Experimental Study on the Detection of Surface-Breaking Defects on Metal with the Scanning Laser Line Source Technique

Abstract

The scanning laser line source (SLLS) technique is a novel laser-based inspection method for the ultrasonic detection of small surface-breaking defects. The SLLS approach is based on monitoring the change in laser generated ultrasound as a laser line source is scanning over a defect. It has provided enhanced signal-to-noise performance compared to the traditional pitch-catch or pulse-echo ultrasonic methods. In this paper, an experimental method is presented to detect surface acoustic waves (SAW) with polyvinylindene fluoride(PVDF) transducer. The ultrasonic signal is converted into electric signal by piezoelectricity of the PVDF, which is attached to a micro-knife edge clamped on a metal device. The SAW are excited by employing a pulsed Nd:YAG laser on aluminum plate with artificial surface-breaking defects. The laser line source is accurately shifted by the motorized translation stage, while the PVDF is located at a fixed position on the specimen. When the laser line source is scanning over the defect, the ultrasonic signals are monitored, meanwhile the characteristic changes in the amplitude and frequency content are observed. Consequently, the position of the defect can be determined by analyzing the obtained signals. The experimental system with high sensitivity provides a detection method of small surface-breaking defects on metal and gives convincing experimental evidence for the interaction mechanism between the SAW and the surface-breaking defects.