System for processing of steel billets or the like to remove surface defects

Apparatus for processing workpieces in the form of elongated steel billets or the like to remove cracked or otherwise defective portions thereof, workpiece support means comprising a carriage and means for securely clamping a billet on said carriage, material removal means comprising a material removal element and means for rotating said element about a certain axis, positioning means comprising means for effecting movement of said element relative to said carriage in a first direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of said billet and in a second direction toward and away from said axis in a plane transverse thereto, said positioning means further comprising means for effecting movement of said element relative to said carriage in a third direction in a plane transverse to said longitudinal axis of said billet for relative movement of said element transversely across one face of said billet, control means for controlling said positioning means, signal means including probe means associated with said material removal means and operative during coaction of said material removal means with a portion of the billet to detect defects in said portion and to apply corresponding defect signals to said control means, said positioning means being controlled through said control means to effect movement in said first direction to index said element from one longitudinal position to another along the length of the billet and to effect at each longitudinal position a relative transverse movement in said third direction across one side of the billet, said element being moved over the entire surface area of one side of the billet during a single series of longitudinal indexing movements along the length of the billet, said positioning means being controlled through said control means during each transverse movement and in response to defect signals developed from said probe means to control movement of said element in said second direction to remove defective portions of the workpiece, whereby to detect and control removal of all defective portions on one side of the billet during said one series of longitudinal indexing movement along the length of the billet, and said probe means being supported for rotation with said rotating element to detect defects during coaction of said rotating element and the billet.