Eddy current testing (ECT) is one of the most representative nondestructive testing methods for metallic materials, parts, structures and so on. Operating principle of ECT is based on the two major properties of magnetic field. One is that alternating magnetic field induces eddy current in all of the conducting materials. Thereby, an input impedance of the magnetic field source, i.e., electric source, depends on the eddy current path. Second is that the magnetic field distribution depends only on the exciting but also the reactive magnetic fields caused by the eddy currents in targets. Former and latter are the impedance sensing and magnetic flux sensing types, respectively. This paper concerns with an improvement of sensibility of the impedance sensing method. Sensibility of the ECT is improved by means of two steps. One is an optimum exciting frequency selection. We employ the natural parallel resonant frequency of ECT coil. The other is to increase the sharpness of the resonance curve on impedance versus frequency characteristic by changing the coil connection. As a result, we have succeeded in developing the ECT sensor having up to 4 times higher sensibility compared with those of conventional one.

SPring-8 front ends have a novel structure which makes it easy to rearrange them and exchange the components. The structure has a common support for all the components except X-ray beam-position monitors and lead collimators. The alignment of the common support as well as the components was carried out with an accuracy of 0.25 mm in the vertical and horizontal directions. Replaceable pumping systems have also been placed on the common support and have achieved a vacuum of 2 x 10(-8) Pa at the upstream part of the front ends without synchrotron radiation. During the commissioning with synchrotron radiation, the pumping systems displayed good pumping-down characteristics. Commissioning has been successfully performed for four standard in-vacuum X-ray undulators and three bending-magnet-beamline front ends up to July 1997. Measurements of temperature rise show that absorber, pre-slits and XY slits can handle the anticipated maximum heat load at a ring current of 100 mA.

Mechanical parts, plants and cross-linkages inspected with MT are typically complex 3D shapes. In the complex 3D shape portion, because a magnetizer often cannot be configured to the inspection portion and the test object cannot be appropriately magnetized, there is a possibility of overlooking a crack in such an instance. Thus, MT system development that was successfully able to detect omnidirectional cracks in 3D shape portions was considered in this study's trials. Two magnetizers were hence arranged face-to-face, and the magnetization of omnidirectional scenarios for all surfaces of 3D shape test object (arranged in between both magnetizers) was evaluated.

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The maximum magnetic flux leakage from a crack is obtained when the direction of the magnetic flux is orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the crack. In magnetic-particle testing with a yoke method, since we usually cannot predict the direction of the crack to be detected, it is necessary to perform the testing at least two times by changing the direction of magnetization. In a rotating magnetic field type magnetizer using three-pole coils (three-phase alternating current), omnidirectional crack can be detected by a single testing. However, directions of the weak magnetic flux density appear at positions far from the center of the magnetizer, and the rotating magnetic field becomes no homogeneous distribution. In this research, it was considered to split each magnetic pole in the magnetizer to generate the uniform rotating magnetic field. The distribution of the rotating magnetic flux density was evaluated with a finite element method analysis, and an optimal disposition angle of the split coil was discussed. In addition, a multi coil magnetizer was developed to generate the uniform rotating magnetic field more widely.