Contact Pressure Measurement by Means of Ultrasonic Waves Using Angle Probes

A quantitative measurement of contact pressure by means of ultrasonic waves using angle proves has been proposed to measure contact pressure distributions between two elastic beams. At first, in a proposed calibration method, the relation between mean contact pressure and sound pressure of reflected waves is obtained using calibration blocks with various surface roughnesses made of the same material as beams. Both sides of laminated beams are compressed under a locally uniform pressure, and the sound pressure of reflected waves is measured. The experimental results agree fairly well with the theoretical ones and the experimental ones obtained by a normal probe. It is confirmed that the proposed ultrasonic method is practically useful.