Concurrent ultrasonic weld evaluation system
AssigneeEG&G, Inc.
InventorsDonald W. Hood, John A. Johnson, Herschel B. Smartt
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for concurrent, non-destructive evaluation of partially completed welds for use in conjunction with an automated welder. The system utilizes real time, automated ultrasonic inspection of a welding operation as the welds are being made by providing a transducer which follows a short distance behind the welding head. Reflected ultrasonic signals are analyzed utilizing computer based digital pattern recognition techniques to discriminate between good and flawed welds on a pass by pass basis. The system also distinguishes between types of weld flaws.
Claims19
Apparatus for concurrent non-destructive evaluation of partially completed welds for use in conjunction with an automated welder, comprising:
- (a) generating means, mounted to maintain in predetermined fixed proximate spatial relationship to the automated welder, for generating ultrasonic signals and for coupling the ultrasonic signals in real-time to the region of the partially completed weld;
- (b) detection means for detecting ultrasonic signals reflected within a reflection period of predetermined resolution from the region of the partially completed weld;
- and,
- (c) analysis means for processing in real-time the ultrasonic signals within the reflection period detected by the detection means to identify welding flaws in response thereto.
A method of concurrent, non-destructive evaluation of partially completed welds of an automated welder, comprising the steps of:
- (a) generating ultrasonic signals;
- (b) coupling the ultrasonic signals in real time to the region of the partially completed weld in close proximity to the automated welder;
- (c) detecting ultrasonic signals reflected from the region of the partially completed weld;
- (d) grouping detected ultrasonic signals within preselected time periods;
- and,
- (e) individually processing detected groups of ultrasonic signals to identify welding flaws.
A system for automated, multiple pass welding with concurrent non-destructive evaluation of partially completed welds, comprising;
- (a) automated welding means, including a welding head, for welding metal components;
- (b) transducer means, mounted in predetermined spatial relationship to the welding head, for generating ultrasonic pulses and coupling those pulses to the region of the partially completed weld and for detecting reflected ultrasonic pulses;
- (c) location means for generating location data responsive to the location of the transducer means;
- (d) processor means for processing in real-time the detected reflected ultrasonic pulses resolved into groups of pulses reflected from their locations within a time period of preselected resolution and the location data to identify welding flaws represented by respective groups and their location.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.