Automatic pipe inspection and repair system

An apparatus for preparing tubular workpieces having interior and exterior surfaces, said apparatus comprising:

• a readying means for readying said workpieces for inspection;
• an inspecting means for nondestructively inspecting the workpiece to measure wall thickness and concentricity between the interior and exterior surfaces along the workpiece;
• a comparing means for comparing the measured wall thickness and concentricity with preselected wall thickness and concentricity specifications;
• a switching means for separating the inspected workpieces at least into acceptable workpieces which conform with the preselected specifications and repairable workpieces which are physically alterable to conform with the preselected specifications;
• an interior surface repair head disposed to be positioned longitudinally within the workpiece, the interior surface repair head including an interior surface material depositing means for selectively depositing material on interior surfaces of the workpiece and an interior surface material removing means for selectively removing material from interior surfaces of the workpiece;
• an exterior surface repair head disposed to be positioned longitudinally along exterior surfaces of the workpiece, the exterior surface repair head including an exterior surface material depositing means for selectively depositing material on exterior surfaces of the workpiece and an exterior surface material removing means for selectively removing material from the exterior surfaces;
• and,
• repair head control means for selectively positioning the interior and exterior surface repair heads along the workpiece and for controlling the interior and exterior surface material depositing and removing means.