| FEATURE AND FACTORS | COMPANY AND SCANNER | |||
| Krautkramer Branson Hocking ANDSCAN | DuPont CalData Zetec PORTASCAN | ABB Amdata AMAPS | MATEC SONIX HANDI-SCAN | |
| DESIGN | ||||
| Basic Design and Scan Motion | 4 Tilting Radial Arm wash circular motion Manual & Random | 4 Tilting Arm Bridge h X-Y linear motion Automated | 3 Cantilever Arm with rigid X-Y linear motion Automated | 3 Tilting Arm Bridge X-Y inter motion Manual & Random |
| Mount Type | 3 Three suction cups in series with one hand vacuum pump | 4 Three independent suction cups with three manual vacuum pumps | 2 Numerous suction cups in series, one AC vacuum pump | 3 Static rubber suction cups without manual vacuum pumps |
| Probe Holder and Gimbals Design | 5 Excellent | 4 Good | 4 Good | 3 Adequate |
| Couplant Feed UT only, NA for ET | 5 Water drip teed at lifted probe holder | 5 Water drip teed at lifted probe holder | 5 Water drip teed at probe holder | 2 Manual spray or wipe on with cloth |
| Scanner Working Distance Height | 4 Minimum 10 inches | 4 Minimum 10 inches | 3 Minimum 12 inches | 4 Minimum 6 inches |
| X-Y Axis Resolution | 5 0.012 inch | 5 0.01 inch | 5 0.01 inch | 5 0.005 inch |
| PORTABILITY | ||||
| Scanner Weigth | 4 4 lbs | 4 5 lbs | 2 25 lbs | 4 1 lb |
| Ruggedness | 5 Excellent | 5 Excellent | 5 Excellent | 4 Good |
| Deployment Ease | 5 Excellent | 5 Excellent | 3 Adequate | 5 Excellent |
| Computer Hardware | 5 Excellent | 5 All in suitcase size | 4 Good | 5 Excellent |
| Motor Controller | x Not applicable | 5 Card in PC | 3 Heavy, rack mounted | x Not applicable |
| ARTICULATION | ||||
| Complex Shapes | 4 Scanner is usable on flat and irregular shapes with dual curvatures | 3 Scanner is usable on moderate dual curvatures at vertical sides and overhead | 3 Scanner is usable on large flat and moderate dual curvatures that are vertical and overhead | 3 Scanner is usable on moderate dual curvatures at vertical sides and overhead |
| Surface Conditions | 4 No problem over pillowing or raised rivets/joints etc. | 3 No problem over pillowing and lap joints, no raised rivets | 3 No problem over pillowing and lap joints, no raised rivets | 4 No problem over pillowing or raised rivets/joints etc. |
| PERFORMANCE | ||||
| Speed of Coverage | 3 2 sq. ft. at 0.1 in. spot size, 15-30 minutes | 4 2 sq. ft. at 0.1 in. spot size, 10-15 minutes | 4 2 sq. ft. at 0.1 in. spot size, 10-15 minutes | 3 2 sq. ft. at 0.1 in. spot size, 15-30 minutes |
| Accuracy | 5 Excellent | 5 Excellent | 4 Good | 4 Good |
| Problems encountered during Demonstration | 4 Suction cup feet relax and slip after extended use | 4 Probe was not held firmly against curved and overhead surface | 3 Scanner fell to floor 3 times during test, due to suction cup failures | 3 Sensor mount design did not keep sensor securely in holder |
| USABILITY | ||||
| Ease of Scan for Examiner | 2 Area greater than 1 sq. ft. is very labor intensive | 4 Area greater than 1sq. ft. is easily done even overhead scans | 4 Area greater than 1sq. ft. is easily done even overhead scans | 2 Area greater than 1 sq. ft. is very labor intensive |
| Vertical Obstruction Clearance Needed | 4 Scanner height plus examiner arm clearsence | 4 Scanner height plus tilt angle of scanner arm | 3 Scanner working distance heigth | 4 Scanner height plus examiner arm clearance |
| SOFTWARE | ||||
| Ease of Use for Examiner | 4 Easy user menus | 4 Easy user menus | 4 Easy user menus | 4 Easy user menus. Single letter select |
| Ease of Setup Input Parameters | 4 Icon file menu for easy input parameters | 4 Routine user mode easy to define scan | 4 Routine user mode easy to define scan | 4 Easy setup file input or change on-screen data |
| Data Acquisition | 4 8 bit analog input digitizer 386/20 PC min. | 5 8 bit digitizer486/25 PC | 4 16 bit digitizer486/33 PC | 4 8 bit digitizer386 PC |
| Image Display Image Aspect Ratio | 4 Real time 16 colors 1 to 1 | 5 256 color/gray scale, 1 to 1 | 2 Real time 9 colors may not be 1 to 1 | 2 Real time 16 colors may not be 1 to 1 |
| Image & Data Processing | 5 Zoom, 3D, TOF, B-scan, new palettes etc. | 5 Zoom, spreadsheet view, 3D, B-scan, etc. | 5 Zoom differential view, new null point, etc. | 5 Zoom, palette change B-can, TOF, etc. |
| Hard Copy | 5 Yes with print screen software & printer | 5 Yes with print screen software & printer | 5 Yes with print screen software & printer | 5 Yes with print screen software & printer |
| Operator Training for Experience Level | 4 2 to 3 days Level II | 4 2 to 3 days Level II | 3 3 to 5 days Level II | 4 2 to 3 days Level II |
| NDI Mode Support Ultrasonic (UT) Eddy Current (ET) Bond Tester | 5 Any analog output Tested/KB USD 10 Tested/Phasec 3.4 Yes/Test Simulated | 5 Any analog output Tested/Quantum QBT Tested/MIZ 22 Yes/Test Simulated | 5 Any analog output Tested/ABB PC Card Tested/ABB PC Card Yes/Test Simulated | 5 Any analog output Tested/Explorer 9000 Yes/Not Tested Yes/Not Tested |
| COST | ||||
| Hardware & Software | 4 ~$40,000 for scanner and software. PC and NDI instrument separate | 3 ~$50.000 total system and software, EC instrument separate | 3 ~$35,000 one mode sysplus $40,000 for scanner,track and controller | 4 ~$36,000 for PC,UT cards, scanner, software, EC instrument separate |
| SUMMARY | ||||
| Pros | Handy local area scanner for all geometries, fast coarse scan with fine scan overlap at areas of interest. | Good scanner for local and large areas little effort required for long inspection times. | Fast large area scanner, 16 bit digitizer allows new EC null for processing images without rescan. | Light weight easy attachment. Can choose min. max or last data point for real time display. |
| Cons | Tedious for large area and overhead scans, surface is scratched slightly, tiring for long inspection times. | Sensor holder severely scratched aluminum surfaces. | Heavy scanner, two man operation above ground level. | Probe holder inadequate for easy probe articulation. Not easy to fill image area. |
| Conclusion | Excellent manual scanner for small area ET examinations, but not so easy for UT exams. | Excellent automated and easy to use scanner for most ET and UT inspections. | Very good scanner for large area scans of moderate geometry. | Not readily usable for UT exams but adequate for ET small area inspections. |
| FEATURE AND FACTORS | COMPANY AND SCANNER | |||
| SAIC Ultra Image International ULTRAIMAGE IV | SAIC Ultra Image International ULTRAIMAGE IV | Infometrics MS-XY-2 | SmartEDDY Systems SAC GP10 | |
| DESIGN | ||||
| Basic Design and Scan Motion | 2 Cantilever Arm with rigid X-Y linear motion Manually driven | 3 Cantilever Arm with rigid X-Y linear motion Automated | 3 Tilting Arm Bridgewith X-Y linear motion Manual & random | 3 PZT sound microphones con Manual & random |
| Mount Type | 4 Two large suction cups with independent manual vacuum pumps | 4 Three suction cups with check valves for parallel vauum from AC pump | 3 Static rubber suction cups without manual vacuum pumps | 4 Microphon with small suction AC vacuum pump |
| Probe Holder and Gimbals Design | 3 Adequate but needs improvement | 3 Adequate but needs improvement | 3 Adequate but needs improvement | x NA |
| Couplant Feed UT only, NA for ET | 2 Spray or wipe on | 4 Water flow at transducer | 2 Spray or wipe on | x NA |
| Scanner Working Distance Height | 3 Minimum 12 inches | 3 Minimum 12 inches | 4 Minimum 6 inches | 5 Minimum 2 inches |
| X-Y Axis Resolution | 5 0.04 inch | 5 0.04 inch | 5 0.01 inch | 5 0.01 inch |
| PORTABILITY | ||||
| Scanner Weigth | 3 15 lbs | 2 25 lbs | 4 5 lbs | 5 5 ounces |
| Ruggedness | 3 Adequate | 3 Adequate | 4 Good | 5 Excellent |
| Deployment Ease | 4 Good | 4 Good | 5 Excellent | 5 Excellent |
| Computer Hardware | 5 Excellent | 5 Excellent | 5 Excellent | 5 Excellent |
| Motor Controller | x Not Applicable | 5 Card in PC slot | x Not Applicable | x Not Applicable |
| ARTICULATION | ||||
| Complex Shapes | 3 Scanner is usable on large flat and moderate dual curvatures that are vertical and under sides | 3 Scanner is usable on large flat and moderate dual curvatures that are vertical and under sides | 3 Scanner is usable on moderate dual curvatures at vertical sides and under sides | 5 Scanner is complex surface protrusions etc. and under sides |
| Surface Conditions | 3 No problem over pillowing and lap joints, no raised rivets | 3 No problem over pillowing and lap joints, no raised rivets | 4 No problem over pillowing and lap joints, no raised rivets | 5 No problem over pillowing or raise on rivets/joints etc. |
| PERFORMANCE | ||||
| Speed of Coverage | 2 2 sq. ft. at 0.1 in. spot size, 30-45 minutes | 3 2 sq. ft. at 0.1 in. spot size, 20-30 minutes | 3 2 sq. ft. at 0.1 in. spot size, 15-30 minutes | 3 2 sq.ft at 0.1 in. spot size, 15-20 minutes |
| Accuracy | 4 Within one spot size | 4 Within one spot size | 4 Within one spot size | 4 Within one spot size |
| Problems encountered during Demonstration | 3 Sensor mount design did not keep sensor securely in place, PC hung at times | 3 Sensor mount design did not keep sensor securely in place | 3 Difficult to maintain couplant, no choice on max, min data update | 3 Conflect of resulted in false positions frequently |
| USABILITY | ||||
| Ease of Scan for Examiner | 3 Area greater than 1 sq. ft. is very labor intensive | 4 Area greater than 1sq. ft. is easily done even overhead scans | 2 Area greater than 1 sq. ft. is very labor intensive | 2 Area greater than 1 sq. ft. is very labor intensive |
| Vertical Obstruction Clearance Needed | 3 Height of scanner plus examiner arm clearance | 4 Height of scanner | 4 Height of scanner and clearance for inspector | 4 Height of scanner and clearance for inspector |
| SOFTWARE | ||||
| Ease of Use for Examiner | 3 User menus | 3 User menus | 4 Easy user menus | 4 Easy user menus |
| Ease of Setup Input Parameters | 4 Icon file menu for easy input parameters | 3 Software use not easy for scan parameter input | 4 Routine setup files and user defined inputs | 4 Easy setup file input or change on-screen data |
| Data Acquisition | 4 8 bit digitizer, rf 486/33 PC | 4 8 bit digitizer, rf 486/25 PC | 4 8 bit digitizer 386/33 PC | 5 16 bit digitizer 486/50 PC |
| Image Display Image Aspect Ratio | 5 Real time 256 colors 1 to 1 | 5 Real time 256 colors 1 to 1 | 4 Real time 16 colors 1 to 1 | 4 Real time 16 colors 1 to 1 |
| Image & Data Processing | 5 Zoom, TOF, 32 gates, B-scan, new palettes etc. | 5 Zoom, TOF, 32 gates, B-scan, new palettes etc. | 5 Feature extraction is added software | 5 Zoom, etc, options many, 16 bit impedance vectors |
| Hard Copy | 5 Immediate with print screen software & printer | 5 Immediate with print screen software & printer | 5 Immediate with print screen software & printer | 5 Immediate with print screen software & printer |
| Operator Training for Experience Level | 3 3 to 5 days Level II | 3 3 to 5 days Level II | 4 2 days Level II | 4 2 days Level II |
| NDI Mode Support Ultrasonic (UT) Eddy Current (ET) Bond Tester | 5 Any analog output Tested/SAIC UT card Tested/Rohmann(elotest) Yes/Test Simulated | 5 Any analog output Tested/SAIC UT card Yes/Not Tested Yes/Test Simulated | 5 Any analog output Tested/UT ext module Tested/Nortec 19c Yes/Not Tested | 3 Eddy Current Only No Yes No |
| COST | ||||
| Hardware & Software | 3 ~$65,000 minimum for system, extra software $10,000 | 3 ~$65,000 minimum for system, extra software $10,000 | 4 ~$30,000 for system plus $7,000 for scanner | 4 ~$25,000 for EC PC system and scanner |
| SUMMARY | ||||
| Pros | Easier to use than random manual scanners, extensive software capability. | Not as labor intensive to operate as manual SAIC scanner, good for long inspection times. | Light weight; easy attachment intuitive software maneuvering. | Free movement of probe over complex geometries; excellent ET 16 bit data acquisition and display. |
| Cons | Tedious for large area and overhead scans. need experience to use software effectively. | Probe holder severely scratched surface, probe hoder not designed for easy continuous use. | Not easy to fill inspection area, probe holder design not adequate for UT straight beam examinations. | False X-Y positions from triangulation system hinders scanned image coverage. |
| Conclusion | Adequate for small local area UT & ET scans. | Good scanner possibilities for most inspection purposes with an improved holder. | Good only for small area ET scans. | Excellent for ET scans of complex geometries; tedious for large area scanning. |
| FEATURE AND FACTORS | COMPANY AND SCANNER | |||
| McDonnell Douglas MAUS III | Panametrics Automated systems MULTISCAN | Sierra Matrix Head Up Display HF-UTV | Failure Analysis Associates PARIS | |
| DESIGN Basic Design and Scan Motion | 4 Hand held manipulater of 1 to 4 oscillating sensors Semi-automated | 2 Rectangular Bridge with rigid X-Y motion Automated | 3 Tilting Tee BarX-Y linear motion X axis auto-step, Y random | 4 2-D Array of 0.25 inch square transducer elements Electronic XY |
| Mount Type | 4 Scanner is held in place by hand and is moved to and fro to form image | 4 Four independent suction cups with AC vacuum pump | 2 Miniature scanner taped in place, heads up display and backpack PC | 4 RTV Rubber suction blanket with AC vacuum pump |
| Probe Holder and Gimbals Design | 4 Excellent | 2 Inadequate, needs design improvement | 3 Adequate | x NA |
| Couplant Feed UT only, NA for ET | 2 Spray or wipe on | 4 Water feed or squirtered at sensor holder | 2 Spray or wipe on | 5 Spary on water, feed not needed |
| Scanner Working Distance Height | 4 Minimum 10 inches | 3 Minimum 15 inches | 4 Minimum 6 inches | 5 Minimum 1 inches |
| X-Y Axis Resolution | 5 0.04 inch | 5 0.01 inch | 5 0.05 inch | 3 0.25 inch |
| PORTABILITY | ||||
| Scanner Weigth | 4 3 lbs | 2 25 lbs | 4 5 lbs | 5 1 lb |
| Ruggedness | 5 Excellent | 5 Excellent | 5 Excellent | 5 Excellent |
| Deployment Ease | 5 Excellent | 4 Good | 3 Adequate | 5 Excellent |
| Computer Hardware | 5 Portable work station | 3 Rack mounted chasis | 5 In back worn by user | 5 Excellent |
| Motor Controller | 5 Card in mainframe | 3 Rack mounted | 5 In back pack worn by user | x Not Applicable |
| ARTICULATION | ||||
| Complex Shapes | 4 Scanner is usable on flat and moderate dual curvatures that are horizontal vertical or overhead | 3 Scanner is usable only on flat or slightly curved surfaces, can be mounted on vertical sides and overhead | 3 Scanner is usable only on small flatt and moderate curvatures, horizontal, vertical, and overhead | 4 Scanner is usable on flat and curvatures up to 1 foor radius, horizontal, vertical, or overhead |
| SurfaceConditions | 3 No problem over waviness (pillowing) or raised joints and edges | 3 Sensor holder was not designed for pillowing in surface no problem for squirter | 4 Slight problem over pillowing and corrosion pits etc. | 3 Scanner can not operate over raised rivets, raised joints need to be filled at vacuum seal |
| PERFORMANCE | ||||
| Speed of Coverage | 4 2 sq. ft at 0.1 in. spotsize, 10-15 minutes | 4 2 sq. ft at 0.1 in. spot size, 10-15 minutes | 2 2 sq. ft at 0.1 in. spot size, over 45 minutes | 3 2 sq. ft at 0.25 in. spot size, 15 -30 minutes |
| Accuracy | 4 Within one spot size | 4 Within one spot size | 4 Within one spot size | 3 0.25 inch |
| Problems encountered during Demonstration | 3 Longitudinal encoder wheels slipped on wet UT couplant on aluminum surface | 3 Probe was not held firm against curved surface at all times | 3 Consistant transducer couplant was not achieved with gel or water | 4 Initiating vacuum seal was not immediate in some cases for the array blanket |
| USABILITY | ||||
| Ease of Scan for Examiner | 2 Area greater than 1 sq. ft. is easily inspected, but overhead usage is tedious | 4 Area greater than 1sq. ft. could be done with squirter technolgy | 2 Area greater than 1 sq. ft. is very labor intensive | 4 Area greater than 1 sq. ft. is easily done |
| Vertical Obstruction Clearance Needed | 3 Height of scanner and clearance for inspector | 4 Height of scanner | 4 Height of scanner and clearance for inspector | 5 Height of scanner |
| SOFTWARE | ||||
| Ease of Use for Examiner | 4 Easy window user menus | 3 Window menus not as easy to use as possible | 3 Window menus not as easy to use as possible | 5 Easy user menus with function keys operation |
| Ease of Setup Input Parameters | 4 Easy setup menue and recall user files | 4 Software use needs training, macros eases its use | 4 Easy setup file input or change on-screen data | 4 Easy setup file input or change on-screen data |
| Data Acquisition Characteristics | 4 8 bit digitizer Unix operation system | 4 8 bit 400 MHz digitizer, rf 486/33 PC | 4 8 bit 64 MHz digitizer, rf 486/25 PC | 4 8 bit 100 MHz ADC, rf 486/33 PC |
| Image Display Image Aspect Ratio | 4 Real time 16 colors 1 to 1 | 5 256 colors, multi-window 1 to 1 | 1 Real time, monochrome 1 to 1 | 4 Real time 16 bit levels 1 to 1 |
| Image & Data Processing | 5 TOF, phase, Framaker to make montage of scans | 5 Zoom, TOF, B-scan, A-scan, new palettes etc. | 4 C-scan, B-scan images analysed after rf scan | 5 A-, B-, C-scan, 3-D, TOF, waveform averaging |
| Hard Copy | 4 Only after data set is post analysed | 5 Immediate with print screen software & printer | 4 Only after data set is post analysed | 5 Immediate with print screen software & printer |
| Operator Training for Experience Level | 3 5 days Level II | 3 3 to 5 days Level II | 4 2 days Level II | 4 2 days Level II |
| NDI Mode Support Ultrasonic (UT) Eddy Current (ET) Bond Tester | 5 UT, ET, Bond test Tested/MCAIR card Tested/MCAIR card Tested/MCAIR card | 5 UT only Tested/Panametrics Yes/Not Tested Yes/Not Tested | 5 UT or ET Tested/Sierra Matrix Yes/Not Tested Yes/Not Tested | 3 UT only Tested/PARIS No No |
| COST | ||||
| Hardware & Software | 2 ~$140,000 minimum for one mode, $156,000 for all three modes | 3 ~$50,000 total system UT scanner and software | 2 ~$120,000 UT system and scanner | 3 ~$65,000 total system, Array and software |
| SUMMARY | ||||
| Pros | Handy and fast local area scanner flat and moderate curvatures, very effective far composite UT inspections. | Very comprehensive and superior data acquisition and display system for squirter technology. | Very portable compact system Can work in small area and move quickly between new locations. | Very good scanner for smooth surfaces >> 1 foot radius excellent thickness resolution with PVDF 7MHz transducers. |
| Cons | Tedious and heavy for overhead use, aluminum surface is scratched; expensive. | Scanner is heavy, versitility limited for aging aircraft applications of portable systems. | Heads up display did not improve scanning capabilities for C-scan imaging for aircraft; expensive. | Cannot be used on surfaces with raised rivets etc. |
| Conclusion | A very effective scanner for fast multiple-mode inspections very good for composites, and repairpatch evaluation | Portable squirter system not immediately useful for aging aircraft inspections. | Useful inspection tool for A-scan inspection in remote areas; no added value for C-scans. | Very useful scanner for composites characterization and composite repair patch assessment. |
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