EuroWire November 2024

Corporate News

Partnership to ensure high-quality rod and bar Round Ground Metal (RGM), a producer of close-tolerance round rod and bar, and NDT specialist Magnetic Analysis Corporation (MAC) have collaborated to create a fully automated system that enables efficient, high-quality testing of stock for use in industries such as aerospace, heavy equipment, energy and medical.

Together, RGM and MAC designed a system that incorporates both eddy current and ultrasonic technologies to test cold finished carbon steel, alloy and stainless rod and bars. Andrew Strzalkowski, the founder and president of RGM, stated, “We’ve always believed in working with suppliers at the earliest stage possible. The best results come when very specific needs are expressed and exchanged during the initial stages of design consultation.” Now installed by MAC, the massive system – more than 100-feet long overall – can test rods and bars ranging from 3.66 to 12.8m long (12 to 42ft) and 19.05 to 88.9mm in diameter (0.75" to 3.5") at speeds of up to 45.72mpm (150 fpm). MAC’s 350 Rotomac® is used in this installation for detecting longitudinal, seam-type defects, including cracks, pits and laps. Operating at 150ft per minute, this rotary can detect defects as short as 0.4" and, depending on material quality, defects smaller than 0.004" deep. At RGM, the current mill operation for uninterrupted testing flow is 120 fpm, typically set up on 0.1" depth notches.

MAC‘s 105ft ultrasonic- and eddy-current-equipped NDT system with automated material handling at RGM’s plant in Illinois, USA

To optimise the accuracy of the eddy current test, a demagnetiser removes existing magnetic fields in the bars that might counteract the fields induced by the eddy current probes during the test. For the detection of internal flaws, the Echomac® FD-6 eight channel ultrasonic electronics and 100mm rotary were selected. Ultrasonic transducer test signals can penetrate the entire bar, allowing 100 per cent volumetric inspection to detect core internal flaws such as cracks, voids and inclusions, as well as some surface flaws. The rotary head mechanism spins the transducer elements and water couplant at speeds of up to 2,400 rpm around the bar as it is fed through the test. The transducers are housed in holders that facilitate set-up for different sized materials. Special attention was paid to the design of the automated handling system to prevent back-ups or jams, while promoting efficiency and accuracy. A conductor PLC with HMI touchscreen controls all operations including rotary testers, triple guides, the bench, conveyors, sorting, marking and alarms. Bars ranging from 20 to 100mm diameter are loaded from the input tables, with no size adjustment needed. MAC’s EZ drop rollers place the bar on the conveyor channel rolls, where it moves smoothly through the testers. On the output side, tested bars are automatically sorted into accept or reject. Each accepted bar is lifted by sorting rollers and moves to an intermediate station to be raised by alignment rollers. The MAC Aligner unit, designed for this installation, pushes the end of the bar to line it up correctly before being released onto the accumulation table and into the accept pocket, making bundling easier. Stops can be activated to accumulate bars while the pocket is emptied, without stopping the testing. RGM found that these features enhance the bundling and packaging operation overall, demonstrating the benefits of the joint innovation between the two companies. A new calibration station was designed to hold and feed the reference bars used to verify that tests are operating within specifications. A simple button press moves the bar from the calibration support station to MAC EZ drop rollers that catch the bar and lower it onto the inlet conveyor, where it is automatically fed through the testers, reversed and returned to the station. Magnetic Analysis Corp www.mac-ndt.com

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November 2024