NTS Ultrasonics Pty Ltd, Perth, Western Australia, Tel: +61 8 9367 1578, Email: ntsu@ntsu.net.au
NTS Ultrasonics offers NDT products such as ultrasonic wheel probes, ultrasonic pulser/receivers, and high power ultrasonic system components, such as sonicators, in both standard and customizable forms. As specialists in the development and application of both low and high power ultrasonic technologies, we offer consulting and ultrasonic design services including prototype development. Our products can be useful for OEMs and system integrators, and we are happy to discuss the development of new designs.
NTS Ultrasonics offers products such as ultrasonic wheel probes, ultrasonic pulser/receivers, and high power ultrasonic system components, such as transducers and sonicators. As specialists in the development and application of both low and high power ultrasonic technologies, we also offer consulting and ultrasonic design services including prototype development for client R&D projects. Our products can be useful for OEMs and system integrators, and we are happy to discuss the development of new designs. Many of our products can be customized to meet specific requirements.
Low power ultrasonic technology is typically used for ultrasonic non-destructive testing (NDT) and measurement and detection applications. Our computer controlled ultrasonic pulser/receivers, our remote preamps, and our ultrasonic search unit assemblies, including ultrasonic wheel probes (also called "roller search units" or "RSUs"), and water column (bubbler) probes, are usefull for people working in ultrasonic NDT.
We have developed a very robust high power ultrasonic driver, and can custom design high power ultrasonic transducers and sonicators to suit different applications.
NTS Ultrasonics' client base includes mining companies and mineral processors, ROV operators, NDT companies, power utilities, railway utilities, rail inspection companies, and industrial research organizations. Recent clients for NTS Ultrasonics services and products have come from Australia, USA, Italy, Germany, and Poland.
Location: Perth, Western Australia
Email: ntsu@ntsu.net.au
Phone Intl: +61 8 9367 1578
Phone Aust: (08) 9367 1578
Website V11.2, last modified 28 September, 2017, 3:30 pm
NTS Ultrasonics provides consulting and evaluation, electronic and mechanical design, and prototype development services covering a wide range of Ultrasonic Engineering application areas, including (but not limited to) non-destructive testing, ultrasonic rail flaw detection, and high power ultrasonics. We also offer a limited range of 'standard' products, chiefly the highly customizable PL180 ultrasonic wheel probe.
The scope of the Ultrasonic Engineering work carried out by NTS Ultrasonics can be demonstrated in the following examples.
NTS Ultrasonics has a range of in-house capabilities and tools related to Ultrasonic Engineering and consulting.
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Development of USB based ultrasonic pulser-receivers. Used in various NDT and measurement applications.
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Development of special NDT procedures. Examples: inspecting refractory blocks, off-road tyres, and firewalls.
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Designed and built IRIS probe assemblies for ultrasonic tube inspection.
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Design and built acoustic emission systems for monitoring the drying rate of timber.
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Designed and built protoype medium range ultrasonic guided wave equipment for corrosion detection.
Non-Destructive Testing (NDT)
Ultrasonic Rail Flaw Detection
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Designed and built protoype instruments for longitudinal stress measurement.
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Designed and built prototype single rail push-along rail flaw detection system.
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Review of standards and test procedure development.
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Investigations into detection of specific defects, e.g. vertical TDs, squats.
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Special investigations, e.g. quantifying damage to rail caused by axle overloads.
High Power Ultrasonics
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Designed and built high power ultrasonic transducers.
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Designed and built electronics for driving high power ultrasonic transducers.
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Using high power ultrasound to slow down the rate of pipe blockage in a mineral processing plant. See the photographs below.
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Investigated the use of high power ultrasonics in gold extraction.
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Investigated the design of very high power ultrasonic reactors.
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Designed and built a prototype ultrasonic distillation rig to investigate extracting water from methanol.
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Investigated particle separation in contaminated liquid.
Other Ultrasonic Engineering examples
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Designed and built a prototype system to count and size zooplankton.
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Investigated ultrasonic particle sizing for use in heavy machinery.
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Designed an ultrasonic Doppler flow meter (still in commercial production).
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Designed a low noise preamplifier for a sonar array.
300 mm pipe: 4 weeks without ultrasound
300 mm pipe: 4 weeks with ultrasound
The following photographs show the results from an investigation into the potential use of high power ultrasound to slow down the buildup of sludge and scale in a pipe in an mineral processing plant. Special high power ultrasonic transducer assemblies were designed and built to apply ultrasonic vibration to the pipes 24/7. A new robust design for the drive electronics was developed, that could operate 24/7 without overheating.
Prior to using ultrasound, the section of the plant needed to be closed every 4-5 weeks and opened up for high pressure water cleaning. Using ultrasound, the shutdown cycle could be extended to 8 weeks or more, saving several hundred thousand dollars annually.
Capabilities
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Ultrasonic simulation: 3D ray tracing
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High power ultrasonic transducer design
Consulting
Consulting services offered by NTS Ultrasonics include:
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Feasibility and scoping studies.
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Literature and patent surveys.
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Design: system, electronic, and mechanical.
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Development of new NDT and measurement procedures.
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Conceptual development for new instrumentation.
Consulting: Ultrasonic Rail Flaw Detection
NTS Ultrasonics Pty Ltd has worked with Australian and overseas companies involved with ultrasonic rail flaw detection as well as with several Australian railroads, offering design services and technical support. Past work has included investigations into stress measurement in rail, quantifying damage caused by overloading, detection of various classes of rail defects, and improvements to instrumentation and wheel probe design. This work has also involved other tasks such as reviewing derailment investigation reports, reviewing rail flaw detection standards, and providing technical advice and support on various matters related to ultrasonic rail flaw detection.
NTS Ultrasonics has many years of experience in matters related to the design and technology of rail flaw detection systems and NDT systems in general, but is independant of any particular company supplying such equipment. As such, NTS Ultrasonics can provide independant advice in matters involving rail flaw detection.
Ultrasonic Design and Prototype Development
NTS Ultrasonics offers independant design services for low power ultrasonic systems (e.g. for ultrasonic NDT) and high power ultrasonic systems. All electronic, mechanical, software, and FPGA configuration design is done in-house. Search units for NDT, including ultrasonic wheel probes, are designed in-house, and high power ultrasonic transducers and sonicators are designed in-house.
At a client's request, prototypes and special ultrasonic systems can be designed and built. As examples, we have built an ultrasonic system to allow a client to explore the possibility of using ultrasonic particle separation methods for waste water treatment. We designed a special acoustic emission transducer for a client interested in monitoring the drying rate of timber in kilns, and we built a special ultrasonic reactor to allow a client to evaluate the use of high power ultrasound as an aid in the processing of gold bearing ore.
Example of Ultrasonic Engineering
Phase change
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Develppment of USB based pulser-receivers
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Development of special NDT procedures
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Design and build IRIS probes for tube inspection
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Build small diameter wheel probes
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Develop acoustic emission for timber drying
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Build medium range guided wave system
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Prototypes for longitudinal stress measurement
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Design of ultrasonic wheel probes
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Prototype single rail RFD system
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Review of standards and test procedure development
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NDT of squats and vertical TDs
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Specal investigations, e.g. damage from overloads
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Design and build high power ultrasonic transducers
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Design and build high power electronic drivers
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Develop ultrasonic pipe blockage mitigation
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Investigate ultrasound for gold extraction
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Prototype ultrasonic distillation system
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Investigate ultrasonic particle separation
Ultrasonic Engineering Consultants
NTS Ultrasonics Pty Ltd
