Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing (PAUT) is an advanced form of ultrasonic testing designed around a probe containing multiple ultrasonic elements. Instead of relying on a single fixed ultrasonic beam, the individual elements are electronically controlled to change the direction and focus of the ultrasonic beam.

This allows the beam to be steered, focused and scanned electronically without physically moving the probe. The reflected ultrasonic signals are then captured and converted into visual inspection images, including S-Scan and B-Scan representations.

PAUT is particularly applicable to inspection requirements involving pipeline and pressure-vessel welds, corrosion mapping and crack detection. Its ability to provide high accuracy and sensitivity, together with real-time imaging and faster inspection compared with conventional UT, makes it an important advanced ultrasonic inspection method.