The following is an example of the topics taught for ultrasonic testing. All course outlines can be, and usually are, modified to meet client needs.

REVIEW OF THE FUNDAMENTAL PROPERTIES OF SOUND

• Definition of sound waves

• Nature of sound waves

• Characteristics of sound waves

• Properties of sound waves

• Applications of Ultrasonic Testing

• Advantages of UT

• Disadvantages of UT

PRINCIPLES OF WAVE PROPAGATION

• Modes of propagation
  longitudinal waves
  shear waves
  surface waves (Rayleigh)
  plate waves (lamb)
  “creeping” waves

• Law of reflection

• Acoustic impedance

• Interface reflection

• Refraction and mode conversion

• Diffraction

• Attenuation

• Scattering/dispersion

• Absorption

• Fresnel effects (near field)

• Fraunhoffer effects (far field)

GENERATION OF ULTRASONIC WAVES

• Piezoelectric effect

• Construction of transducers

• Characteristics of transducers

• Beam profile

• Bandwidth

• Types of transducers

• Search unit variations

• Care and testing of search units

• Couplants

ULTRASONIC TESTING TECHNIQUES

• Pulse-echo contact testing
  longitudinal
  shear
  surface
  lamb

• Pulse-echo immersion testing
  longitudinal
  shear
  water path

• Through transmission testing

CODES, PROCEDURES, AND WRITTEN PRACTICES

• History of codes

• Need for codes

• ASME boiler and pressure vessel code

• AWS

• ANSI

• API

• ASNT

• Written practices

• Procedures

ULTRASONIC REFERENCE STANDARDS

• Purposes of reference standards

• Types of reference standards
  ASTM reference blocks
  area amplitude blocks
  distance amplitude blocks
  resolution blocks
  IIW blocks
  miniature angle beam cal block (rompus)
  step wedges
  DC block
  SC block
  DSC block
  AWS resolution
  natural standards
  notch standards
  other
  Basic cal blocks for ASME

ULTRASONIC TESTING EQUIPMENT

• Pulse echo circuitry

• Characteristics of pulse echo flaw detection equipment

• wall thickness meters

• auxiliary instruments and documentation methods

• Scanning equipment

• digital equipment

OPERATION OF SPECIFIC UT EQUIPMENT

• block diagram

• controls

• care of equipment

• Operation of Equipment

EXAMINATION PROCEDURE REQUIREMENTS

• Personnel training, qualification, and certification requirements

• Written procedure requirements

• application (weld types and configurations)

• equipment list

• examination technique

• calibration techniques

• cal block design

• recording methods

• interpretation techniques

• personnel qualification requirements

• frequency

• screen height linearity

• amplitude control linearity