Purpose-configured immersion UT scanning for 3D Printed manufactured components — addressing the layer-boundary defects, anisotropic acoustic velocity, and near-surface inspection challenges that standard UT procedures developed for conventionally manufactured materials cannot reliably resolve.
Additive manufacturing (AM) —
particularly metal powder bed fusion and directed energy deposition —
introduces a class of internal material characteristics with no direct
equivalent in wrought or cast materials. Layer boundaries, unfused powder
regions, keyhole porosity, delamination between build layers, and
build-direction-dependent acoustic anisotropy present detection challenges that
standard UT procedures cannot reliably address.
Immersion UT scanning for AM
components uses transducer selection, frequency optimisation, focused beam
geometry, and scan parameters specifically configured for the defect population
and acoustic behaviour of the specific AM material and build process under
inspection — not the standard parameters used for wrought material of the same
alloy designation.
The qualification frameworks for
AM component NDT are still evolving. Altair Engineering Inspection's Level 3
capability enables procedure development and qualification referenced to the
current state of practice — ASTM E3166, ISO/ASTM 52941, and applicable OEM and
customer specifications — for clients who require inspection of AM components
in safety-critical applications.
•
Aerospace AM component
structural acceptance inspection — airframe, engine, and flight-critical parts
•
Oil & Gas AM component
pressure qualification — valves, fittings, and downhole components
•
Defence and space sector AM
part acceptance testing
•
Medical AM implant
volumetric inspection — titanium and cobalt-chrome build
•
AM component defect
population characterisation — process qualification and build parameter
development
•
Post-build acceptance
inspection for AM components in safety-critical and high-consequence
applications
•
ASTM E3166 — Standard Guide
for Nondestructive Examination of Metal Additively Manufactured Aerospace Parts
After Build
•
ISO/ASTM 52941 — Additive
manufacturing — Standard guideline for acceptance testing
•
ASTM F3049 — Standard Guide
for Characterizing Properties of Metal Powders Used for Additive Manufacturing
Processes
•
SAE AMS7003 — Laser Powder
Bed Fusion Process — aerospace AM specification with inspection requirements
•
ISO 17025 — Laboratory
accreditation requirements applicable to all measurement and inspection
operations
•
Customer and OEM-specific
AM component inspection specifications and acceptance criteria