– A leading instrument in the field of testing high technology materials -
The Dryscan 410D is the latest special applications digital flaw detector released by Sonatest Ltd. In using the proven method of the Shadow Technique, through transmission, the Dryscan 410D is designed to be the perfect option for the non-destructive testing of high technology materials such as Composites, Hybrids and Honeycomb structures found throughout the Aerospace, Aviation and Marine industries amongst others.
For such advanced materials, often combined with complex geometries, the Dryscan 410D concept is simple to apply and is highly reliable for fault detection, requiring only a minimum of operator training. Using the unique transducers means that no coupling medium is required to contact the transducers to the test material, no material surface preparation is required and many of the geometric considerations that are applied to conventional ultrasonic detection methods can be ignored.
The Dryscan 410D has a unique, tunable filter that can be adjusted for the best signal response for the material under test, which allows significantly increased sensitivity, whilst maintaining low noise, enabling the testing of very attenuative materials.
Ideally suited to materials that have geometrically complicated patterns other applications for the Dryscan 410D include Friction Materials, Plastic and Rubber Composites, GRP/CFRP in many forms, EB Welding, Root Pass Welds, Ceramics, Tyres (Automotive and Aircraft) Wood laminate and Honeycomb sections in aluminium, stainless steel and paper etc.

Let the new CT-Gauge from Sonatest Ltd be the judge!
Making precise wall and coating thickness measurements is fast and easy using the new Sonatest CT-Gage and CT-Gage DL (data-logging) ultrasonic thickness gauges. Not only do both models measure coating and wall thickness quickly and accurately, from only one side, but they automatically measure and eliminate any coating from wall thickness measurements, allowing users to locate the finest corrosion and pitting-without removing the coating.
Create and store 64 custom setups for all your common testing applications. Switching into the time based B-Scan view enables a cross section view of the material your inspecting. Enabling the high-speed scan function will give the user 50 readings per second!
Five user-selected operating modes are included: Coating On, Coating Off, Thru Coat and Coating Only. All measurements are temperature compensated. Minimum coating thickness is 0.0127mm allowing the gauge to precisely measure thin coatings with it’s advanced waveform analysis technique. A large backlit graphic LCD features easy-to-read fonts, graphics and display codes which show all critical settings.
CT-Gage features include: auto probe zero, auto probe recognition, auto temperature compensation, and a stand alone coating only mode. The standard pulse-echo and thru-paint echo-echo modes are standard features.
The CT-Gauge Data-Logging model adds built-in memory, with an RS-232 output for transferring data to a Printer or PC. Data Files can be user-set for a "grid type" structure (data formatted in rows & columns) or a "sequential" file (all data appears in a single column). In addition, each file can be set to store "data only" or "data plus B-scan" graphic. The CT-Gage DL can store 16,000+ readings, with B-Scan captures and all gauges settings and features, or turn the graphics mode off and store over 210,000 readings!

The Sonacoat P is the new paint thickness gauge from Sonatest Ltd -providing fast, accurate, non-destructive coating thickness measurements on steel and non-ferrous materials.
No surface damage, no grinding required.
Fast and easy to use - by simply placing the Sonacoat P on the surface to be tested, an accurate thickness reading is shown on the large display screen. This gauge also automatically selects the optimum measuring method (magnetic induction or eddy current), providing highly accurate readings, even for the thinnest of coatings. No calibration is required.
Find out more about your bodywork!
Ideal for auto dealers, inspections stations, auto paint and body shops the Sonacoat P can also provide the end user with valuable information regarding the coating structure such as paint topcoats or body fillers. When the measured thickness value clearly exceeds the standard paintwork thickness, this would then indicate the use of filler material or repainting.
The speed, simplicity and accuracy of the Sonacoat P make this gauge an invaluable tool for a wide range of inspection tasks.

In response to the increase in demand for advanced non-destructive testing solutions, Sonatest Ltd have created a new centre of excellence, with a dedicated team to support this growing sector and strengthen it’s position within the advanced NDT product market. The development of the new Application Centre for Advanced Products and Projects has taken place in order to provide high levels of technical support to the end user and their specific applications, from consultancy to post sales stage. Highly skilled, specialist engineers have been recruited to focus their time and resources on customers who require advanced NDT solutions and their specific applications. With a skill-set covering phased array expertise, mechanical, transducer and electronic design, together with software development the ACAPP team are able to fully investigate and support all advanced application demands, providing bespoke solutions where required. Products that are supported by the ACAPP group include the Harfang X-32 and other phased array products, the Sonatest NDTS Rapidscan2, Rapidscan-3d and the SFD-100 Systems Flaw Detector. At this level these technologies require significant technical support throughout the sales process; often requiring proof of application suitability, involving testing and reporting, NDT effectiveness and system integration. Bespoke transducer development and instrumentation customization are also supported. Some of this work will be carried out in the new facility of testing laboratories within Sonatest Ltd. Particular areas of expertise include composite inspection and on-line high speed scanning. Additionally the specialists within the ACAPP group have strong proven records within their fields and are able to assist in developing procedures for product approval, integrating systems into end-user’s workflows, training users and working on data analysis. ACAPP Products will feature at Materials Testing 2007, Glasgow 18-20th September, 2007 – Stand 44. Sonatest Ltd believe this investment in advanced product expertise and development will ensure that they continue to offer high standards of support and exceed customer expectations. Sonatest Ltd is part of the Sonatest NDE Group of Companies, the leading independent manufacturer of Ultrasonic Flaw Detectors, X-Ray Equipment, Scanning Systems, Thickness Gauges, Transducers and NDT accessories. Find out more about Sonatest Ltd and our products by visiting www.sonatest.com

Sonatest is pleased to announce the launch of the Powerscan 450P digital flaw detector. The 450P is the next in the family of new generation digital flaw detectors from Sonatest Ltd, designed to meet the needs of high penetration and good signal to noise testing requirements. It has already received approval from Serco Assurance in the UK for rail axle testing and has been accepted by a world leading forging company for critical inspection.

Evolving from the very successful Powerscan 400, this model has been enhanced with a new 450 Volt square wave pulser, improved low frequency filter bands for 0.25MHz transducers and standard AVG & DAC software. Additional benefits are the new user interface, full screen expand mode and a lower PRF setting. The “single shot” acquisition processing enhances screen update speed on low PRF resulting in improved hand scanning response. The unit is housed in a high strength lightweight plastic enclosure and uses lightweight batteries to significantly reduce weight over the Powerscan 400.

Building on the new range of Digital Ultrasonic Flaw Detectors recently launched by Sonatest Ltd, the new Railscan 125 has been developed specifically for use in rail testing market and is walking stick compatible.
Developed using cutting edge technologies the new Railscan 125 has been developed with the user and application environment in mind, meeting the Network Rail standard NR/SP/TRK/005 for Rail Testing Portable Ultrasonic Equipment.
Rugged, waterproof construction combined with superior battery life render this unit as being ideally designed for rail testing applications and harsh working environments. The transflective colour display is daylight viewable and now supports a larger display area, which is expandable for full screen viewing.
Software development has resulted in a new user orientated menu navigation system, broken down into four key areas: calibration, measurement, utilities and memory. The subtly redesigned user interface allows for faster parameter changes, providing unique Help keys for all functions and above all ease of use.
With improved overall performance, more robust casing and advanced software features the results will speak for themselves.

Developed using cutting edge technologies, the new Sitescan series has evolved in response to the requirements of users and their applications. Ease of use, high levels of performance and advanced features are key.
Rugged construction and high quality amplifiers are common features to all three of the models in the Sitescan range. The Sitescan 123W is the ideal training school flaw detector and is used by the world’s leading training organisations. The interface is so easy to use that familiarity is achieved in minutes leaving the user free to focus on theory.
Building on the 123W, both the 150S and the 250S have DAC, AVG, AWS and API sizing techniques. The 150S has enhanced software features designed to improve operator efficiency and accuracy, including advanced measurements modes, full screen waveform display and an automated calibration feature.
High Performance with Total Control
Ease of use and functionality is a key feature for Sonatest and improvements to the keypad and user interface including fast set-up, full screen A-scan and improved menu navigation systems enhance the user’s interaction with these units. Drop down menu lists make operation more intuitive and the added Help Facility provides further ease of use.
Across the range the transflective colour display gives high visibility in direct sunlight and does not suffer the restrictive temperature range of conventional LCD screens. A robust IP67 case provides toughness and reliability throughout the new range.
Typical applications for the Sitescan are weld inspection, corrosion testing, small castings/forgings and lamination checking.
Sonatest Ltd is part of the Sonatest NDE Group, the leading independent manufacturer of Ultrasonic Flaw Detectors, X-Ray Equipment, Scanning Systems, Thickness Gauges, Transducers and NDT accessories.

The CYCLOPS automatic in-line system has gained recognition from one of the biggest automotive companies in the world. Ford has used the Cyclops and tested for reliability, control, monitoring quality and cost comparisons. The positive results have led to Ford Europe validating the system. CYCLOPS is a completely automatic in-line system for the inspection, evaluation and monitoring of spot welds via ultrasound and using artificial vision for position control. Ten full systems have already been installed in Ford`s plants, which has resulted in the detection of more faults much earlier on than their original manual system.
The advantages of the Cyclops are:
· Improvement of RELIABILITY due to traceability, consistency and repeatability of ultrasonic tests.
· Wider scope for QUALITY CONTROL due to faster inspection processes which allows a much larger number of spot welds to be tested. The typical inspection time of a spot weld including positioning varies from 3 to 6 seconds.
· In-line inspection also enables testing for spot welds on each part of the car body.
· Weld process MONITORING is another advantage as it allows real time availability of data output at critical points throughout the line for statistics and control.
· Finally and possibly most importantly are COST SAVINGS. Our system eliminates the need for off-line testing, removing the costs of manual inspection, reducing line stoppages, cutting down wastage by faster identification of errors.
The leading innovation of the Cyclops system is specialized high resolution ultrasonic probe with a dry contact solid interchangeable rubber delay developed to give the best performance for spot weld inspection. It allows a dry contact test for a larger scope of sheet thicknesses and weld diameters than can be inspected using a traditional bubble probe.
The application software automatically evaluates the ultrasonic signal and visual input, then classifies the weld, adds the result to the database and updates the history records and statistics. Single or multichannel boards allow independent operation of up to four units.
CYCLOPS applications are adaptable for any industry where in-line spot weld testing exists: automotive, railway (wagon), container etc..

Something worth listening through.

Sonatest Ltd has gone into partnership with CTRL Systems Inc, to produce a new range of Non Destructive Testing products. These will be sold under the Sonatest brand and will address leak detection and condition monitoring applications.

The SoundScan 101 detects ultrasound generated by leaks or failing mechanical components such as bearings for predictive maintenance, quality control and leak detection. Substantial savings have been made by clients using these tools by reducing energy loss and plant shutdowns, and also in assembly of sealed parts such as windows and doors in the automotive industry.

Although the use of ultrasound for leak detection is a long established technique, the superior performance and sensitivity of the Soundscan 101 has improved detection rates, and also enabled application to other areas such as electrical breakdown in power lines. The Soundscan 101 is used widely in both the industrial and military sectors. The unit was selected by NASA for the Space Programme after exhaustive evaluation, and is used on the International Space Station and Shuttle Missions for air leak detection.

Sonatest Ltd will add these new products to its existing family of Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) products offered by the Sonatest network of over 200 distributors worldwide. Additionally, both companies look forward to collaboration between the two R & D teams.

"Sonatest NDE is excited to enter the ultrasonic leak detection and condition monitoring market on a global basis. We are impressed by the CTRL technology and believe the product range will prove highly complimentary to our existing NDE lines. Most importantly, it is another big step in offering our customers the world's best range of NDE / condition monitoring instrumentation." stated Mike Reilly, Group Managing Director of Sonatest NDE.

For 20 years the Masterscan series of flaw detectors have set standards for high performance and reliability. The new Masterscan range, which includes the 350M and 380M, build on this strong heritage and are set to be leaders in their field for advanced NDT applications.

The Masterscan series have been developed using cutting edge technologies in response to the requirements to users and their applications, delivering high performance and advanced features. Both the 350M and 380M models have improved high resolution acquisition systems and exceptional signal to noise ratio, essential for demanding ultrasonic testing. The 380M model also has Interface Trigger, Backwall Echo Attenuator and a high PRF making it suitable for single channel systems applications and portable scanners.

High Performance with Total Control

Ease of use and functionality is a key feature for Sonatest and improvements to the keypad and user interface including fast set-up, full screen A-scan and improved menu navigation systems enhance the user’s interaction with these units. Drop down menu lists make operation more intuitive and reduce the setup time.

Across the range the transflective colour display gives high visibility in direct sunlight and does not suffer the restrictive temperature range of conventional LCD screens. Robust and reliable design build continues throughout the new range.

Wayne Woodhead, Sonatest’s Managing Director said “ The Masterscan platform places us firmly at the top of the portable flaw detection market, and I am sure the new design features will bring real benefit to our customers with high-end and demanding applications in defect detection”.

Typical applications for the Masterscan are turbine blades, large casting and forgings, composite testing, EMAT transducers, and integration to single channel systems.