Method and apparatus for ultrasonic testing of aluminum billet
AssigneeOrmet Corporation
InventorsDavid R. Brautigan, Charles D. Merckle
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An ultrasonic inspection apparatus and method tests elongated, cylindrical aluminum billets. The apparatus includes a frame supporting a movable carriage having at least one ultrasonic detector assembly mounted thereon. Each ultrasonic detector assembly includes a bracket detachably mounted to the carriage, at least one holder movably coupled to the bracket, a spring-biasing mechanism to bias the holder from the bracket, a transducer shoe attached to the holder and a transducer attached to the shoe. The shoe is configured to conform to the outer surface of the billet and to be flooded with fluid to assist in testing.
Claims10
Apparatus for ultrasonic inspection of an elongated workpiece comprising:
- a) a frame adapted to receive the elongated workpiece;
- b) a trolley means movably attached to the frame for travel along a longitudinal axis of the elongated workpiece;
- c) a first ultrasonic flaw detector means mounted on the trolley means;
- d) a second ultrasonic flaw detector means mounted on the trolley means and axially spaced from said first ultrasonic flaw detector means a distance equal to about one-half of a length of the elongated workpiece;
- e) means for bringing said first and second ultrasonic flaw detector means into acoustic contact with the elongated workpiece such that said first ultrasonic flaw detector means is positioned adjacent a first end of the elongated workpiece and said second ultrasonic flaw detector means is positioned substantially at a mid-point along the length of the elongated workpiece;
- and
- f) means for moving the trolley means in a first direction along the longitudinal axis of the elongated workpiece to permit ultrasonic testing along an entire length of the elongated workpiece as the trolley means traverses one-half the length of the elongated workpiece.
Apparatus for ultrasonic inspection of elongated as-cast cylindrical metal billet comprising:
- a) a frame adapted to receive the metal billet,
- b) a trolley means movably attached to the frame for travel along a longitudinal axis of the elongated workpiece;
- c) a first ultrasonic flaw detector means mounted on the trolley means, including a first pair of transducers;
- d) a second ultrasonic flaw detector means mounted on the trolley means and axially spaced from said first ultrasonic flaw detector means a distance equal to about one-half of a length of the metal billet to be inspected, said second detector means including a second pair of transducers;
- e) shoe means for housing each of said transducers comprising a body having a concave surface substantially conforming to a surface of the cylindrical billet, said curved surface having an undercut region formed therein and surrounding a sound emitting end of the transducer, said shoe means also having a channel formed therein communicating with the undercut region and adapted to be connected with a source of coupling fluid for supplying a continuous flow of coupling fluid to the undercut region to provide a reservoir to contain the coupling fluid in the undercut region whereby constant acoustic coupling between the transducer and billet is achieved;
- and
- f) means situated below said metal billet for collecting the coupling fluid which may leak from the shoe means and for recycling the coupling fluid.
A method for ultrasonically inspecting an elongated workpiece comprising the steps of:
- a) providing a trolley means movable along a longitudinal axis of the elongated workpiece;
- b) providing first and second ultrasonic flaw detector means on the trolley assembly axially spaced from each other a distance equal to about one-half of a length of the elongated workpiece;
- c) bringing said first and second ultrasonic flaw detector means into acoustic contact with the elongated workpiece such that said first ultrasonic flaw detector means is positioned adjacent a first end of the elongated workpiece and said second ultrasonic flaw detector means is positioned substantially at a mid-point along the length of the elongated workpiece;
- and
- d) moving the trolley means in a first direction along the longitudinal axis of the elongated workpiece to permit ultrasonic testing along an entire length of the elongated workpiece as the trolley means traverses one-half the length of the elongated workpiece.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.