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5. CALIBRATION OF THE TESTING SYSTEM

5.1 Introduction

In ultrasonic testing calibration means the verification and adjusting of ultrasonic equipment
characteristics so that accurate and reliable test results are obtained. The calibration
procedures used in ultrasonic testing can be classified into:

i) Range Calibration.

ii) Reference level or sensitivity setting.

iii) Equipment characteristics verification.

In this chapter only procedure relating to (i) will be discussed. Some of the procedures in
category (ii) will be described in Chapter 7. The procedures for category (iii) are out of
scope for a Level-1 manual.

5.2 CALIBRATION BLOCKS

5.2.1 IIW (V1) standard

The most commonly used calibration block in ultrasonic testing is the IIW (V1) standard
calibration block. This block, shown in Figure 5.1, can be used for all the calibration
categories outlined in the preceding section.

Figure 5.1 : IIW (V1) standard calibration block. All dimensions are in mm.
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5.2.2 DIN Calibration (V2) block

This is a more compact form of the V1 block suitable for site use, although somewhat less
versatile in its functions. Figure 5.2 is the sketch of such a block. This block is usually used
for the verification of calibration of the flaw detector in field application.

Figure 5.2 : DIN V2 calibration block.

5.2.3 Step wedge calibration block

A step wedge calibration block is needed for the calibration of an ultrasonic thickness meter
and for twin crystal probes. The sketch of such a block suitable for these applications is
given in Figure 5.3.

Figure 5.3 : Step wedge calibration block.

5.3 RANGE CALIBRATION

For precise location of flaws and accurate thickness measurements the time base of an
ultrasonic flaw detector is properly calibrated using appropriate calibration procedures. The
horizontal scale of the ultrasonic flaw detector screen is usually divided into 10 large scale
divisions and 100 small scale divisions. Using the 'delay' and 'material test range' controls
and appropriate thicknesses of the calibration block, the horizontal scale of the flaw detector
can be made to represent different thickness ranges. After knowing the thickness range, TR,
represented by the horizontal scale, the thicknesses represented by one large scale division
and one small scale division can then be determined by the following relations:

K = Total thickness range (TR) in mm represented by the horizontal scale / 10 (5.1)

and

Value of one small scale division =K = K / 10 mm (5.2)

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Now to determine the test range, or beam path length in mm of a reflector, first its value in
terms of the scale divisions (large or small) is determined and then by multiplying them by
the relative scale factors K and K the range in mm of the reflector is determined. The test
range or beam path length, BPL, of a reflector represents the distance which the ultrasonic
pulse travels upto the reflector. Some of the values given in Table 5.1 illustrate the concepts
for horizontal screen representing 100 mm, that is, the thickness range TR=100 mm.
Table 5.1 : Values of K and K for test range of 100 mm.

Screen position of the K = TR/10 mm/div Beam path length BPL, of

reflector echo, SP reflector (mm)
2.5 division 25 mm
5.0 division 10 mm /division 50 mm
7.5 division 75 mm
10 division 100 mm

5.3.1 Calibration with single crystal normal beam probes

The probe positions on the IIW (V1) calibration block for different thickness range
calibrations are shown in Figure 5.4.

Figure 5.4 : Probe position on IIW W (V1) calibration block for different thickness ranges.

Table 5.2 relates the probe positions with the thickness ranges for the calibration of which it
can be used.

Table 5.2 : Thickness ranges for various positions of normal beam probe.

Probe position on calibration blocks Thickness ranges (mm)

A 25, 50, 75, 100, 125, 150, 175, 200, 225, 250
B 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, - - - - - - - - - - - - -
C 91, 182, 273, - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
D 200, 400, 600, - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
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While calibrating for single crystal normal beam probes using position B and C on V1
block, and for that matter any calibration block having a width smaller than the beam
dimension, care should also be taken of the interference echoes (Figure 5.5) appearing after
the first backwall due to mode conversion. The positions of these echoes with respect to the
backwall are fixed. For probe position B on V1 calibration block, made of steel, the location
on the CRT screen of first interference echo, which is due to the longitudinal component, is
at 19 mm relative to the backwall while the location on the CRT screen of the second
interference echo, which is due to the transverse component, is at 38 mm relative to the
backwall.

Figure 5.5 : Interference echoes due to mode conversion with single crystal normal beam
probe.

5.3.2 Calibration with twin crystal normal beam probes

With twin crystal probes since there is always a small angle of inclination (roof angle) of the
transmitter and receiver crystals there are a number of interfering echoes between the first
and second backwall echoes due to mode conversion (Figure 5.6). These interfering echoes
render the identification of second backwall echo difficult and therefore calls for using a
step wedge calibration block rather than V1 or V2 blocks.

Figure 5.6 : Interference echoes due to mode conversion with a TR probe

When calibrating with twin crystal normal beam probes and using a gain control setting
which is rather too high a “cross talk” echo can be mistaken for a backwall echo. The cross
talk echo is obtained when some of ultrasonic energy, due to the roof angle of the crystal in
the probe, is transmitted through the couplant directly from the transmitter crystal to the
receiver crystal (Figure 5.7).
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Figure 5.7 : Cross talk in a TR probe.

The cross talk echo can be identified by its two features:

i) It always occurs at the same scale position, independent of the thickness of the test
specimen.

ii) It shows a strong reaction when a finger is placed on the coupling surface.

Another problem with twin crystal or TR probes when using a gain control setting too high
is the problem of nodal jump which occurs usually with small thickness ranges. This nodal
jump (Figure 5.8) can cause a relatively big measuring error in the location of a reflector.
The remedy to this problem is that the gain setting should be adjusted so that the echoes
used should continuously reach the same echo height or should continuously have the same
number of high frequency nodes.

Figure 5.8 : Nodal jump in TR probe echoes.

Step by step procedures for the range calibration with normal beam probes are outlined in
the Practicals Manual.

5.3.3 Calibration with angle beam probes

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To accurately locate a reflector in a test specimen with an angle beam probe, its depth 't'
below the surface of the test specimen and its position, OP, on the surface with respect to
the probe index should be known (Figure 5.9).

Figure 5.9 : Location of reflector with angle beam probes.

To determine these two parameters for precise location, the thickness range calibration
procedure with angle beam probes should consist of the following steps:

i) Determination of probe index. The probe index represents the point at which the
ultrasonic energy along the beam axis enters the specimen.

ii) Determination of probe angle.

iii) Appropriate thickness range calibration.

Step by step procedures to carry out these calibrations are given in the Practical’s Manual.
After these calibrations the following information (Figure 5.9) about a reflector can be
determined as follows:

i) Its beam path length (BPL), W, can be read directly from the CRT screen using the
rising flank of the echo from the reflector.

ii) Its depth, t, can be determined using the relation:

t = W Cos  (5.3)

Where  is the probe angle?

iii) Projected distance, S. The distance S, known as the projected distance, is the
distance between the probe index 0 and the point P on the test specimen surface. The
point P is the projection of the reflector on to the test specimen surface. The
projection distance can be determined from the following relation:

S = W Sin  (5.4)

iv) Shortened projected distance, S: The shortened projected distance S can be
determined as:

S = S - A (5.5)

where
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S = shortened projected distance, and

A = the distance between the front edge of the probe and the probe index.

5.4 VELOCITY CORRECTION

If the material of the calibration block used for test range calibration is different from that of
the test specimen then to determine the true BPL of a reflector in the test specimen the
following relation should be used :

Longitudinal/transverse
velocity in test specimen
BPL in the test = Indicated BPL x ---------------------------------- (5.6)
specimen on CRT screen Longitudinal/transverse
velocity in calibration block

For thickness measurements when using a calibration block that has a different material than
the test specimen, the above relation is modified as:

Longitudinal velocity in test specimen

Thickness of = Indicated x ------------------------------------------------- (5.7 )
the specimen thickness Longitudinal velocity in calibration block