Automatic Evaluation of Welded Joints Using Image Processing on Radiographs

ABSTRACT. Radiography is frequently used to detect discontinuities in welded joints (porosity, cracks, lack of penetration). Perfect knowledge of the geometry of these defects is an important step which is essential to appreciate the quality of the weld. Because of this, an action improving the interpretation of radiographs by image processing has been undertaken. The principle consists in making a radiograph of the welded joint and of a depth step wedge penetrameter in the material. The radiograph is then finely digitized and an automatic processing of the radiograph of the penetrameter image allows the establishment of a correspondence between grey levels and material thickness. An algorithm based on image processing is used to localize defects in the welded joints and to isolate them from the original image. First, defects detected by this method are characterized in terms of dimension and equivalent thickness. Then, from the image of the healthy welded joint (that is to say without the detected defects), characteristic values of the weld are evaluated (thickness reduction, width). INTRODUCTION- PRINCIPLE OF THE STUDY Research for smallest flaws and for perfect knowledge of welded joints is an important step in the improvement of non-destructive controls. In some specifi