Magnescope: a portable magnetic inspection system for evaluation of steel structures and components

The authors describe a portable magnetic inspection device developed for nondestructive evaluation of ferromagnetic steel structures and components. The device consists of an inspection head, instrumentation for measuring magnetic-field and flux density, and a computer together with the necessary control and data-analysis software. The device has been used for nondestructive evaluation of the mechanical condition of steels, particularly, detection of stress and monitoring the progress of fatigue damage. The most important application is in the detection of incipient failure, such as occurs with fatigue damage, temper embrittlement, and creep damage. Results which demonstrate the successful use of this instrument in monitoring fatigue are described.<
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