1、Designation: E 317 06aStandard Practice forEvaluating Performance Characteristics of Ultrasonic Pulse-Echo Testing Instruments and Systems without the Use ofElectronic Measurement Instruments1This standard is issued under the fixed designation E 317; the number immediately following the designation
2、indicates the year oforiginal adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. Asuperscript epsilon (e) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.This standard has been approved for use by agenci
3、es of the Department of Defense.1. Scope1.1 This practice describes procedures for evaluating thefollowing performance characteristics of ultrasonic pulse-echoexamination instruments and systems: Horizontal Limit andLinearity; Vertical Limit and Linearity; Resolution - EntrySurface and Far Surface;
4、Sensitivity and Noise; Accuracy ofCalibrated Gain Controls. Evaluation of these characteristics isintended to be used for comparing instruments and systems or,by periodic repetition, for detecting long-term changes in thecharacteristics of a given instrument or system that may beindicative of impend
5、ing failure, and which, if beyond certainlimits, will require corrective maintenance. Instrument charac-teristics measured in accordance with this practice are ex-pressed in terms that relate to their potential usefulness forultrasonic examinations. Instrument characteristics expressedin purely elec
6、tronic terms may be measured as described inE 1324.1.2 Ultrasonic examination systems using pulsed-wavetrains and A-scan presentation (rf or video) may be evaluated.1.3 The procedures are applicable to shop or field condi-tions; additional electronic measurement instrumentation is notrequired.1.4 Th
7、is practice establishes no performance limits forexamination systems; if such acceptance criteria are required,these must be specified by the using parties. Where acceptancecriteria are implied herein they are for example only and aresubject to more or less restrictive limits imposed by customersand
8、 end users controlling documents.1.5 The specific parameters to be evaluated, conditions andfrequency of test, and report data required, must also bedetermined by the user.1.6 This practice may be used for the evaluation of acomplete examination system, including search unit, instru-ment, interconne
9、ctions, fixtures and connected alarm andauxiliary devices, primarily in cases where such a system isused repetitively without change or substitution. This practiceis not intended to be used as a substitute for calibration orstandardization of an instrument or system to inspect any givenmaterial. The
10、re are limitations to the use of standard referenceblocks for that purpose.21.7 Required test apparatus includes selected test blocks anda precision external attenuator (where specified) in addition tothe instrument or system to be evaluated.1.8 Precautions relating to the applicability of the proce
11、-dures and interpretation of the results are included.1.9 Alternate procedures, such as examples described in thisdocument, or others, may only be used with customer approval.1.10 This standard does not purport to address all of thesafety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is theresponsib
12、ility of the user of this standard to establish appro-priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-bility of regulatory limitations prior to use.2. Referenced Documents2.1 ASTM Standards:3E114 Practice for Ultrasonic Pulse-Echo Straight-BeamExamination by the Contact MethodE 127 Prac
13、tice for Fabricating and Checking AluminumAlloy Ultrasonic Standard Reference BlocksE 214 Practice for Immersed Ultrasonic Testing by theReflection Method Using Pulsed Longitudinal WavesE 428 Practice for Fabrication and Control of Metal, Otherthan Aluminum Reference, Blocks Used in UltrasonicExamin
14、ationE 1316 Terminology for Nondestructive ExaminationsE 1324 Guide for Measuring Some Electronic Characteris-tics of Ultrasonic Examination Instruments1This practice is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee E07 on Nonde-structive Testing and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee E07.06 on
15、Ultrasonic Method.Current edition approved Dec. 1, 2006. Published January 2007. Originallyapproved in 1967. Last previous edition approved in 2006 as E 317 - 06.2Beck, K. H., “Limitations to the Use of Reference Blocks for Periodic andPreinspection Calibration of Ultrasonic Inspection Instruments a
16、nd Systems,”Materials Evaluation, Vol 57, No. 3, March 1999.3For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, orcontact ASTM Customer Service at serviceastm.org. For Annual Book of ASTMStandards volume information, refer to the standards Document Summary page onthe ASTM website.1
17、Copyright ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959, United States.2.2 Other Standard:IEEE Std 100, IEEE Standard Dictionary of Electrical andElectronic Terms43. Terminology3.1 DefinitionsFor definitions of terms used in this prac-tice see Terminology E
18、 1316. Other relevant definitions may befound in IEEE Standard 100.4. Summary of Practice4.1 An examination system to be evaluated comprises anultrasonic pulse-echo instrument, search unit, interconnectingcables, and couplant; for immersion examination systemssuitable fixturing is required.4.2 When
19、checking an entire system to be used for a givenexamination, test conditions are selected that are consistentwith the intended end-use as determined by the user.4.3 The ultrasonic response from appropriate test blocks isobtained, and presented in numerical or graphical form.5. Significance and Use5.
20、1 This practice describes procedures applicable to bothshop and field conditions. More comprehensive or precisemeasurements of the characteristics of complete systems andtheir components will generally require laboratory techniquesand electronic equipment such as oscilloscopes and signalgenerators.
21、Substitution of these methods is not precludedwhere appropriate; however, their usage is not within the scopeof this practice.5.2 This document does not establish system acceptancelimits, nor is it intended as a comprehensive equipmentspecification.5.3 While several important characteristics are inc
22、luded,others of possible significance in some applications are notcovered.5.4 Since the parameters to be evaluated and the applicabletest conditions must be specified, this practice should beprescribed only by those familiar with ultrasonic NDT tech-nology and the required tests should be performed
23、either bysuch a qualified person or under his supervision.5.5 Implementation may require more detailed proceduralinstructions in the format of the using facility.5.6 In the case of evaluation of a complete system selectionof the specific tests to be made should be done cautiously; if therelated para
24、meters are not critical in the intended application,then their inclusion may be unjustified. For example, verticallinearity may be irrelevant for a go/no-go test with a flaw gatealarm, while horizontal linearity might be required only foraccurate flaw-depth or thickness measurement from the displays
25、creen.5.7 No frequency of system evaluation or calibration isrecommended or implied. This is the prerogative of the usingparties and is dependent on application, environment, andstability of equipment.5.8 Certain sections are applicable only to instrumentshaving receiver gain controls calibrated in
26、decibels (dB). Whilethese may sometimes be designated “gain,” “attenuator,” or“sensitivity” on various instruments, the term “gain controls”will be used in this practice in referring to those whichspecifically control instrument receiver gain but not includingreject, electronic distance-amplitude co
27、mpensation, or auto-matic gain control.5.9 These procedures can generally be applied to anycombination of instrument and search unit of the commonlyused types and frequencies, and to most straight-beam exami-nation, either contact or immersed. Certain sections are alsocompatible with angle-beam, whe
28、el, delay-line, and dual-search unit techniques. Their use, however, should be mutuallyagreed upon and so identified in the test report.5.10 The validity of the results obtained will depend on theprecision of the instrument display readings. This is assumed tobe 60.04 in. (61 mm), yielding between 1
29、 % and 2 % of fullscale (fs) readability for available instrumentation havingsuitable screen graticules and display sharpness.6. Procedures for Obtaining Ultrasonic Response Data6.1 General:6.1.1 A procedure, using this document as a guide, shouldbe prepared for each specific type of instrument or s
30、ystem to beevaluated. For each procedure determine from the requestingdocuments the instrument examination range to be evaluated,select the appropriate search unit, fixtures, and test blocks, andestablish the required display conditions. Unless otherwiserequired, mid-range values are suggested for m
31、ost panelcontrols and “reject” must be off unless specifically desired tobe evaluated. It may be desirable to vary the instrumentcontrols from these initial values. If so, it is important toobserve and report any anomalous effects on the parametersbeing evaluated when the controls are so varied.6.1.
32、2 When a procedure requires a change in receiver gainby the use of a calibrated control, it is assumed that thosewhich increase sensitivity with higher panel readings aredesignated “gain” and those which decrease sensitivity withhigher readings are designated “attenuation.” Fine (reference)gain cont
33、rols, when available, are sometimes not calibrated indecibels and increase sensitivity with clockwise rotation.6.1.3 Although the procedures in this practice do not de-scribe the use of electronic distance-amplitude compensation,its use is not precluded. If it is used to affect any one orcombination
34、 of characteristics, measured under this document,then all characteristics should be evaluated with the same levelof compensation as was used on any one, and this level shouldbe referenced in the report. If desired by the using parties, adual set of test data may be made both with and withoutdistanc
35、e-amplitude compensation.6.1.4 If the display screen does not provide a suitableinternal graticule, and deflection measurements are beingmade, fix the eye relative to the external scale to minimizeparallax. This practice assumes reading precision of within 2 %of full scale. If, for any reason, this
36、is not feasible for thesystem under test, estimate the probable accuracy and includethis in the report. Readability can sometimes be improved bythe use of an external scale attached to the display screenhaving 50 or 100 divisions for full scale.4Published by Wiley-Interscience, New York, NY.E 317 06
37、a26.1.5 For instruments that provide digital readout of signalamplitude, the manufacturers specified accuracy, if available,should be noted in the report.6.1.6 When tests are being done by the contact method,position the search unit securely and make certain that couplantchanges are not measurably a
38、ffecting the results. Refer also toPractice E114.6.1.7 When using the immersion method, allow adequatetime for thermal stabilization; remove bubbles and particlesfrom search unit and test surfaces; maintain the search-unitmanipulator and test blocks in stable positions. Refer also toPractice E 214.6
39、.2 Horizontal Limit and Linearity:6.2.1 Significance Horizontal limit and linearity havesignificance when determination of depth of a discontinuity isrequired. A specified minimum trace length is usually neces-sary to obtain the horizontal readability desired. Nonlinearityof sweep trace may affect a
40、ccuracy of flaw depth or thicknessdetermination made directly from the display screen.6.2.2 ApparatusA test block is required that will giveseveral (preferably eleven) noninterfering multiple back reflec-tions for the sweep range and other test conditions of interest.Any block having good ultrasonic
41、 transmittivity, flat parallelfaces, and a thickness of about one tenth of the specified sweeprange will usually be adequate. The aluminum blocks shown inFig. 1 will be satisfactory for mid-range frequencies and sweepsettings on most instruments when the beam is directed throughthe thickness T. For
42、other test frequencies or very large searchunits, different block dimensions or other block designs may berequired to eliminate interferences. The couplant system used,either contact or immersed, must provide stable indicationsduring the measurements.Ahorizontal scale permitting readingaccuracy as s
43、pecified in 6.1.4 is required or, if provided, digitalreadout of depth indication may be used.NOTE 1An encapsulated transducer-targets assembly may be used forthis purpose.6.2.3 ProcedureCouple the appropriate block to thesearch unit so that the sound beam does not intercept any testholes. Adjust th
44、e instrument gain, sweep-delay, and sweep-length controls to display eleven noninterfering back reflec-tions. Set the amplitude of each back reflection at 50 % fsbefore measurement of its position. Further adjust the sweepcontrols (range, centering, or delay) to position the leadingedge of the third
45、 and ninth back reflections at the 20 % and80 % scale divisions respectively (with each set in turn at 50 %fs). After the third and ninth back reflections are positionedaccurately on the 20 % and 80 % divisions as described, readand record the scale positions of each other multiple. Alterna-tively,
46、if sweep-delay is not available, position the second andMaterial: 7075T6 aluminumPlug drilled holes with water-insoluble plastic.FIG. 1 Suggested Test Blocks for Evaluation of Horizontal and Vertical LinearityTable of DimensionsUS Customary Block (in.) Metric Block (mm)Dimension Tolerance Dimension
47、ToleranceA 1.25 0.05 32 1B 1.00 0.05 25 1C 0.75 0.05 19 1D 1.00 0.05 25 1E 0.75 0.05 19 1H 3.00 0.05 75 1T 1.00 0.01 25 0.2W 2.00 0.05 50 1d1and d20.047 dia. 0.005 1.2 dia. 0.1All surfaces:FlatnessParallelismFinish.63 in. or smoother0.0010.001.1.5 m or smoother0.020.02E 317 06a3eighth back reflectio
48、ns at the 20 % and 80 % scale divisionsrespectively; read and record the scale positions of the initialpulse start and of the remaining multiples. To calibrate thedigital readout of horizontal position on instruments soequipped this procedure will require positioning a “gate” toprovide an indication
49、 from each desired reflection.NOTE 2Either more or fewer reflections can be used by suitablymodifying the procedure. For example, six back reflections may be usedif interference echoes are obtained with eleven, in which case the secondback reflection is positioned at the 20 % scale division and the fifth backreflection at the 80 % scale division. Measurement of the horizontalposition of each multiple echo, should be made at the same amplitude onthe leading edge of the indication. Any specific value may be selected ifit is used consistently. Typically used values are bas
