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Eddy Current Technique is a powerful method for detection of surface notches and of buried flaws during inspection of metallic parts. Recent EC array probes have demonstrated a fast and efficient control of large surfaces. Nevertheless, when the size of flaws decreases or the defect is rather deep, traditional winding coil probes turn out to be useless. Magnetoresistive sensors present the advantages of flat frequency response and micron size. . These sensors are hence very attractive for the detection of buried defects that require low frequencies because of skin depth effect. An optimization of the probe with magnetoresistive sensors as receivers has been made by simulations using CIVA software and finite elements methods with OPERA. EC probes for buried flaw detection have been designed. Experimental results have been compared with simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eddy Current is a powerful mean of detection of detects located in conductive parts. This technique has already proved great performances and brought solutions to different industrial issues in nuclear or aeronautics domains for instance. Probes used in Non Destructive Testing (NDT) are mainly based on winding coils. This technology has shown good efficiency and gave good results in a lot of applications. Nonetheless, it reveals some limits in some cases, when the part has a complex shape for instance or when the defect is deeply buried. Therefore, other technologies have been developed at CEA LIST. An original scheme, optimized using the NDT platform CIVA, led to the development of a 32-elements flexible probe, based on micro-coils. Experimental testing reveals its efficiency in the detection of small surface defects. In other hand, magnetic sensors are very attractive for NDT. Thanks to their small size, a 22-GMRs arrays probe and a 96-AMRs array probes have been achieved. Their high spatial resolution and efficiency in the detection of small defects are demonstrated. The high sensitivity of magnetic sensors at low frequency has been used to design a flexible probe dedicated to the detection of deep defects. Its design and experimental testing are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New industrial Non Destructive Testing requires the development of new probes: technologies such as high spatial resolution probes for small breaking flaws detection or flexible probes for complex curved surfaces inspection. The CEA/LIST has designed and integrated 2 probes to answer industrial's constraints. The first one is based on Giant Magneto-Resistance and is able to detect 50 μm3 flaws. The second one is based on micro-coils etched on kapton and its flexibility is adapted to curved surfaces inspection. Both are multi-elements probes, allowing fast inspection. This paper presents those new probes, their design and their performances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]