AX-8000SQ
ULTRASONIC FLAW/INTEGRITY TESTER

The AX-8000SQ Flaw/Integrity Tester is a multi-channel unit capable of independently controlling up to 64 data acquisition channels. Unlike most multi-channel units, which use multiplexer technology, the AX-8000SQ is a true sequencer which means that each channel may be programmed independently for such parameters as pulse strength and width, gain, DAC curve, band pass filtering, number of gates, gate positions, and gate thresholds.. The system rep rate of 40 kHz makes the AX-8000SQ ideally suited for the rapid ultrasonic inspection of large structures such as composite aircraft components, plates and billets, tank floors, and oil piping and tubing. It is also well-suited for complex inspections in which different testing modes are required for each channel. For example, a 24 channel unit could be set up so that channels 1-6 are configured to check for porosity in one part of the component while, at the same time, channels 7-14 monitor the backwall echo in a different part of the component to check for the presence of delaminations and to monitor wall thickness, channels 15-18 do a shear wave inspection of a weld, and channels 19-24 monitor the system for loss of couplant.

The flexibility of the AX-8000SQ is further enhanced by the ability of each drawer (set of 8 channels) to run as many as 16 independent sequences, changing the sequences at the rep rate (i.e., up to 40,000 times per second). The real limit to the inspection problems that the AX-8000SQ can solve is in the imagination of the operator!

The system consists of up to eight drawers each of which contain eight data acquisition channels. A remote pulser/receiver box (not pictured below) is provided so that cable runs can be kept short, improving overall data integrity. A 100 MHz digital oscilloscope comes with the system for use during test setup and an industrial PC with a 17" touch screen monitor and water resistant keyboard is included for data acquisition and interconnection with other instrumentation (such as PLC's) and the outside world. The entire system is housed in a lockable, NEMA-12, air-conditioned enclosure with a constant voltage supply to protect the instrumentation.