Non-Destructive Test by the Hopfield Network

Sophisticated methods have often been developed in order to analyze the structure of materials and, in particular, to explain their microstructure or to make clear internal and superficial defects, such as cracks and notches. It is known, in fact, that the properties which determine the choice of a particular material for scientific applications strictly depend on its microstructure. Moreover, at the end of the production and manufacture process and during the use as well, it is necessary to make sure that important components do not have any superficial or internal defects (from the structure point of view) that can affect their physical and mechanical properties. For this reason, non-destructive tests are required and nowadays available in a considerable number. The RFEC is one of these tests and it is used to find defects in metallic tubes and in components with a low thickness. Figure 1 shows the principle according to which the RFEC works [2,6].