EuroFasteners January 2021

Manufacturing Technology

Eddy current crack detection The RCD-9500 is an eddy current crack detection system designed for a wide variety of fasteners and flanged parts. It is capable of working as either a stand-alone machine, or paired with a Mectron Qualifier, LT or MI8500 machine. and vertical gain, which allows for complete control of the impedance plane signature. A high and low threshold can be set and altered to determine differences between good and bad parts. The usable frequency range of the Mectron EC600 instrument is 2 kHz to 5 MHz. All set-ups are easily saved internally in the instrument and can be recalled at a later date.

differential eddy current probe begins to scan, collecting data for several revolutions and monitoring for defects. When the scan is complete, the rollers are driven apart, allowing the part to fall onto the pneumatically operated gate below, where it is either rejected or accepted. The separator and roller systems are completely modular; rollers and separator wheels can be custom machined to suit unique parts without altering any other tooling. The RCD- 9500 is capable of inspecting many different types of parts, including ball studs, wheel studs and a variety of other fasteners. The rollers can also be contoured to correct for cosine angles of the parts. The split gate system allows for high- speed actuation when scanning small- diameter parts, while remaining robust enough to handle parts up to 10" long and over 1.5" in diameter. The RCD-9500 is also fully compatible with the Mectron Qualifier, for dimensional verification. Mectron is a family-owned company that provides inspection systems for fasteners, cold formed and deep drawn products. Its product development team has been awarded many patents on laser and eddy current inspection systems and continues to innovate with its current patent-pending technology. The company’s quality control sys- tems use eddy current, laser and vision systems to provide advanced inspection. Mectron www.mectroninspection.com

The system includes an array of optical sensors to allow fully automated part separation, feeding, scanning and acceptance testing. Instead of scanning moving parts “on the fly”, the RCD-9500 utilises a pair of stationary motorised rollers to rotate the part in place, scanning the area of interest multiple times. This approach leads to greater accuracy and reduced signal noise without sacrificing speed. The system is integrated with Mectron’s newly upgraded EC600, a digital eddy current instrument with specifically designed software for a diverse range of applications. The eddy current signal can be easily manipulated to alter frequency, phase and horizontal

The system implements a differential eddy current probe for inspection, which uses two coils that send separate eddy current signals. The first coil is the test coil and the second is the reference coil. If the part is free of defects, the eddy current signature of the test coil will always match the signature from the reference coil. If there is a crack or inconsistency in the part, the eddy current signal will register differently. This throws the two coils out of phase with each other, and this inconsistency will be registered in the EC600 and recorded as a defective part. Differential probes allow lift-off variances and increased accuracy for consistently moving parts. The differential probe coupled with Mectron’s proprietary software allows for speeds of up to 180 parts per minute. The RCD-9500 is fed by a vibratory in-line feed system. When an optical sensor detects a part ready for scanning, a sprocket separator wheel pushes a single part onto the rotating rollers, and the part falls into the centre of the rollers in line with the eddy current probe. Once the part is spinning, the

▲ RCD-9500 coupled with Q-5000

Threading and forming for complex parts The new maxi threading and forming machine from Sacma – model RP920 – is the company’s largest high-speed thread roller machine for heavy and complex parts. a double starter unit driven by servo motors.

The machine has soft landing rails after the threading operation, and a rejection gate for n.c. parts, as well as a TL1200-R vertical feeder, and a new enclosure for easier automation. It is also equipped with all standard Ingramatic features. Sacma Group www.sacmagroup.com

The new HMI with SC-Matic panel is Industry 4.0-ready. Other features include a drive unit with planetary gear box; motorised die match adjustment; a slide body with hydrostatic guide system; and a quick diameter changeover system.

Designed according to the company’s “I-Thread” concept, the machine has a reinforced bed frame, self-learning and fully motorised adjustments, and

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January 2021