INDUSTRIAL ULTRASONIC INSPECTION

Debut author Chaplin offers a training manual for technicians preparing for certification exams in industrial ultrasonic inspection.

Nondestructive testing is an indispensable safeguard in contemporary industry, providing a way to ensure the quality of products and equipment without altering them physically. One of the most informative types of nondestructive testing is ultrasonic inspection, which uses high-frequency sound waves to visualize objects and obtain useful information about them. In an industrial context, it has myriad applications, Chaplin says, including “real-time detection of crack growth, determination of material thickness, and even the measurement of fat profiles on livestock.” With this manual, he takes would-be inspectors through a crash course in this method, from an explanation of the science behind the technology to an overview of the equipment and techniques currently used in the field. He offers specific, practical information for readers pursuing certification, including sections on procedures, standards, codes, and even examples of instructional writing—a necessity for communicating one’s findings. This book is geared specifically toward those aiming to take the exams for level 1 and 2 certification by the International Organization for Standardization, and the author writes in simple, technical prose that assumes that the reader isn’t yet an expert. Each chapter ends with a review that clearly summarizes its information, and the book’s appendix features review questions for each chapter, as well, such as “Explain how piezoelectric transducers work.” The book concludes with glossaries featuring definitions of industry terms and acronyms. Overall, Chaplin succeeds in providing a comprehensive rundown of ultrasonic inspections and their applications that will be helpful for those in its target audience.

A well-informed exam-preparation guide.