Ultrasonic inspection equipment and ultrasonic inspection method

Abstract

Ultrasonic inspection equipment facilitates alignment of display positions of three-dimensional ultrasonic inspection data and three-dimensional shape data, and quickly discriminates between a defect echo and an inner-wall echo. A computer 102A has a position correction function of correcting a relative display position between three-dimensional shape data and three-dimensional ultrasonic inspection data. A display position of the three-dimensional ultrasonic inspection data or that of the three-dimensional shape data is moved by a norm of a mean vector along the mean vector that is calculated from a plurality of vectors defined by a plurality of points selected in the three-dimensional ultrasonic inspection data and by a plurality of points selected in the three-dimensional shape data. The three-dimensional shape data and the three-dimensional ultrasonic inspection data are displayed in such a manner as to be superimposed on each other on a three-dimensional display unit 103C.

Description

[0001]This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12 / 472,873, filed May 27, 2009.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]1. Field of the Invention[0003]The present invention relates to ultrasonic inspection equipment and method for performing ultrasonic inspection that is a kind of non-destructive examination, and more particularly to ultrasonic inspection equipment and method that use an array-probe ultrasonic sensor.[0004]2. Description of the Related Art[0005]In the field of ultrasonic inspection methods for inspecting various kinds of structural materials, an inspection method for imaging an internal state of a target to be inspected in a short period of time with high accuracy to inspect the target has been developed in recent years. Such an inspection method for imaging is typified by a phased array method, a synthetic aperture focusing technique, and the like (for example, refer to non-patent document 1).[0006]The phased array method uses a so-called array...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention provides ultrasonic inspection equipment and method that facilitate the alignment of display positions of three-dimensional ultrasonic inspection data and three-dimensional shape data, and quickly discriminate between a defect echo and an inner-wall echo. The invention includes an array-probe ultrasonic sensor, a pulser, a receiver, a delay control unit, a data storage unit, a computer for image processing, and a three-dimensional display unit. The computer includes position correction means for correcting the relative display position and scale correction means for correcting the relative display scale between the three-dimensional ultrasonic inspection data and the three-dimensional shape data. This makes it possible to quickly discriminate between a defect echo and an inner-wall echo.

Problems solved by technology

If the correction of display positions and the correction of display scales are not correctly performed, correlation of the three-dimensional ultrasonic inspection data with the three-dimensional shape data cannot be confirmed.

It is disadvantageous to take a huge amount of time for such correction work.

Accordingly, even if the coordinates of the origin point of the two-dimensional ultrasonic inspection data simply coincide with the coordinates of the origin point of the two-dimensional shape data, both of data cannot be successfully superimposed on each other.

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