Field inspection of Phase-Array ultrasonic for polyethylene electrofusion join [PE]

Welding and/or fusion in polyethylene(PE) system made on site is focused on the control of the welding or fusion process to follow proper procedure. However important the process control is, it is not sufficient for the long term reliability of a pipe system. To achieve the rate of failure close to zero, Non-Destructive Testing(NDT) is necessary in addition to joining process control. For electrofusion joints several non-destructive testing methods are available. The ultrasonic phased array technique is possible to detect various defects including wire deviations and regions with lack of fusion. In this studies, testing was carried to detect the defect after electrofusion joining of polyethylene piping is utilized by the ultrasonic phased array technique. From testing data, ultrasonic phased array technique is recommended as a reliable non-destructive testing method.