Ultrasonic Testing for flaw detection involves the use of both longitudinal and transverse high-frequency sound waves for the exploration and/or mapping of both surface and sub-surface flaws or irregularities.

The same techniques are used for the mapping material thickness and/or material loss. These types of studies are of particular interest to the boiler/steam line industries.

Corrosion/erosion studies require additional computerized database capabilities. For these uses, the UT instrument is coupled with a specialized “data logger” module, which then stores the data log site identifications and associated UT data in an electronic database. From this database of site vs. thickness data, detailed structure maps can be generated, identifying wall thickness or corrosion problem areas.