Also known as: PAUT, phased array UT, PA.
How it works
Instead of one crystal at a fixed angle, a phased array probe contains a row of elements. Firing them with small time delays (a focal law) shapes a wavefront that can be steered through a range of angles and focused at a chosen depth. Sweeping the angles produces a sectorial scan; stepping along the elements produces a linear scan. Combined with an encoder, the result is an image of the weld volume that can be stored, reviewed and re-analysed.
Why inspection companies use it
PAUT covers a weld in one pass where conventional UT needs several probes and passes, gives a permanent record, and avoids the radiation, exclusion zones and shift-work constraints of radiography. It is common on pipeline girth welds, pressure vessels, storage tank shells and heavy fabrication, often paired with TOFD.
PAUT in AMPS
In AMPS, reports are produced from your own Microsoft Word templates through the template engine: job data such as the client, purchase order number, equipment serial numbers, location and dates is filled in automatically, an AI assistant can tidy the wording, the report can be signed in AMPS, and the finished Word file is saved in the job’s report folder in your OneDrive, SharePoint or Google Drive. Scan files stay in the job’s document folder next to the report, and equipment calibration certificates for the PAUT instrument and probes are flagged before they expire.