Detection of Defects in Polyethylene and Polyamide Flat Panels Using Airborne Ultrasound-Traditional and Machine Learning Approach

This paper presents the use of noncontact ultrasound for the nondestructive detection of defects in two plastic plates made of polyamide (PA6) and polyethylene (PE). The aim of the study was to: (1) assess the presence of defects as well as their size, type, and orientation based on the amplitudes o...

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Main Authors: Artur Krolik, Radosław Drelich, Michał Pakuła, Dariusz Mikołajewski, Izabela Rojek
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-11-01
Series:Applied Sciences
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/14/22/10638
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author Artur Krolik
Radosław Drelich
Michał Pakuła
Dariusz Mikołajewski
Izabela Rojek
author_facet Artur Krolik
Radosław Drelich
Michał Pakuła
Dariusz Mikołajewski
Izabela Rojek
author_sort Artur Krolik
collection DOAJ
description This paper presents the use of noncontact ultrasound for the nondestructive detection of defects in two plastic plates made of polyamide (PA6) and polyethylene (PE). The aim of the study was to: (1) assess the presence of defects as well as their size, type, and orientation based on the amplitudes of Lamb ultrasonic waves measured in plates made of polyamide (PA6) and polyethylene (PE) due to their homogeneous internal structure, which mainly determined the selection of such model materials for testing; and (2) verify the possibilities of building automatic quality control and defect detection systems based on ML based on the results of the above-mentioned studies within the Industry 4.0/5.0 paradigm. Tests were conducted on plates with generated synthetic defects resembling defects found in real materials such as delamination and cracking at the edge of the plate and a crack (discontinuity) in the center of the plate. Defect sizes ranged from 1 mm to 15 mm. Probes at 30 kHz were used to excite Lamb waves in the slab material. This method is sensitive to the slightest changes in material integrity. A significant decrease in signal amplitude was observed, even for defects of a few millimeters in length. In addition to traditional methods, machine learning (ML) was used for the analysis, allowing an initial assessment of the method’s potential for building cyber-physical systems and digital twins. By training ML models on ultrasonic data, algorithms can distinguish subtle differences between signals reflected from normal and defective areas of the material. Defect types such as voids, cracks, or weak bonds often produce distinct acoustic signatures, which ML models can learn to recognize with high accuracy. Using techniques like feature extraction, ML can process these high-dimensional ultrasonic datasets, identifying patterns that human inspectors might overlook. Furthermore, ML models are adaptable, allowing the same trained algorithms to work on various material batches or panel types with minimal retraining. This combination of automation and precision significantly enhances the reliability and efficiency of quality control in industrial manufacturing settings. The achieved accuracy results, 0.9431 in classification and 0.9721 in prediction, are comparable to or better than the AI-based quality control results in other noninvasive methods of flat surface defect detection, and in the presented ultrasonic method, they are the first described in this way. This approach demonstrates the novelty and contribution of artificial intelligence (AI) methods and tools, significantly extending and automating existing applications of traditional methods. The susceptibility to augmentation by AI/ML may represent an important new property of traditional methods crucial to assessing their suitability for future Industry 4.0/5.0 applications.
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spelling doaj-art-eaf340befeae4b059d55d46a907791d92025-08-20T02:08:07ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172024-11-0114221063810.3390/app142210638Detection of Defects in Polyethylene and Polyamide Flat Panels Using Airborne Ultrasound-Traditional and Machine Learning ApproachArtur Krolik0Radosław Drelich1Michał Pakuła2Dariusz Mikołajewski3Izabela Rojek4Faculty of Mechatronics, Kazimierz Wielki University in Bydgoszcz, Chodkiewicza 30, 85-064 Bydgoszcz, PolandFaculty of Mechatronics, Kazimierz Wielki University in Bydgoszcz, Chodkiewicza 30, 85-064 Bydgoszcz, PolandFaculty of Mechatronics, Kazimierz Wielki University in Bydgoszcz, Chodkiewicza 30, 85-064 Bydgoszcz, PolandFaculty of Computer Science, Kazimierz Wielki University in Bydgoszcz, Chodkiewicza 30, 85-064 Bydgoszcz, PolandFaculty of Computer Science, Kazimierz Wielki University in Bydgoszcz, Chodkiewicza 30, 85-064 Bydgoszcz, PolandThis paper presents the use of noncontact ultrasound for the nondestructive detection of defects in two plastic plates made of polyamide (PA6) and polyethylene (PE). The aim of the study was to: (1) assess the presence of defects as well as their size, type, and orientation based on the amplitudes of Lamb ultrasonic waves measured in plates made of polyamide (PA6) and polyethylene (PE) due to their homogeneous internal structure, which mainly determined the selection of such model materials for testing; and (2) verify the possibilities of building automatic quality control and defect detection systems based on ML based on the results of the above-mentioned studies within the Industry 4.0/5.0 paradigm. Tests were conducted on plates with generated synthetic defects resembling defects found in real materials such as delamination and cracking at the edge of the plate and a crack (discontinuity) in the center of the plate. Defect sizes ranged from 1 mm to 15 mm. Probes at 30 kHz were used to excite Lamb waves in the slab material. This method is sensitive to the slightest changes in material integrity. A significant decrease in signal amplitude was observed, even for defects of a few millimeters in length. In addition to traditional methods, machine learning (ML) was used for the analysis, allowing an initial assessment of the method’s potential for building cyber-physical systems and digital twins. By training ML models on ultrasonic data, algorithms can distinguish subtle differences between signals reflected from normal and defective areas of the material. Defect types such as voids, cracks, or weak bonds often produce distinct acoustic signatures, which ML models can learn to recognize with high accuracy. Using techniques like feature extraction, ML can process these high-dimensional ultrasonic datasets, identifying patterns that human inspectors might overlook. Furthermore, ML models are adaptable, allowing the same trained algorithms to work on various material batches or panel types with minimal retraining. This combination of automation and precision significantly enhances the reliability and efficiency of quality control in industrial manufacturing settings. The achieved accuracy results, 0.9431 in classification and 0.9721 in prediction, are comparable to or better than the AI-based quality control results in other noninvasive methods of flat surface defect detection, and in the presented ultrasonic method, they are the first described in this way. This approach demonstrates the novelty and contribution of artificial intelligence (AI) methods and tools, significantly extending and automating existing applications of traditional methods. The susceptibility to augmentation by AI/ML may represent an important new property of traditional methods crucial to assessing their suitability for future Industry 4.0/5.0 applications.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/14/22/10638Industry 4.0/5.0plastic sheetsairborne ultrasoundLamb waveidentification of the presence of defectsartificial intelligence
spellingShingle Artur Krolik
Radosław Drelich
Michał Pakuła
Dariusz Mikołajewski
Izabela Rojek
Detection of Defects in Polyethylene and Polyamide Flat Panels Using Airborne Ultrasound-Traditional and Machine Learning Approach
Applied Sciences
Industry 4.0/5.0
plastic sheets
airborne ultrasound
Lamb wave
identification of the presence of defects
artificial intelligence
title Detection of Defects in Polyethylene and Polyamide Flat Panels Using Airborne Ultrasound-Traditional and Machine Learning Approach
title_full Detection of Defects in Polyethylene and Polyamide Flat Panels Using Airborne Ultrasound-Traditional and Machine Learning Approach
title_fullStr Detection of Defects in Polyethylene and Polyamide Flat Panels Using Airborne Ultrasound-Traditional and Machine Learning Approach
title_full_unstemmed Detection of Defects in Polyethylene and Polyamide Flat Panels Using Airborne Ultrasound-Traditional and Machine Learning Approach
title_short Detection of Defects in Polyethylene and Polyamide Flat Panels Using Airborne Ultrasound-Traditional and Machine Learning Approach
title_sort detection of defects in polyethylene and polyamide flat panels using airborne ultrasound traditional and machine learning approach
topic Industry 4.0/5.0
plastic sheets
airborne ultrasound
Lamb wave
identification of the presence of defects
artificial intelligence
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/14/22/10638
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AT radosławdrelich detectionofdefectsinpolyethyleneandpolyamideflatpanelsusingairborneultrasoundtraditionalandmachinelearningapproach
AT michałpakuła detectionofdefectsinpolyethyleneandpolyamideflatpanelsusingairborneultrasoundtraditionalandmachinelearningapproach
AT dariuszmikołajewski detectionofdefectsinpolyethyleneandpolyamideflatpanelsusingairborneultrasoundtraditionalandmachinelearningapproach
AT izabelarojek detectionofdefectsinpolyethyleneandpolyamideflatpanelsusingairborneultrasoundtraditionalandmachinelearningapproach