A technique for medium-range through-thickness focusing using Lamb waves

Medium-range guided wave testing is commonly employed for inspection of areas with restricted access. The technique usually works in pulse echo mode and at high frequency-thickness products, around 20 MHz ⋅ mm, offering good sensitivity and resolution. Defect sizing is based on the reflection amplitude of the received mode(s). However, the scattering of guided waves is complex, and the amplitude of the reflected modes does not provide sufficient information for defect sizing. This work aims to overcome this limitation using a focusing technique based on Lamb waves. Specifically, multiple Lamb wave modes are excited individually and superimposed to form a new mode with a desired through-thickness energy distribution. This way, energy is focused on a single point in the structure. Using weighting functions, the location of the focal point is swept across the thickness of the sample. The technique allows for accurate sizing of flaws, such as cracks and wall loss.