Shaping Eddy Currents for Non-Destructive Testing Using Additive Manufactured Magnetic Substrates

The orientation of the induced eddy currents is an important parameter for eddy currents testing probes used in Non-destructive Testing (NDT). In general, the eddy currents distribution is chosen to promote path changes when a defect is present, being preferentially set perpendicular to the target defects orientation. This usually requires complex geometry excitation coils and the consequent production difficulties. A new approach on the design of eddy currents testing probes is here presented, employing high magnetic permeability pattern substrates to shape the eddy currents distribution. This simulated and experimentally validated approach shift's the excitation coils production complexity to the magnetic substrate, whose production can be easily tackled with additive manufacturing technologies.