Real-time Total Focussing Robotic Inspection using TWI Crystal Software Development Kit, Universal Robotics Cobot and the Peak NDT LTPA

Background

TWI Technology Centre (Wales) has developed a Software Development Kit (SDK) for integration with a wide range of NDT sensors and instruments. The Crystal SDK has been used to build TWI Crystal (a TWI commercial software package) and to support the developments of the TWI INTACOM programme of work (phased array inspection of large aerospace components) amongst other things.

Recently TWI has demonstrated real-time robotic data acquisition and visualisation using the Total Focussing Method with Full Matrix Capture, Virtual Source Aperture and Plane Wave imaging data. This has been made possible due to the enhanced speeds offered by Peak NDT’s LTPA platform and recent integration of the CrystalSDK with the Universal Robotic range of instruments.

The Project

The TWI Crystal SDK provides a simple to use software architecture to control and interact with a wide range of sensors, robotics and hardware control systems, while allowing for access to the most advanced NDT inspection algorithms linked to a friendly, but comprehensive graphical user interface (GUI) for data interpretation and analysis.

Crystal SDK Core Features

• Viewports for A,B,C,D Scan and bitmapped data
• 3D visualisation with 2D un-wrapping
• Optimised algorithms for Total Focussing Method (TFM) processing
• Robotic integration with universal robotics systems
• Algorithms for accounting for complex geometry
• Data acquisition modules for Phased Array, FMC, VSA and PWI
• Viewports and tools for indication logging and report generation
• Volumetric merging of viewports

The most recent addition to the Crystal SDK platform is support for use of advanced ultrasonic methods such as FMC, VSA and PWI for raster scanning of data with full robotic integration. The ability to automate scanning of complex components with robotics using the latest imaging algorithms offers great benefits to NDT. Additionally TWI Crystal 2.3 (build on the Crystal SDK) now supports raster scanning using more conventional motion controllers and encoding methods allowing for a wide range of options while providing a unique level of scalability.

A demonstration video can be seen below:

This project  has been undertaken as part of an initiative known as AEMRI (Advanced Engineering Materials Research Institute), which is funded by the Welsh European Funding Office (WEFO) using European Regional Development Funds (ERDF).

For more information on TWI Crystal, please contact Crystal@twi.co.uk, or visit:

https://www.twisoftware.com/software/non-destructive-testing-software/twi-crystal/