TPT July 2021

T E CHNOLOG Y

Xiris releases new tube weld inspection system with class 2 laser incorporated

XIRIS has announced a new version of its WI-2000 weld inspection systems for tube and pipe manufacturing that now incorporates a class 2 laser. The newly designed WI-2200 sensor head uses a laser diode that stays under the 1mW threshold of optical power specified for class 2 designation without compromising sensor performance. Additionally, it includes several im- provements to the housing and optical configurations to increase reliabil- ity while keeping it fully interchangeable with the WI2000. The WI-2200 will have a constant laser output and provide the user with the ability to adjust the camera exposure to control the brightness of the laser line in the acquired image. This approach pro-

vides more linear control over the laser line for better inspection of the weld. The new, completely redesigned laser control circuit has two optical feed- backs for redundancy and is constantly adjusting the laser power to keep the optical power a safe optimal level as the operating environment changes. Class 2 lasers are considered safe for normal operation, having optical output power below 1mW, operating only in the visible range. A class 2 laser is not a skin or materials burn hazard, nor does it harm the human eye. They are used in items such as consumer laser pointers and are safe for commercial and industrial use without laser interlocks, guarding or need for protective eyewear.

This makes installing and using the WI-2200 safer and easier especially as a laser safety officer is no longer required. The WI-2200 is the next generation of Xiris’ weld inspection systems and is suited for all material types of steel, stainless steel, aluminium, titanium and coated materials, it can be integrated on most tube mills that employ open arc welding such as laser, TIG, or plasma power sources, as well as on clean HF and ERW mills. The sensor can be used right after the weld box to detect defects in the welding process, or after scarfing to inspect the quality of the scarfing process.

Xiris www.xiris.com

CMS combines eddy current and ultrasound on complete tube inspection benches

CÔNTROLE Mesure Systèmes has recently delivered two complete inspection benches combining eddy current and ultrasound inspection methods for the inspection of welded rolled steel tubes with diameters ranging from 10-60mm. The eddy current equipment, with encircling coil installed on each bench, allow the performing of grade sorting with sigma phase detection as well as a health check with the detection of surface and sub-surface point type defects. The reference defects used are transverse hole and external longitudinal notch.

The ultrasonic control by rotating head (RotoUTscan) complements these EC controls and allows the user to carry out a material health control with the detection of internal and external defects and also allows the operator to carry out dimensional measurements with a very high accuracy. The reference defects used are internal and external longitudinal and transverse notches with a depth of 5 per cent WT. For dimensional measurement, the system allows the user to carry out measurements such as internal and outside diameter and wall thickness, with accuracies up to 4mm.

serves as a human machine interface to control the sorting of the tubes and their marking. It also ensures the traceability of the production with the creation of inspection reports by products or batches. In order to allow an even more advanced follow-up of the production, a second software called Probus Viewer Analyser has been developed for the re-visualisation of the signals acquired during previous controls. The graphical options included in the software will allow the operator to perform a thorough analysis of each strip chart using zooms or cursors. CôntroleMesure Systèmes is a French company that has been designing and manufacturing non-destructive testing systems for 35 years. Specialising in eddy current and ultrasound, the company combines these two complementary methods in its test benches that can be integrated directly on the production line. It also offers off-line control solutions.

On this bench, the integration of the Probus software, devel- oped by Côntrole Mesure Systèmes, will allow a real follow-up of the production. Probus collects analog sig- nals from the NDT equipment and is able to drive the line’s actuators. The software communicates directly with the control bench automatism, with which it

CMS has recently delivered two tube inspection benches

Côntrole Mesure Systèmes www.cmseddyscan.com

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JULY 2021