TPT March 2007

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Inspection, Measuring, Testing & Marking
87 March/April 2007
Accelerated technical development in
countries such as Kazakhstan, Russia
and the Ukraine has resulted in a strong
demand for flux leakage test systems for
large diameter steel and cast iron tube,
typically used for oil and water delivery
systems.
Magnetic Analysis Corp, USA, has recently
delivered a 16" capacity flux leakage test
system for inspecting 14" diameter steel
tube. It features 24 channels of multiplexed
electronics derived from 24 separate test
probes that rotate around the tube during
the test.
The test screen display, modeled on
MAC’s highly successful EchoHunter®
FD-4 software, simultaneously shows 24
channels of OD and 24 channels of ID
signals. A strip chart display shows the
maximum ID and OD signals from any of
the 24 channels during a selectable time
period, within milliseconds.
The short, sensitive probes can detect
longitudinal notches as short as 0.5"
(12.7mm) and through holes as small as
0.032" (0.8mm). Thresholds for ID and
OD can be set independently and each
channel is viewed separately on screen
with zoom-in capability. These combined
features result in ease of setup and data
interpretation by the operator.
The robust 16" Rotoflux mechanics
include a built-in calibration station and AC
variable speed belt drives for the pinches.
There is also a slide and elevating platform
on rails with a crank powered chain drive
for the slide and a motor
driven vertical elevator.
The slide has 3 preset stop
positions – testing online,
calibrating offline (for setup
and checking standards), and
totally offline for maintenance
tasks.
The new calibration station,
parallel to the test line, and
with its own pinch stands and
conveyor, is integrated into
the welded structural steel
frame of the full test system.
The square tube steel frames
provide the extra strength
and rigidity required to handle
the heavy, large diameter steel tube. A jib
crane is also incorporated for handling the
standard calibration piece. If required, the
adjustable test probes allow convenient
testing of smaller diameter tube.
MAC has also supplied equipment
for another tube application involving
inspection of 5" diameter carbon steel
alloy or stainless steel in the Ukraine. This
equipment comprised a multi-test system
incorporating a 10-channel 5" rotary head
Echomac® FD-4 ultrasonic tester, a MAC
250 encircling coil eddy current tester and
a production comparator unit.
The use of all three combined technologies
has ensured detection of multiple
conditions in the tube. The UT can sense
long, shallow ID defects specified by
API standards. The eddy current detects
surface transverse defects and holes,
while the production comparator verifies
alloy or grade.
Magnetic Analysis Corporation – USA
Fax: +1 914 699 9837
Email:
Website:
Marking steel and non-ferrous
cylindrical products
Couth Butzbach Product Marking GmbH,
Germany, are specialists in hard material
marking technology. With a range of
marking tools, the company enable
conventional methods by hand stamps,
machine stamps or dies. These tools can
be built into presses or unrolling machines
in order to work semi-automatically.
These tools are produced as standard
products or according to customer
requirements with consideration of
standards including ASME. In addition,
a fully automatic controlled dot marking
system can be supplied for constantly
changing marking of each workpiece with
text or a data matrix code.
A control unit carries out the marking
of numbers, letters, brand names and
2D code. Marking speeds of up to 16
characters per second and a penetration
depth up to 0.8mm can be achieved with
these dot matrix marking systems.
The dot matrix marking system is available
as a hand held or table marking unit or
as an installation system for integration
into the manufacturing process. Couth
Butzbach also produces special marking
units to mark products with temperatures
up to 1200°C, particularly used for the steel
plant industry.
Couth Butzbach GmbH – Germany
Fax: +49 212 816887
Email:
Website:
Flux leakage testers find growing demand in
expanding API tube market
fi Combination UT/ET system for testing API tube in the Ukraine. The system includes Echomac ® FD-4
electronics and rotary ultrasonic tester, MAC 250 eddy current tester, and a production comparator
fi Magnetic Analysis Corp‘s Rotoflux® flux leakage inspection station
for large diameter API tube