Non-Destructive Testing Using Eddy Current Sensors for Defect Detection in Additively Manufactured Titanium and Stainless-Steel Parts

Abstract

In this study, different eddy-current based probe designs (absolute and commercial reflection) are used to detect artificial defects with different sizes and at different depths in parts composed of stainless-steel (316) and titanium (TI-64) made by Laser Additive Manufacturing (LAM). The measured defect signal value using the probes is in the range of (20–200) millivolts. Both probes can detect subsurface defects on stainless-steel samples with average surface roughness of 11.6 µm and titanium samples with average surface roughness of 8.7 µm. It is found the signal reading can be improved by adding a coating layer made of thin paper to the bottom of the probes. The layer will decrease the surface roughness effect and smooth out the detected defect signal from any ripples. The smallest subsurface artificial defect size detected by both probes is an artificially made notch with 0.07 mm width and 25 mm length. In addition, both probes detected subsurface artificial blind holes in the range of 0.17 mm–0.3 mm radius. Results show that the absolute probe is more suitable to detect cracks and incomplete fusion holes, whereas the reflection probe is more suitable to detect small diameter blind holes. The setup can be used for defect detection during the additive manufacturing process once the melt pool is solidified.