# Beyond the Surface: Next-Generation Scanning Acoustic Microscopy > Scanning Acoustic Microscopy (SAM) is a powerful tool for non-destructive evaluation of internal features such as voids, delamination, and cracks but traditional systems have limitations in scale, geometry, and data interpretation.In this webinar, Covalent and PVA TePla will showcase how new advances in large-format scanning, rotational inspection, and machine learning are overcoming these challenges enabling […] Source: https://covalent.com/webinars/next-generation-sam/ Updated: 2026-04-17T20:10:15+00:00 --- ![](https://spcdn.shortpixel.ai/spio/ret_img,q_cdnize,to_auto,s_webp:avif/covalent.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/next-generation-scanning-acoustic-microscopy-scaled.jpeg) ![](https://spcdn.shortpixel.ai/spio/ret_img,q_cdnize,to_auto,s_webp:avif/covalent.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/next-generation-scanning-acoustic-microscopy-scaled.jpeg) # Beyond the Surface: Next-Generation Scanning Acoustic Microscopy 2026-04-16 11:00:00 | 2026-05-18 11:17:11 April 16 2026, 11:00 am PT | 57 min Scanning Acoustic Microscopy (SAM) is a powerful tool for non-destructive evaluation of internal features such as voids, delamination, and cracks but traditional systems have limitations in scale, geometry, and data interpretation. In this webinar, Covalent and PVA TePla will showcase how new advances in large-format scanning, rotational inspection, and machine learning are overcoming these challenges enabling faster, more consistent, and more scalable defect detection. ## What you’ll learn - Inspect large components with full-field 1 m × 1 m scanning - Analyze cylindrical and disc geometries with rotational scanning - Improve defect detection using ML applied directly to A-scan waveforms - Reduce operator variability and increase inspection consistency ## What’s new & why it matters Covalent’s PVA TePla Okos MacroVue system enables inspection of larger and more complex components than traditional SAM tools. Paired with machine learning–driven signal recognition, this approach delivers faster analysis, improved sensitivity to subtle defects, and more consistent results in high-throughput environments. ## Real-world applications - Sub-surface crack detection in chamber components - Coating thickness measurement using time-of-flight - In-line QC for cylindrical battery cells - ML-based differentiation of voids vs thickness variation Speakers: Austin Barnes, PhD Director of MCS Operations, Covalent Austin is a physical chemist with over 8 years of experience in scanning probe microscopy of ionomer materials and organic semiconducting nanostructures. He holds a PhD in Chemistry from UC Santa Barbara and a B.S. in Physics from UMass Amherst, with multiple publications in charge transport of nanomaterials and 4 years of teaching and mentoring experience. [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/austin-barnes-84012953/) Lisa Logan Associate Director of Support & Applications, PVA TePla OKOS Lisa is the Associate Director of Support and Applications at PVA TePla OKOS, where she leads a team of application and field service engineers specializing in Scanning Acoustic Microscopy. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, she has extensive expertise in SAM system deployment, applications development, and customer support across the semiconductor, aerospace, and automotive industries. [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-logan-62280b178/) ## Recent Webinars [![Read time](https://spcdn.shortpixel.ai/spio/ret_img,q_cdnize,to_auto,s_webp:avif/covalent.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/clock.svg) 58mins Feb 19, 2026 ### An Introduction to Fluorine NMR and its polymer applications Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is a powerful analytical technique which unveils the molecular structure by detecting the magnetic spins of a selected isotope. 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