Export successes for USL

摘要

In the first four months of 2006, Ultrasonic Sciences Ltd (USL) has received orders for automated ultrasonic testing systems valued at over (c)3 million. Some of the export customers include manufacturing companies in China and Russia, which marks a breakthrough for USL. The systems will mainly be used for testing of aerospace materials, both metal and composite. Three immersion systems will be applied at various stages of aero engine fan blade manufacture - two at suppliers of the titanium plate starting material and one at Rolls-Royce for inspection of the bonded assembly. One of the plate inspection systems will be installed in the UK and one in Russia - the customers being the two major world suppliers of titanium alloys to engine manufacturers. The systems will use multiple probes and multi-channel ultrasonic units to achieve maximum possible throughput, whilst maintaining high sensitivity and optimum near-surface resolution. Both systems will incorporate functions which are well established in similar USL immersion units - such as automated following of front and back surfaces to set the gate width and automatic adjustment of water path during the scan. One system will incorporate two independent scanning bridges which can operate simultaneously. The third system for titanium inspection will be applied after diffusion bonding of two plates, to detect any tiny disbonds or delaminations before the product moves to the next manufacturing stage. This machine (see picture) will join many other USL systems on the same site.