Weld quality assurance

Because these connections may encounter loads and fatigue during product lifetime, there is a chance they may fail if not created to proper specification.

[citation needed] Since the similarity of materials between weld and workpiece, and between good and defective areas, provides little inherent contrast, the latter usually requires methods other than simple imaging.

[5] Conventional, phased array and time of flight diffraction (TOFD) methods can be combined into the same piece of test equipment.

ICI aims a low-powered broadband light source through the same optical path as the primary welding laser.

An interference pattern is produced by combining the reflected light with a separate beam that has traveled through a path of a known distance.

[10][11][12] The development involved: Unlike systems that log information for later study or use X-rays or ultrasound to check samples, SIP technology looks at the electrical signal and detects faults when they occur.

[14] A similar approach, using voltage-current histograms and a simplified statistical measure of distance between signature images, has been evaluated for tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding by researchers from Osaka University.

The first major purchaser of the technology, GM Holden[23][24][25] provided feedback that allowed the system to be refined in ways that increased its industrial and commercial value.

Industrial users include Lear (UK), Unidrive, GM Holden, Air International and QTB Automotive (Australia).

Units have been leased to Australian companies such as Rheem, Dux, and OneSteel for welding evaluation and process improvement.

[citation needed] SIP has opened opportunities for researchers to use it as a measurement tool both in welding[28] and in related disciplines, such as structural engineering.