TPT September 2013

Industry News

Ultrasonic control bench A FRENCH tube manufacturer has placed an order to Tecnatom Metalscan for a new ultrasonic testing bench using phased array technology for a full body inspection. Provea will ensure all the mechanical design whereas M2M will deliver the full body phased array electronic equipment. speed will be controlled directly from the main HMI. The operator enters the tube information (diameter, length, thickness), and the pre-settings are done automatically. Setting time for a new tube production campaign is reduced compared to existing technology. Two lasers, in charge of encoding and speed measurement, are also integrated in the upper frame.

speed of control, the bench ensures the final customer global capacity target. This value is reached thanks to several features: an automation system ensuring a minimal distance between two tubes (0.5m approx). Phased array technology and full parallel M2M method are a key advantage in terms of productivity. Provea has an insonification of an area corresponding to the full length of the PA probe in 1 shot (gain of productivity). Therefore, the pitch can be driven up to 110mm, surface speed 1.5m/sec for all tubes. A software supervisor, Lineview, developed by Tecnatom Metalscan, manages the whole UT configuration and operation for calibration as well as production with the highest flexibility. Provea – France Email: contact@provea-machine-tube.com Website: www.provea-machine-tube.com

The complete bench will be delivered in 2013. The main feature of this system is its roto-translation capacity: the tubes have a helical movement in order to control the entire tube surface with advanced design for short untested ends. The new equipment will allow several types of defect detection: axial and skewed cracks, transversal cracks, delamination and smooth defect. An ultrasonic thickness measurement system will also be configured; four phased array probes will be integrated into very specific ultrasonic tanks. The roto-translation motion will be possible thanks to angled roller conveying systems. The pitch and the

One of the most important technical developments is the partial immersion tanks designed for the project. They will enable the PA probes to come in contact with the tube without any water getting inside the tube (no plugging necessary). The mechanical design ensures a constant, accurately set and regular focal distance during the process. One of the main advantages of the future bench will be its flexibility. When it comes to changing the tube type, very few settings are necessary. Most of them will be centralised and controllable from the control panel. In terms of

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S eptember 2013