Laser_ultrasonic_sensor_for_on-line_seamless_steel_tubing_process_control.pdf

LASER ULTRASONIC SENSOR FOR ON-LINE SEAMLESS STEEL TUBING PROCESS CONTROL G. Jeskey1 2 2 3 3 3 4 , R. Kolarik II , E. Damm , J.-P. Monchalin , G. Lamouche , S. E. Kruger , and M. Choquet 1Jeskey Consulting, North Canton, Ohio, USA; 2The Timken Company, Canton, Ohio, USA; 3Industrial Materials Institute, Boucherville, Quebec, Canada; 4Tecnar Automation Ltd., St. Bruno, Quebec, Canada. Abstract: Numerous mechanical components such as bearings and gears are manufactured from seamless steel tubing, which offers superior mechanical properties. The tube making process oftentimes causes wall thickness variations in a helical pattern along the tube length. Therefore, additional clean-up stock is added to the tube. Process control to reduce this variation would achieve considerable savings through improved material utilization and reduced tubing scrap and re-work. For components machined from tubing, additional savings are realized from reduced machining time and tool wear. A laser-ultrasonic system was installed immediately after the final operation in seamless tube making. The system consists of generation and detection lasers and an interferometer located in a cabin outside the tube mill, and a fiber coupled inspection head located above the process line. Tube wall thickness and temperature measurements are used to guide mill adjustments to achieve the desired tolerances. Nearly 1,000,000 tubes were inspected in the first two years of operation. In a separate effort, additional functionality was added using the same signals that measure the tube wall thickness to sense the size of the austenitic grains. The austenitic grain size of carbon an