An intelligent instrument for ultrasonic nondestructive examination flaw inspection of rails

A new intelligent instrument, specialized in inspecting defects in rails, is presented in this article. It is based on the ultrasonic nondestructive examination theory. In the instrument, five ultrasonic transducers are used and the flaw detector is connected with an upper PC, which can be a notebook or an industrial PC at will. Automatic flaw inspection and alarming can be carried out while real-time ultrasonic echo waves can be displayed on the screen of upper PC. Three image display means: A-scan, B-scan and C-scan can be carried out simultaneously, which make it convenient for the operator to have a direct reflection of the detected defects. Besides, the operator can input different system parameters to fit the practical inspection requirements, thus the instrument´s intelligent degree has been improved. In addition, this instrument can examine defects both in newly produced rails and in those that have being used. It is a portable intelligent flaw inspection instrument for rails with low cost but high reliability.