Patent ID: 8125219

Claim:
A method for determining and evaluating eddy-current displays, in particular cracks, in a test object made from an electrically conductive material, comprising: applying an alternating electromagnetic field of a predetermined constant frequency or a predetermined variable frequency to the test object; detecting a plurality of eddy-currents induced in the test object along a plurality of predetermined parallel measuring tracks on a surface portion of the test object; providing a plurality of eddy-current signals, each eddy-current signal is assigned to a measuring track; separately conditioning in a signal conditioning device each of the plurality of the eddy-current signals and providing a corresponding plurality of separately conditioned measured variables, each of the plurality of separately conditioned measured variables determined as a function of the measuring track, the frequency, and a position along the measuring track; interpreting in a signal combination device each of the plurality of separately conditioned measured variables, wherein the interpreting includes for each separately conditioned measured variable using at least one other separately conditioned measured variable having an adjacent measuring track for an interpretation, wherein the interpreting comprises comparing a value of a conditioned measured variable assigned to a respective measuring track relative to respective values of conditioned measured variables assigned to measuring tracks located adjacent to the respective measuring track; and as a result of the interpreting, generating a plurality of synthetic crack signals, wherein the synthetic crack signals are configured to correct respective amplitudes and respective spatial locations of the synthetic crack signals relating to the respective measuring tracks, wherein the synthetic crack signals are configured to synthesize into at least a single signal, information derived from comparing the value of the conditioned measured variable assigned to the respective measuring track relative to respective values of conditioned measured variables assigned to measuring tracks located adjacent to the respective measuring track.