjustable parameters are given in a logical sequence. This ensures that all relevant parameters are set at the beginning of the test. The calibration blocks K1 and K2 are already saved in the system to facilitate quick, manual range adjustments. Material and probe databases also facilitate the inspection preparation and configuration of the device, which is compatible with all standard probes. A replaceable battery also allows users to work independently from the mains grid and provides optional reserve capacities.

In addition to the SONOSCREEN ST10, the ultrasound specialist will present a variety of different probe solutions for non-destructive material testing - including the angular and straight-beam probes from the SONOSCAN series. Another highlight at the trade fair are the highly accurate wall thickness gauges successfully used for non-destructive material testing from the SONOWALL product line.

SONOTEC will present its ultrasonic quality assurance products from 22 to 24 September 2015 at the COMPOSITES EUROPE trade fair in Hall 7, Booth E02.

SONOTEC

Founded in 1991, the SONOTEC Ultraschallsensorik GmbH is a leading ultrasonic measurement solution specialist. With over 120 employees, the technology company at the Halle (Saale) location develops and manufactures custom ultrasonic transducers and sensors as well as test equipment and metrology solutions for many different industries - from medical technology to the chemical and pharmaceutical industry to mechanical and plant engineering as well as non-destructive material testing.