This article discusses the use of pulse-echo ultrasonic testing for the ins
pection of adhesive bonds between thin metal sheets (0.8 mm). The method is
based on the measurement of the reflection coefficient at the metal/adhesi
ve interface. After describing briefly the physical aspects of the phenomen
on, an index is defined to detect defective zones of the joint (both for th
e lack of adhesive and for insufficient adhesion); the influence of the exp
erimental variables (transducer frequency, coupling medium and contact forc
e) on the measurement is discussed. The analysis shows that coupling medium
and transducer frequency do not influence the results and that the method
is robust with respect to the variation of contact force. By means of a con
trol experiment it is shown that the statistical distribution of the index
corresponding to good and defective adhesion zones are sufficiently separat
e to be distinguished. Finally, a procedure based on the statistical theory
of decisions is proposed to evaluate the integrity of the joint under test
. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.