No abstract

The nondestructive evaluation (NDE) of welded steel plates was performed using photoacoustic microscope (PAM). Specimens were prepared by changing the maximum welding current to 5, 6.5, and 8 kA. A noncontact inspection without having to assemble a transducer was performed, and the results were compared with those of destructive inspection using an optical microscope. The agreement of NDE using a PAM and results from an actual shear fracture destructive test was good. The large fluctuation in the PA signal measured for the steel plates welded at the small current suggests the inhomogeneity of the inside welded region. Furthermore, visualization of the welded region suggests the feasibility of obtaining information on the status or uniformity of the inner welded region, which is difficult to measure by the other methods.