Acoustic Emission Instrumentation
There
are many acoustic emission development and manufacturing companies active
in the world today. The equipment is impressive and user-friendly. Due
to the physical separation between Australia and the rest of the world,
cross fertilisation between these companies and Metacoustics was not
possible. These overseas companies have produced similar acoustic emission
equipment with variations based on specific applications and software
availability. Through our basic research, Metacoustics repeatedly found
that a universal instrument was often an impediment to the task at hand.
So, over the years, a wish list of equipment specification and ability
was compiled. As the Metacoustics research programs progressed, it became
necessary to address the equipment problem. As a result, Metacoustics
has developed a new concept in acoustic emission instrumentation, which
is compatible with other instrumentation and analysis techniques. This
new instrument has the ability to capture all data from the monitored
structure, regardless of size, shape, material or location, and it is
also possible to remotely control and analyse the structural integrity
of the monitored structure under any programmed schedule. Monitoring
schedules are worked out with the client so as to provide the most efficient
and effective monitoring/surveillance program with least or nil interruption
to the normal plant operations.
Monitoring instrument configurations can be assembled for specific projects. This arrangement was assembled for an international mine monitoring program where access was complex and many parameters were to be measured.
This more conventional package was used to monitor eight channels of acoustic emission data and well as real time pulse pattern recognition analysis and synchronised strain, load, temperature and climatic environment conditions.
The new multi-channel instrument can monitor all these parameters and more and is the size of a cigar box.
Among other exciting features, both sensors and monitoring instruments have a resonant free flat response from D.C. to well above 10MHz, with a resolution of 0.1dBAE. over the full range. This allows data free of instrument and sensor contamination.
The remote controls allow for monitoring from the base station to any site after the installation, calibration and tuning of the instrumentation.
