TPT January 2012

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56 January 2012 ›
Technology Update
Lump-free
production
THE smallest lumps on the surface of
hoses and tubes reduce their quality and
often lead to a rejection of the complete
production batch. Lump detectors, such
as Sikora’s Lump Series 2000, are used
during the production of hoses and tubes,
for detecting online surface defects to
assure quality.
The Lump Series 2000 includes 2- and
3-axis measuring systems for product
diameters from 0.25 to 35mm. The gauge
heads detect at any speed lumps and
neckdowns from 0.5mm length and 0.01mm
diameter deviation. The devices distinguish
between lumps and neckdowns, and report
faults if the defined tolerance limits are
exceeded. By the use of a powerful signal
processor the number, height or depth and
length of the fault location are evaluated,
digitally displayed and stored.
A highlight of the devices is the double
sensor technology. With the help of light
sources in combination with light sensors,
they detect defects even under difficult
conditions such as dirt or vibrations of
the product. With the double sensor
technology it is possible to reliably detect
surface faults at a production line speed
of up to 3,000m/min. The diodes beam
through the measuring plane and project
the measuring object as shadow image on
the opposite sensors. Depending on the
exposure (shadow), the photodiodes give
a signal, and the signals of the diodes are
compared in a differential amplifier. This
method is insensitive to extraneous light
and vertical movement of the cable, so
reliable results are continuously achieved.
The Lump Series 2000 offers serial
interfaces such as RS485 and RS232.
Optionally, a Profibus-DP interface or
industrial field busses such as EtherNet/
IP-, DeviceNet or CANbus for direct
connection to a PC or the display and
control device Remote 2000 are available.
Sikora AG – Germany
Fax: +49 421 48900 90
Email:
Website:
ACOUSTICEYE, a pioneer in non-
invasive tube inspection for the global
heat exchanger market, has announced
the introduction of new capabilities for
ultra-fast inspection of tubes up to 4" inner
diameter in any shape or material.
Achieving speeds as fast as 10
seconds per tube, AcousticEye’s Dolphin
G3™ features patented acoustic pulse
reflectometry (APR) technology, enabling
accurate and reliable non-invasive
inspection of even the most challenging
tube sizes and configurations. An
advanced yet easy-to-use tool, Dolphin
G3 overcomes the limitations of many
conventional inspection techniques. With
its simple operation, automated analysis
and report generation, there is far less
dependency on operator expertise.
Commenting on the announcement, Yoav
Harel, CEO of AcousticEye, said, “With the
breakthrough performance of our new large
diameter solution, it is now possible for the
first time to inspect boilers, fin fans and
other heat exchangers with the speed and
accuracy needed to significantly increase
operational efficiency and cost savings.”
In successful field tests at several
industrial sites, Dolphin G3 was able to
identify defects not found by traditional
inspection methods, such as holes,
blockages, erosion and pitting, in a variety
of hard-to-inspect tubes including u-bends,
boiler units and heat exchanger types with
difficult access points. In some cases,
tubes that were previously impossible to
inspect were possible using AcousticEye’s
non-invasive APR solution. The inspection
results provided customers with component
critical information for proper assessment
of tube condition at a fraction of typical
inspection cycle times and without the need
for extra inventory of probes and standards.
AcousticEye International
– The Netherlands
Email:
Website:
Large diameter tube inspection
The Sikora Lump Series 2000