Evaluation of fatigue performance of resistance convex welds based on ultrasonic C-scan image analysis

Abstract

Ultrasonic C-scan detection is adopted in this study to compare the connection status of resistance convex weld (RCW) before, during and after fatigue test. Based on the variation of ultrasonic echoes in different connection zones, the connection state can be observed on ultrasonic C-scan images. With the occurrence of fatigue destructive behavior, ultrasonic C-scan image changes, and so does the pixel distribution. The histogram of pixel grayscale distribution can quantitatively evaluate the fatigue limit of stainless steel RCW joint, which provides an effective method to judge the fatigue life in practical engineering application.