504-elements conical 2D ultrasound probe for fastener hole inspection

Multi-elements ultrasound probes are now used in the industrial Non Destructive Testing to replace single element probes in targeted applications to improve quality, reproducibility and speed of control. The complexity of the parts to be controlled requires the development of specific ultrasound probes, from complex geometries linear arrays (concave or conical shapes) to 2D matrix arrays. This poster presents the acoustical design and manufacture of a 2D conical ultrasound array for fastener hole inspection. This complex probe includes 504 rectangular elements, with dimensions 0.3 mm/spl times/ 0.4 mm at 10 MHz center frequency, that are laid out on a conical surface. The poster reviews also the electro-acoustic characterisation performed on the full array, including frequency, bandwidth and homogeneity performances. This conical 2D-array is finally integrated in a probe housing, interconnected and interfaced to an ultrasound system.