TPT January 2009

T echnology U pdate

Rapid and intuitive scanning to test curved parts

and preparation where there are common requirements for the ultrasonic inspection of composites for porosity sizing, delaminations, foreign body contamination

Sonatest Ltd has launched its new Wheelprobe ™ series of probes. Developed in conjunction with leaders in aerospace technology, with a focus on the increased use of composite materials, the probes enable rapid and intuitive scanning in the testing environment, producing quantitative data on material integrity. The probes feature a wide, comfortable rubber tyre that is acoustically matched to water, allowing near dry contact, and so produce high quality results without the need for couplant or large quantities of water. The Wheelprobe range includes three models: a single element model, and 50mm and 100mm array versions. Developed to be used in conjunction with the Sonatest Rapidscan series, they are compatible with alternative NDT industry standard equipment. The 50mm array Wheelprobe is suited to hand scanning of large, flat or slightly curved parts, covering such areas quickly and efficiently. A central spring-loaded roller ensures consistent contact across the wheel, even when scanning narrow parts. The Wheelprobe is able to provide high quality, high-resolution data due to

and fibre wrinkling. Sonatest Ltd – UK Fax : +44 1908 321323 Email : sales@sonatest.com Website : www.sonatest.com

High frequency induction heating system for reduced energy costs

 Sonatest’s 50mm array Wheelprobe

Cheltenham Induction Heating Ltd, an Ambrell company, has announced the expansion of the Ekoheat line of induction heating systems to 135kW, designed to deliver energy savings to the heating phases of manufacturing processes. Ekoheat technology reduces energy usage, compared to alternative heating methods such as gas-fired ovens and resistive heating techniques. With efficient power conversion and a power factor greater than 0.9, utility demand charges are significantly reduced, resulting in lower monthly energy bills. Flameless, non-contact induction heating also minimises energy waste by focusing energy only on the zone to be heated. Ekoheat systems are suited to case hardening, high-speed brazing, melting, crystal growing, continuous wire and continuous strip heating. The systems deliver reliable solutions for larger parts of many geometries and compositions. The Ekoheat is designed for the worldwide market, supporting 360 to 520 AC line voltages, and is CE marked. The user-friendly control interface, available in six languages (English, Spanish, French, German, Italian and Polish), streamlines operator interactions and provides valuable runtime information. The expansion of the Ekoheat series adds 65kW, 90kW and 135kW units to the existing 15kW to 45kW models, at operating frequencies from 50kHz to 150kHz. Additional models at higher power levels and with a wider range of frequencies will also be available. The range of products is manufactured at the ISO 9001:2000 certified Ameritherm facility. Cheltenham Induction Heating Ltd – UK Fax : +44 1242 224146 Email : sales@cihinduction.com Website : www.ambrell.com

the incorporated 64 element phased array with 0.8mm resolution and a high resolution positioning encoder. The 100mm tyre has been constructed for very large area coverage and due to its size is best suited to flat horizontal components, but is also adaptable to curved parts. Industry sectors where the Wheelprobe may be used include aerospace, automotive, marine and composite manufacturing. Adaptable for use by individual operators or as part of a scanning system, the Wheelprobe is suited to advanced material testing, simplifying testing procedures

Economical cladding based on hot wire TIG welding Polysoude, France, has developed an economical system using hot wire TIG welding for cladding applications. The technology is designed to address the costly problems of pipelines that transport oil or natural gas according to high speed and high pressure.

High quality materials are required to resist sand and other abrasive minerals, or corrosive materials. Pipe and pipe component manufacturers improve the inner surface of pipes by a welding technique called cladding. During this operation, the interior of the pipe (made from inexpensive black steel) is reinforced by a layer of Inconel, an extremely resistant material.

 Manufacturers of tubes and fittings can improve the inside surfaces of their products by cladding with wear-resistant Inconel alloy

Polysoude has become a specialist in this area, with exports to Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Orders for the welding system exceeded several million Euros in 2008. Polysoude – France Fax : +33 240 681 188 • Email : info@polysoude.com • Website : www.polysoude.com

28

J anuary 2009

www.read-tpt.com

›