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Detecting surface flaws resulting from forming, machining, finishing
and hardening processes is vital in the production of a variety of
automotive components. These are components critical for safety and
function such as those for steering, chassis, suspension, engine and
valve trains, transmissions, etc. It is an important issue for
components manufacturers.
Monitoring for cracks, seams, porosity and other surface flaws at
high production line speeds is what specialized ibg eddy current
crack testing systems accomplish. Cracks on components such as
needle bearings with depths as shallow as 0.050mm can be reliably
detected.
Probes connected to ibg eddydector® instruments, up to eight
at a time, can perform 100% scanning for flaws in metal parts with
complicated geometries such as camshaft lobes. Testing is performed
to detect cracks, seams, pits and other surface flaws.
The systems developed by ibg are-in effect-high-speed,
high-precision surface scanning machines, supported by
instrumentation and mechanics customized to do the job at high
throughput speeds on the factory floor.
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What is crack detection |
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NDTalk |
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Scanning cylinder IDS |
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Production line spindle testing |
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Scanning cylinder |
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ibg range of instruments |
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Eddy current abilities |
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The rotating ibg eddyscan®F
eddy current scanner scans inside cylindrical surfaces, such as
cylinder liners and engine bores, as well as flat surfaces such as
brake rotors to detect axial and circumferential cracks and pores.
Scanner rotation speeds up to 10,000 rpm permit high throughput
speeds without loss of resolution. Thus, eddyscan®H has
faster throughput speed than the machining, grinding or honing
operations that typically precede it in a production line.Testing is
non-contact, so that ground or honed surfaces are not scratched or
damaged by the scanning
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process
and very small defects can be reliably detected.
ibg NDT Systems Corp. also builds turnkey systems utilizing
eddyscan®F technology. For example, automatic testing of
freestanding cylinder liners or cylinder liners cast in engine
blocks can be accomplished via in-line systems.
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Expanding capabilities |
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Looking back, the year 1999 saw an
expansion of ibg capabilities both in North America and in
Germany. New challenges for eddy current testing of different
components were solved resulting in many new high-speed test
systems being installed to provide 100% inspection at production
line speeds. As a result, sales were markedly higher than the
previous year.
Looking forward, we see more new opportunities to accomplish zero
defects testing on a wider range of vital components. The new
millennium looks very promising for ibg NDT Systems.
Some of the new applications included the testing of ball
bearings, hubs, spindles, rocker arms and transmission gears and
shafts.
Production rates can be very high...cam rollers at 18,000 pph,
ball bearings at 36,000 pph, pinion pins at 7,200 pph. Eddy
current systems from ibg accomplish 100% testing even at higher
rates without slowing the production pace.
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ibg developed crack-detection systems
have been installed on the production lines of automotive spindle
manufacturers.
The systems automatically scan ground surface areas to detect small
cracks. Integrated into the production process, the systems are easily
designed to include testing for correct hardening and correct material,
too.
Compact in size, including mechanical part feeding and discharge
apparatus adapted to the method of transporting the part on the existing
production line, these systems perform automatic 100% testing of the
spindles for cracks and for correct heat treatment.
ibg eddy current test instruments (after verifying correct heat
treatment) scan two critical surface areas on the spindles following
grinding. Testing is performed to detect small longitudinal and
circumferential cracks, which may be as minuscule as 3.75 mm long and
only 0.05 mm deep.
Mechanically, each spindle to be tested is clamped and rotated at about
600 rpm at the crack-detection station. There, two eddydector®
crack detection probes scan the spindle's ground area for small cracks.
Very precise guidance and control of the scan rate thus assures 100% of
the spindle surface is reliably tested every time. |
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New rotating eddy current scanner
scans 100% of the surface area on cylindrical
components such as steering racks, roller bearings, needle bearings
piston pins, pinion pins and strut rods. ibg's eddyscan®H is
capable of reliably detecting longitudinal seams, transverse cracks and
pores. Scanner rotation up to 12,000 rpm permits throughput speeds up to
800 mm/sec.--without loss of resolution. With this capability,
eddyscan®H has faster throughput than the grinding and super
finishing lines on which it is typically installed.
The testing is non-contacting, so ground or super finished surfaces are
not scratched or damaged by the scanning process. Defects of only 0.050
mm depth can be reliably detected without false rejects.
Keep in mind that Ofeg also builds turnkey systems that utilize our
eddyscan®H technology to provide automatic, in-line testing of mass
produced cylindrical |
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components such as steering
racks, needle bearings, roller bearings, piston rods, strut rods and
piston pins.
Noted for our ability to develop such high-speed scanning
devices for the NDT testing of metal components, ibg also has earned a
reputation for designing and fabricating complete and fully
factory-floor-capable systems for 100% testing of cylindrical and other
shapes to assure zero defects due to surface flaws and cracks |
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The ibg stable of crack detection devices
is versatile and extensive.
 Here is the current lineup:
detects cracks, seams and other shallow
surface defects on mass-produced parts
eddyscan®
provides high- volume in-line crack detection on cylindrical parts
eddyscan®
enables high- speed crack detection on flat surfaces
and inside cylinders and holes.
All can be integrated into precision
mechanical systems that assure accurate, repeatable in-line testing.
ibg offers the design and manufacture of both test instrumentation and
the mechanics to automate its systems. In effect, a turnkey approach.
Our high engineering standards assure durable, factory-floor-ready,
fully error-proofed systems capable of reliable, two- and three-shift
operation.
Crack test on ball stud shows part
in test position, swivel arm with probe for shank, cone and neck, plus friction wheels for rotating test parts.
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While testing
for surface cracks is a strength of the ibg eddy current testing
equipment, there
are other tests in which our instruments and systems perform well. |
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Verifying heat treatment
Hardness, case depth and pattern, retrained austenite, decarb and other
testing to correct material properties are part of testing to achieve
zero-defect conditions.
Eliminating material mix-ups
Identification of correct material mix and correct alloying is another
important usage of eddy current testing.
Confirming correct "pre-heat treat" conditions
Testing forged and cast components prior to heat coils for
treatment is an effective employment of ibg test systems.
properties testing
For example, forged parts mistakenly quenched rather
than air cooled can be detected.
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eddynomic" instruments and material |
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