Magnetic image detection of the stainless-steel welding part inside a multi-layered tube structure

The stainless-steel welding part inside a multi-layered tube was successfully detected using low-frequency magnetic imaging. The magnetic images were obtained by the developed measurement system, consisting of an exposure coil, magnetoresistive (MR) sensor, lock-in amplifier, x–y stage, revolving stage with a horizontal level stage and personal computer. To expose the magnetic field to a wide area of the stainless-steel sample, the radius of the exposure coil was made comparable to the sample size. The MR sensor measured the vector components of the magnetic field generated from the sample within the range of low frequencies between 50 Hz and 1 kHz. A cylindrical stainless-steel sample was fabricated as a tube by rolling a stainless-steel sheet and welding each edge using arc welding with argon as shielding gas. The normal components (Bz) and tangential components (Bx and By) to the sample surface were measured by scanning the MR sensor on the sample surface and the magnetic characteristics of each of the component images were documented. As a result, the difference in permeability between the weld area and the base material was successfully visualized as magnetic images.