The evolution and improvement of technology is an unstoppable force of human innovation, and as it grows, it spreads its benefits to people everywhere. Just like the invention of the steam engine radically changed how a wide variety of industries operated during the industrial era, the development of ultrasound technology has benefited many different industries by refining and improving ultrasonic testing and diagnostics. 

Ultrasound technology used to be very complicated to use, but today, it’s not only precise but simple, making it an incredibly valuable and efficient tool for professionals in industries from HVAC and construction to manufacturing and construction. Here’s how it became such a powerful asset!

Ultrasonic testing is a very simple concept at its core. It involves recording the sounds of a machine and analyzing them to produce information about what’s going on inside without taking the machine apart or disrupting its normal operation. This is impossible to do with the human ear alone, but sophisticated technology can analyze the minute details of a sound to gain the necessary information. 

Ultrasonic testing is non-destructive, so it won’t damage or change the equipment being analyzed. In fact, the technique is best used while the machine is performing its normal daily operations, meaning you don’t even have to shut down in order to run diagnostics and testing. This makes the method not only efficient and practical, but invaluable in terms of the information it provides.

Ultrasonic testing is also enormously useful because of its speed and safety. It doesn’t put technicians in dangerous situations, like forcing them to climb up on equipment, and it’s up to 50% faster than similar methods!

When using ultrasound technology for ultrasonic testing, a sound wave at a very specific frequency is passed through the machine. There are two waves to analyze the sound. One method measures the sound waves that bounce back to the same spot that the sound was initially released from, called pulse echo testing. The other measures the sound waves that reach the other side of the equipment, called through-transmission testing. 

In both cases, the sound waves can be stopped or disrupted by the inner workings of the machine, allowing imperfections or malfunctions to become clear. Ultrasound can pick up on things like physical flaws in the equipment or unusual sounds like grinding or creaking, allowing issues to be identified and diagnosed by an analytics program and a technician.

Ultrasound technology, especially as it’s used for ultrasonic testing, has evolved a lot over the years and become incredibly sophisticated and precise. This has to do with improvements that have been made to ultrasound equipment! Technicians used to have to calibrate their machines with either sensitivity (the ability to pick up small sounds) or resolution (the ability to differentiate between different types of sounds) in mind, but increasing one would decrease the other. This limitation and the simplicity of the instruments, such as having only one listening point, meant that it was very hard to discern accurate information from an ultrasound reading.

These days, ultrasound technology has evolved to become much more precise, using multiple listening points to gain more accurate readings and allowing both sensitivity and resolution to be maximized. With the addition of technology like DST’s analytics to return actionable data to professionals and business owners, the method is more useful than ever!

There’s never been a better time to use the power of ultrasound to revolutionize your diagnostics and preventative maintenance. Bring your operations and maintenance into the future with the help of this revolutionary technology. If you’re interested in learning more about how ultrasonic testing can help you, make sure to contact DST today!