This research is intended to develop an industrially applicable non-destructive method for examining surface defects in beams making it possible to quantify the defects at depth and to achieve a minimum detection threshold of 0.3 mm. The research will therefore concentrate on applying the method of ultrasonically generated surface waves which was adopted after an intensive preliminary study in which ARBED analysed and tested the techniques of Foucault currents, video recording, visual detection and the inductive heating approach combined with IR cameras. With the results of this work it will be possible to create a fully-automated (robotized) inspection line for cold-rolled beams and subsequently for hot-rolled beams.