In the field of industrial inspection, the thickness of the plastic coating on the outside of the steel pipe is directly related to the corrosion resistance and service life of the pipe, and the PM5 Gen2 ultrasonic thickness meter with water immersion probe has become the core inspection tool in this scenario by virtue of its high-precision ultrasonic measurement technology. In this paper, we will systematically describe its technical characteristics from three aspects: equipment principle, operation process and application advantages.

Principle of the device: Ultrasonic pulse reflection method

The PM5 Gen2 probe utilizes non-destructive ultrasonic inspection technology, with the core components consisting of a handheld host computer and a water-filled coupled probe. During measurement, the host transmits high frequency ultrasonic signals, which are conducted to the surface of the coating under test through the water column. Ultrasonic waves are reflected at the interface between the water and the coating, and between the coating and the steel pipe substrate. After the probe receives the echo signal, the coating thickness is accurately converted by calculating the acoustic round-trip time difference and combining it with the material sound speed parameter. The water-filled coupling design effectively eliminates air gap interference, ensuring that the measurement error is reduced to a lower level to meet the needs of industrial-grade precision.

Preparation
1.  PM5Gen2 ultrasonic thickness gauge

2. Water filling probe
3. Water pump
4. Three-dimensional motion control device

Measurement Procedure: 4-step Standard Inspection

1. Equipment calibration

After powering on the device, select the "delay line" mode, fit the probe vertically to the sample to be measured, adjust the A-scan parameters and complete the calibration of the speed of sound.

2.Dynamic Measurement

Fix the water-filled probe to the upper part of the measured part, the distance between the probe and the measured part is 3-5mm, adjust the waveform display to show the real-time thickness value and waveform graph.

3. Data management

built-in memory can record 100,000 thickness values, optional wireless transmission, WIFI, 485 interface to the host computer system, the party convenient for operators to monitor the thickness of the plastic coating of the generated line in real time.

Application Advantages: All-round Performance in Industrial Scenarios

• Multi-material compatibility: it can be adapted to PE, EP, FBE and other common anti-corrosion coatings, and the sound velocity parameter library covers a variety of metallic and non-metallic materials.

• Complex working conditions: IP67 protection level supports -10℃ to 50℃ environment operation, and the bending probe attachment can detect shaped pipe fittings with diameter ≥50mm.
• Efficient revolution: compared with the traditional manual measurement, the detection speed is significantly improved, especially for online monitoring of coating thickness.