JP6069123B2 - Ultrasonic inspection apparatus and ultrasonic inspection method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an ultrasonic inspection apparatus and an ultrasonic inspection method, and is particularly suitable for application to an ultrasonic inspection apparatus that performs ultrasonic inspection on a bogie frame of a bogie used in a railway vehicle.

  Welding is an indispensable joining technique for creating large structures. In a portion where welding has been performed (hereinafter referred to as a welded portion), a welding defect due to welding work rarely occurs. For this reason, in a certain kind of large structure, the quality of a welding part is guaranteed by performing an appropriate nondestructive inspection with respect to a welding part. Ultrasonic inspection, which is a general non-destructive inspection method for welds, is widely applied because the apparatus is simple and there is no work such as shielding necessary for radiation inspection.

  As one of large-scale structures that perform nondestructive inspection on welds, there is a bogie frame of a bogie used for a railway vehicle. The carriage frame supports electric motors, brake devices, and the like, and is provided with a cross beam provided along the sleeper direction, and a side beam provided with an air spring that supports a structure for carrying the loader and is provided along the rail direction. The transverse beam and the side beam are welded and joined.

  As an ultrasonic inspection apparatus for evaluating the soundness of a welded portion in such a carriage frame, an ultrasonic inspection including a composite flaw detector in which a plurality of oblique flaw detectors are arranged concentrically around at least one vertical flaw detector. An apparatus is disclosed in Patent Document 1.

  In this ultrasonic inspection apparatus, the sensor surface of the composite flaw detector is formed in a curved shape, and this sensor surface is applied to the inner wall surface of the pipe material constituting the cross beam, and the super flaw from the vertical flaw detector toward the outside from the inside of the cross beam. By irradiating (transmitting) sound waves and detecting (receiving) reflected waves with the vertical flaw detector, the welded part of the side beam and the horizontal beam of the carriage frame (hereinafter referred to as the side beam-horizontal beam weld) Perform defect inspection. Specifically, the inspection is performed by scanning the ultrasonic wave in the circumferential direction of the transverse beam in the side beam-lateral beam welded portion by moving the composite flaw detector along the inner wall surface of the transverse beam. Further, in such an ultrasonic inspection apparatus, the composite flaw detector is irradiated with ultrasonic waves while moving in the axial direction of the transverse beam, thereby inspecting the lateral beam in the side beam-lateral beam welded portion.

JP-A-2005-37195

  By the way, in the above-described ultrasonic inspection apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to insert an ultrasonic probe into the inside of the horizontal beam as described above when performing the inspection. There is a problem that a rotation mechanism for matching the rotation center of the rotation movement mechanism and a pressure mechanism for pressing and fixing the rotation mechanism main body to the inner surface of the cross beam are required.

  Further, in such an ultrasonic inspection apparatus, before actually starting the inspection, after inserting the ultrasonic probe into the horizontal beam, the pressure mechanism is pressed to hold the ultrasonic probe in the horizontal beam. Work is required. Furthermore, since such an ultrasonic inspection apparatus needs to be inserted into the transverse beam, an insertion mechanism including a rotation mechanism body and a pressure mechanism is necessary. When the transverse beam is long in the axial direction, an ultrasonic probe is required. There is also a problem that the insertion mechanism of the child becomes long and the configuration and control of the mechanism become complicated.

  The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and intends to propose an ultrasonic inspection apparatus and an ultrasonic inspection method capable of facilitating the inspection of the side beam-lateral beam welded portion of the carriage frame and simplifying the configuration. Is.

In order to solve such a problem, in the present invention, ultrasonic waves are applied to the welded portion between the side beam and the horizontal beam in the carriage frame having the side beam arranged in the rail direction and the tubular horizontal beam arranged in the sleeper direction. In the ultrasonic inspection apparatus for irradiating and inspecting, an ultrasonic array sensor that is installed on an outer surface of the horizontal beam and reflects the ultrasonic wave on an inner surface of the horizontal beam to irradiate the welded portion, and the ultrasonic array sensor is connected to the horizontal beam A sensor moving mechanism that moves along the pipe circumferential direction, and ultrasonic control that controls the ultrasonic array sensor to irradiate the welded portion with the ultrasonic wave and receive the reflected wave of the ultrasonic wave at the welded portion A movement control unit that controls the sensor moving mechanism to move the ultrasonic array sensor by a predetermined distance in the tube circumferential direction of the transverse beam, the ultrasonic control unit, and the movement control Controls the said welded to the generated test image representing a cross-section of the welded portion based on the reflected signal generated based on the reflected waves received wave by the ultrasonic array sensor, generated within said inspection image A flaw detection control unit that sets a defect evaluation range that represents a range of a part, and a display that displays the inspection image generated by the flaw detection control unit, wherein the flaw detection control unit includes a plurality of feature points in the welded part. Among these, the reflection echo from one feature point with a clear relationship between the shape of the weld and the generation position of the reflection echo is extracted from the inspection image, and the defect is based on the extracted position of the reflection echo. While the evaluation range is displayed in the inspection image, when extracting the reflection echo from one feature point where the relationship between the shape of the weld and the generation position of the reflection echo is clear, The thickness and on the basis of the shape of the welded portion to limit the extraction range of the echo in the test image, and to extract the reflected echo by extracting echoes within the extraction range is limited.

Further, in the present invention, ultrasonic inspection is applied to the welded portion between the side beam and the horizontal beam in the carriage frame having the side beam arranged in the rail direction and the tubular horizontal beam arranged in the sleeper direction. In the ultrasonic inspection method executed by the ultrasonic inspection apparatus, the ultrasonic inspection apparatus is installed on the outer surface of the horizontal beam, and reflects the ultrasonic wave on the inner surface of the horizontal beam to irradiate the welded portion. When the sensor moving mechanism Before moving along an ultrasonic array sensor in the pipe circumferential direction of the cross beam, the said weld is irradiated with ultrasonic waves, to receive the reflected wave of the ultrasonic wave in the weld An ultrasonic control unit that controls the ultrasonic array sensor, a movement control unit that controls the sensor moving mechanism to move the ultrasonic array sensor by a predetermined distance in the tube circumferential direction of the transverse beam, Serial controls the ultrasonic control unit, and the movement control unit generates a test image representing a cross-section of the welded portion on the basis of the reflected signal generated based on the reflected waves received wave by the ultrasonic array sensor A flaw detection control unit that sets a defect evaluation range that represents the range of the welded portion in the generated inspection image, and a display that displays the inspection image generated by the flaw detection control unit, and the flaw detection control. First, the part extracts from the inspection image the reflected echo from one feature point where the relationship between the shape of the welded part and the generation position of the reflected echo is clear among the plurality of feature points in the welded part. And a second step in which the flaw detection control unit displays the defect evaluation range in the inspection image based on the extracted position of the reflected echo. In the first step, When the flaw detection control unit extracts the reflection echo from one feature point where the relationship between the shape of the weld and the generation position of the reflection echo is clear, the thickness of the transverse beam and the shape of the weld are extracted. Based on this, the extraction range of the reflected echo in the inspection image is limited, and the reflected echo is extracted by extracting the echo in the limited extraction range.

  According to the ultrasonic inspection apparatus and the ultrasonic inspection method of the present invention, the inspector installs the ultrasonic array sensor on the outer surface of the cross beam and inspects the side beam of the carriage frame and the welded portion of the cross beam only by performing necessary settings. can do. In addition, according to the ultrasonic inspection apparatus and the ultrasonic inspection method, an ultrasonic array sensor is installed on the outer surface of the horizontal beam, so that a mechanism for inserting an ultrasonic flaw detector or an ultrasonic flaw detector is pressed against the inner surface of the horizontal beam 3. A mechanism for fixing is not required, and the configuration can be greatly simplified as compared with a conventional ultrasonic inspection apparatus that requires these mechanisms.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the ultrasonic inspection apparatus and ultrasonic inspection method which can facilitate the ultrasonic test | inspection with respect to the welding part of the side beam and side beam of a trolley | bogie frame, and can simplify a structure are realizable.

It is a top view which shows schematic structure of the bogie frame of a rail vehicle. It is a side view which shows schematic structure of the bogie frame of a rail vehicle. It is sectional drawing with which it uses for description of the conventional ultrasonic inspection method with respect to the bogie frame of a rail vehicle. It is a conceptual diagram which shows the structure of the ultrasonic inspection apparatus by 1st and 2nd embodiment. It is a basic diagram which shows the schematic structure of an ultrasonic array sensor holding | maintenance part, taking a partial cross section. (A) is a schematic diagram showing a partial cross section of the positional relationship between the ultrasonic array sensor and the inspection object, and (B) is an abbreviated diagram showing a schematic configuration of the inspection image according to the first embodiment. FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence of the inspection process by the ultrasonic inspection apparatus by 1st and 2nd embodiment. (A) is a schematic diagram showing a partial cross section of the positional relationship between the ultrasonic array sensor and the test object, and (B) is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of the test image according to the second embodiment. FIG.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

(1) First Embodiment (1-1) Configuration of Bogie Frame In describing the ultrasonic inspection apparatus according to the present embodiment, first, the configuration of the bogie frame of a railway vehicle to be inspected for ultrasonic inspection. Will be described. FIG.1 and FIG.2 shows schematic structure of the bogie frame 1 of a rail vehicle. The carriage frame 1 includes a pair of side beams 2 arranged in parallel with the rail direction, and a pair of horizontal beams 3 arranged in parallel with the sleeper direction and passing through the vicinity of the center in the longitudinal direction of each side beam 2. And is configured.

  Each side beam 2 is formed in a bar shape with a U-shaped cross section, and is arranged at a predetermined distance with the open side of the U-shape facing each other. In the vicinity of the central portion in the longitudinal direction of each side beam 2, a pair of openings (not shown) for fitting the horizontal beams 3 (hereinafter referred to as horizontal beam fitting openings) are provided. Each cross beam 3 is formed in a round pipe shape, and both end portions in the longitudinal direction are fitted into corresponding side beam fitting openings of the side beam 2, and the fitting portion is welded to the side beam 2. This is integrated with each side beam 2.

  A pair of connecting beams 4 is disposed between the horizontal beams 3. The connecting beams 4 are joined to the respective horizontal beams 3 by welding, so that the horizontal beams 3 are integrated with each other. Further, a motor receiver 5, a gear box suspension receiver 6 and the like are attached to each transverse beam 3 by welding.

(1-2) Conventional Ultrasonic Inspection Method By the way, in the above-described bogie frame 1, the side beam-lateral beam welded portion 7 has a T joint structure, and in order to inspect such a side beam-lateral beam welded portion 7, Ultrasonic probes must be installed on the side beams 2 and the side beams 3.

  Here, as a general ultrasonic inspection method of the T joint welded portion, as shown in FIG. There is a method of inspecting the side beam-lateral beam welded portion 7 by transmitting toward the side (hereinafter referred to as a first ultrasonic inspection method). This is the method disclosed in Patent Document 1 described above. As another ultrasonic inspection method of the T-joint welded portion, as shown in FIG. 3, the ultrasonic wave 11B is directed from the ultrasonic probe 10B installed on the outer surface of the side beam 2 toward the side beam-lateral beam welded portion 7. There is also a method of inspecting the side beam-lateral beam welded portion 7 by transmitting a wave (hereinafter referred to as a second ultrasonic inspection method). In FIG. 3, reference numeral 8 represents a backing plate.

  However, according to the first ultrasonic inspection method, there is a problem that the ultrasonic inspection apparatus is enlarged as described above, and the configuration and control are complicated. Further, according to the second ultrasonic inspection method, since the side beam 2 has a U-shaped cross section, the flat surface is small depending on the circumferential position of the horizontal beam 3, and the ultrasonic probe is installed or along the side surface of the side beam 2. There is a problem that cannot be moved.

  The ultrasonic inspection apparatus according to the present embodiment takes the above problems into consideration and facilitates ultrasonic inspection for the side beam-lateral beam welded portion 7 of the carriage frame and simplifies the configuration. is there. Hereinafter, the ultrasonic inspection apparatus according to this embodiment will be described.

(1-3) Configuration of Ultrasonic Inspection Apparatus According to this Embodiment FIG. 4 shows an ultrasonic inspection apparatus 20 according to this embodiment in which the cart frame 1 described above with reference to FIG. The ultrasonic inspection apparatus 20 controls the operation of the ultrasonic array sensor holder 21 having a function as a probe and the ultrasonic array sensor holder 21 and is acquired by the ultrasonic array sensor holder 21. It comprises an information processing unit 22 that analyzes reflected sound wave information and visually displays the analysis result.

  The information processing unit 22 also includes an ultrasonic controller 23 that controls switching between transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves by the ultrasonic array sensor holder 21, and a search that performs movement control and movement amount measurement of the ultrasonic array sensor holder 21. The touch sensor movement controller 24, a flaw detection controller 25 that performs overall control of the ultrasonic inspection apparatus 20, and a display 26 that displays flaw detection results.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the ultrasonic array sensor holder 21 includes an ultrasonic array sensor 30, a control motor 31, and wheels 32. The ultrasonic array sensor 30 is installed on the outer surface of the horizontal beam 3 so as to come into contact with the horizontal beam 3 through a contact medium such as water, oil, or glycerin paste. The ultrasonic controller 23 controls the irradiation (sending) of the ultrasonic wave 35 from the ultrasonic array sensor 30 and the detection (receiving wave) of the reflected wave. The ultrasonic array sensor holder 21 is installed over the circumference of the horizontal beam 3 on the surface of the horizontal beam 3 by the control motor 31 being driven by the instruction of the probe movement controller 24 to rotate the wheel 32. It moves along the guide rail 33 in the circumferential direction of the cross beam 3.

  Here, the ultrasonic array sensor 30 will be described. The ultrasonic array transducer 30A, which is a constituent element of the ultrasonic array sensor 30, is composed of a plurality of transducers arranged in an array, and ultrasonic scanning is performed by electronic scanning that adjusts the voltage time applied to the transducers. It is possible to adjust the transmission direction and the focal position of 35. Each of the transducers constituting the ultrasonic array transducer 30A can receive the ultrasonic waves 35 that have been reflected and returned by feature points such as shape corners and defects, and the reception time difference between these transducers. The position of the reflection source can be specified based on the speed of sound in the test material. Such a method of transmitting and receiving the ultrasonic wave 35 is called a phased array method. Furthermore, the ultrasonic array sensor 30 can scan the ultrasonic waves 35 in a fan shape within the YZ plane of FIG. 5 by programming and sequentially changing the applied voltage time. As a result, since a wide range can be inspected while minimizing the movement range of the ultrasonic array sensor 30, the inspection time can be shortened. Therefore, by using the ultrasonic array sensor 30, the scanning of the ultrasonic probe in the axial direction (Y direction in FIG. 5) of the horizontal beam 3 of the ultrasonic probe becomes unnecessary.

  In the ultrasonic inspection using the ultrasonic array sensor 30, the inspection time can be shortened by setting an optimum scanning condition capable of inspecting a defect assumed in the side beam-lateral beam welded portion 7. In this ultrasonic inspection, since the front range of the ultrasonic array sensor 30 can be inspected without performing the front-rear scanning of the ultrasonic array sensor 30 as described above, the ultrasonic wave 35 is fan-shaped around the position of the ultrasonic array sensor 30. It is desirable to perform an evaluation by a sector scan method in which scanning is performed. Therefore, in the following, description will be given assuming that such ultrasonic inspection is performed by the sector scan method.

  In the present embodiment, in order to increase the incident intensity of the ultrasonic wave 35 transmitted from the ultrasonic array sensor 30, the ultrasonic array transducer 30A is tilted using the wedge 34 shown in FIG. As a result, the ultrasonic array sensor holder 21 is miniaturized.

  The ultrasonic controller 23 includes a transmission unit 23A that performs control related to transmission of the ultrasonic waves 35 from the ultrasonic array sensor 30, and a reception unit that performs control related to reception of reflected echoes from defects and the like by the ultrasonic array sensor 30. 23B. The reflected echo received by the ultrasonic array sensor 30 is converted into a digital signal (hereinafter referred to as a reflected signal) by the receiving unit 23B of the ultrasonic controller 23 and transmitted to the flaw detection controller 25.

  The probe movement controller 24 controls the operation of the control motor 31 of the ultrasonic array sensor holder 21 on the basis of a movement instruction given from the flaw detection controller 25 as will be described later, whereby the ultrasonic array sensor holder. 21 is intermittently moved in the circumferential direction of the cross beam 3 along the guide rail 33 by a predetermined distance corresponding to the sensor width of the ultrasonic array sensor 30. The probe movement controller 24 notifies the flaw detection controller 25 of the circumferential position of the transverse beam 3 of the ultrasonic array sensor 30 after the movement. Thus, this information is used for generating image information of an inspection image displayed on the display 26 and recording a defect occurrence range as will be described later.

  The flaw detection controller 25 has a function of controlling the ultrasonic controller 23 and the probe movement controller 24, and includes a sensor position evaluation unit 25A, an ultrasonic evaluation unit 25B, an evaluation range determination unit 25C, and a signal position determination unit 25D. And a defect determination unit 25E.

  The sensor position evaluation unit 25A transmits an instruction to move the ultrasonic array sensor holder 21 to the probe movement controller 24 during the execution of the inspection, while the ultrasonic array notified from the probe movement controller 24. The circumferential position after the movement of the sensor holder 21 is stored. In addition, the ultrasonic evaluation unit 25B gives an instruction to the ultrasonic controller 23 to transmit ultrasonic waves from the ultrasonic array sensor 30 (hereinafter, this instruction is referred to as a wave transmission instruction) at the time of performing an inspection. As a result, the reflected signal given from the ultrasonic array sensor 30 via the ultrasonic controller 23 is received, and imaging processing and recording are performed on the reflected signal.

  The evaluation range determination unit 25C sets a defect evaluation range for extracting defects in the inspection image with reference to the shape signal in the reflection signal received by the ultrasonic evaluation unit 25B. In addition, the signal position determination unit 25D extracts a signal component that is likely to be a reflection echo from the defect, which is included in the defect evaluation range in the inspection image set by the evaluation range determination unit 25C. Furthermore, the defect determination unit 25E determines whether or not the reflection source of the reflected echo is a defect based on the reception intensity of the signal component extracted by the signal position determination unit 25D.

  The display 26 is composed of a display device such as a liquid crystal panel, for example, and displays an inspection image to be described later based on image information output from the flaw detection controller 25.

(1-4) Defect Determination Method According to this Embodiment Subsequently, a defect determination method executed in the ultrasonic inspection apparatus 20 according to this embodiment will be described.

  FIG. 6A shows a cross section of the side beam-lateral beam welded portion 7 of the bogie frame 1 to be inspected. In FIG. 6A, D1 to D4 indicate characteristic points of the side beam-lateral beam welded portion 7, respectively, and D5 indicates a defect. In FIG. 6A, p, q, r, s, and t represent the thickness or height of each member, respectively, and u represents the center point of the flaw detection surface of the ultrasonic array sensor 30 (hereinafter referred to simply as flaw detection). This represents the distance from O1 to the tip position (outer edge of the side beam-lateral beam weld 7).

  As shown in FIG. 6A, the inspection method for the side beam-lateral beam welded portion 7 of the carriage frame 1 in the present embodiment is such that the ultrasonic wave 35 emitted from the ultrasonic array sensor 30 is 1 on the inner surface of the horizontal beam 3. This is a one-time reflection method in which the side beam-lateral beam welded portion 7 to be inspected is irradiated once and irradiated. The ultrasonic wave 35 radiated to the side beam-lateral beam welded portion 7 is reflected by the side beam-lateral beam welded portion 7, propagates backward through the above-described path, and is received by the ultrasonic array sensor 30.

  FIG. 6B shows the inspection image S <b> 1 displayed on the display 26. In this inspection image S <b> 1, a sector-shaped area A <b> 1 indicates the current flaw detection range by the ultrasonic wave 35, and the upper left vertex indicates the reception reference point O <b> 1 of the ultrasonic array sensor 30. In FIG. 6B, the Y direction represents the horizontal distance from the reception reference point O1 of the ultrasonic array sensor 30 to the reflection source, and the Z direction represents the depth from the reception reference point O1 of the ultrasonic array sensor 30 to the reflection source. Represents Thus, since the inspection image S1 is displayed as a cross-sectional image of the side beam-lateral beam welded portion 7 on the YZ plane in FIG. 6A, the reception reference point O1 of the ultrasonic array sensor 30 and the reflection of the ultrasonic wave 35 are displayed. The examiner can clearly recognize the positional relationship with the source.

  In the present embodiment, since the single reflection method is used as the inspection method as described above, the inspection image S1 is displayed in a state where the Z direction is reversed with respect to the actual inspection system. Therefore, in the present embodiment, in order to enable the inspector to easily determine the defect in the inspection image S1, the welded part range in the actual inspection object, that is, the defect evaluation range is displayed in a broken line in the inspection image S1.

  Here, a method for extracting the defect evaluation range in the inspection image S1 will be described. In the inspection image S1, the position in the horizontal direction represents the position of the back wave end of the side beam-lateral beam weld 7 with respect to the gap (hereinafter referred to as the gap position) D1 between the horizontal beam 3 and the backing plate 8. A feature point D2 (hereinafter referred to as a back wave position D2) is a position at a distance r in the + Y direction, and D3 (hereinafter referred to as this) representing the apex position of the side beam-lateral beam weld 7 positioned on the surface of the side beam 2. A vertex point D3) is a position of distance q in the -Y direction, and a feature point D4 (hereinafter referred to as a tip position D4) representing the tip position of the side beam-lateral beam weld 7 is a distance p + q in the -Y direction. Displayed at each position. Therefore, the horizontal positions of the back wave position D2, the vertex position D3, and the tip position D4 can be uniquely determined with respect to the reflected echo E1 from the gap position D1.

  As for the position in the depth direction, assuming that the thickness of the cross beam 3 is t, the back wave position D2 and the tip position D4 are respectively displayed at a depth of 2t, and the feature point D3 is displayed at a position of depth 2t + s. Thus, the depth direction positions of the back wave position D2, the vertex position D3, and the tip position D4 can also be uniquely determined.

  Therefore, the reflected echo E1 in the inspection image S1 is extracted, and the coordinate positions of the back wave position D2, the vertex position D3, and the tip position D4 in the inspection image S1 are determined by using the reflected echo E1 as a reference. it can. Here, in FIG. 6 (A), the side beam-lateral beam welded portion 7 is a triangular internal region having the back wave position D2, the vertex position D3, and the tip position D4 as vertices. Accordingly, in the inspection image S1, the triangular inner area having the back wave position D2, the vertex position D3, and the tip position D4 as vertices is the evaluation range (defect evaluation range) for the presence or absence of defects.

  In extracting the reflected echo E1 in the inspection image S1, the gap position D1 has a clear relationship between the shape of the side beam-lateral beam weld 7 and the occurrence position. Therefore, by limiting the extraction range of the reflected echo E1, the back wave position D2, the vertex position D3, and the tip position D4 in the inspection image S1 can be easily detected. That is, the reflection echo E1 is generated within a range from the reception reference point O1 to the p + q + u of the ultrasonic array sensor 30 with the depth position between 2t and 2t + s. Therefore, it is possible to extract the reflected echo E1 by setting the region A2 as shown in FIG. 6B so as to include the above-described range and extracting the echo generated in the region A2.

  In FIG. 6B, E2 is a reflected echo of the ultrasonic wave 35 at the back wave position D2, and is displayed outside the defect evaluation area. The reflected echo E3 is an echo corresponding to a defect generated in the side beam-lateral beam welded portion 7, and is displayed in the defect evaluation area.

(1-5) Ultrasonic Inspection by Ultrasonic Inspection Apparatus Next, an ultrasonic inspection inspection procedure in the ultrasonic inspection apparatus 20 will be described. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the inspection processing in the ultrasonic inspection apparatus 20 of the present embodiment. Among the processing of step SP1 to step SP10 according to this inspection processing procedure, the processing of the ultrasonic controller 23, the probe movement controller 24 and the flaw detection controller 25 is performed by the ultrasonic controller 23 and the probe movement. It is executed based on programs stored in advance in an internal memory (not shown) in the controller 24 and the flaw detection controller 25, respectively.

First, in step SP1, the inspector makes necessary settings for the ultrasonic inspection apparatus 20 at the start of the inspection. Specifically, an ultrasonic controller is used to set appropriate inspection conditions (ultrasonic beam conditions, inspection target range, etc.) in consideration of the state of the inspection site (member plate thickness, groove shape of the side beam-lateral beam welded portion 7). 23, set to the probe movement controller 24 and the flaw detection controller 25. Further, by the operation of a program stored in the internal memory of the flaw detection controller 25, the flaw detection sensitivity in the ultrasonic controller 23, the beam loading path, the evaluation amplitude threshold value for removing the noise signal, and the like are set. Further probe coordinates movement and member end in the movement control unit 24 in the circumferential direction of the pipe in each flaw detection step of the ultrasonic array sensor 30, respectively set the threshold P ₀ of the received signal strength determination.

  In subsequent step SP2, the inspector places the ultrasonic array sensor holder 21 at the start position of the outer surface of the cross beam 3 of the carriage frame 1 to be inspected. Further, the direction of the ultrasonic array sensor 30 is adjusted so that the ultrasonic wave 35 emitted from the ultrasonic array sensor 30 is reflected once by the inner surface of the horizontal beam 3 and is irradiated to the outer beam-lateral beam welded portion 7.

  In step SP3, the inspector operates the flaw detection controller 25 to start the inspection. Thus, in response to this operation, the sensor position evaluation unit 25A of the flaw detection controller 25 gives an instruction to move the ultrasonic array sensor holder 21 to the probe movement controller 24, and the probe movement is performed in accordance with the movement instruction. When the controller 25 drives the control motor 31 (FIG. 5) of the ultrasonic array sensor holder 21, the ultrasonic array sensor holder 21 is moved to the horizontal beam 3 by the movement amount for each flaw detection step set in step SP1. Translate in the tube circumferential direction. Thereafter, the probe movement controller 24 notifies the flaw detection controller 25 of the current position of the ultrasonic array sensor 30 in the tube circumferential direction of the cross beam 3. The sensor position evaluation unit 25A of the flaw detection controller 25 stores the position notified from the flaw detection controller 25.

  In step SP4, based on an instruction from the ultrasonic evaluation unit 25B of the flaw detection controller 25, the transmission unit 23A and the reception unit 23B of the ultrasonic controller 23 control the ultrasonic array sensor 30. As a result, the ultrasonic wave 35 is transmitted from the ultrasonic array sensor 30 so as to scan in a fan shape, and the reflected wave of the ultrasonic wave 35 reflected by the gap position D1 and the defect D5 in the side beam-lateral beam welded portion 7 is reflected. A reflected signal received by the ultrasonic array sensor 30 and generated in the receiving unit 23B of the ultrasonic controller 23 based on the reflected wave is transmitted from the ultrasonic controller 23 to the ultrasonic evaluation unit 25B of the flaw detection controller 25. The The ultrasonic evaluation unit 25B generates an inspection image based on the aforementioned reflection signal.

  In step SP5, the ultrasonic evaluation unit 25B of the flaw detection controller 25 extracts the signal component of the reflected echo E1 from the gap position D1 included in the reflected signal received in step SP4. The detection of the signal component of the reflected echo E1 from the gap position D1 can be performed by the method (1-4) described above. The signal component of the reflected echo E1 from the gap position D1 can always be detected when the ultrasonic array sensor 30 is scanned in the tube circumferential direction. The echo intensity of the reflected echo E1 can be received with a large signal intensity by adjusting the distance and shape from the reception reference point O1 of the ultrasonic array sensor 30 to the gap position D1.

  In the following step SP6, the evaluation range determination unit 25C of the flaw detection controller 25 determines the defect evaluation range described in the above-described defect determination method based on the signal component of the reflected echo E1 from the gap position D1 extracted in step SP5 (see FIG. 6 (B) is set in the inspection image S1 generated based on the reflected signal. Thus, the evaluation range determination unit 25C generates the defect evaluation range determined in this way based on the reflection signal, and superimposes it on the generated image information of the inspection image S1. As a result, the inspection image S1 described above with reference to FIG.

  In step SP7, the signal position determination unit 25D of the flaw detection controller 25 determines the signal position. The signal position determination unit 25D determines whether or not a significant signal component (reflection echo from the defect D5) exists in the defect evaluation range set by the evaluation range determination unit 25C of the flaw detection controller 25 in step SP6. Here, since the determination is based on the signal position, the determination is made according to the coordinates. In this evaluation, a signal component exceeding the evaluation amplitude threshold set in step SP1 is extracted as a “significant signal component”. If there is no “significant signal component” within the defect evaluation range, it is determined that there is no defect, and the process returns to step SP3. If a “significant signal component” is extracted within the defect evaluation range, it is determined that there is a suspicion of a defect, and the process proceeds to step SP8.

  In step SP8, the defect determination unit 25E of the flaw detection controller 25 determines the amplitude of the echo extracted in step SP7. The defect determination unit 25E compares the maximum value P of the signal strength of the “significant signal component” extracted at step SP7 with the threshold value P0 for determining the strength of the received wave signal set at step SP1. If the signal intensity of the “significant signal component” extracted in step SP7 exceeds the threshold value P0 (P ≧ P0), it is determined that the reflection echo (defect echo) is from the defect D5 harmful to the structure intensity. Then, the process proceeds to step SP9. On the other hand, when the received wave amplitude of the “significant signal component” extracted in step SP7 is less than the threshold value P0 (P <P0), the defect determining unit 25E determines that there is no defect and the process is performed. Return to SP3.

In step SP9, the defect determination unit 25E of the flaw detection controller 25 performs defect recognition and recording. The reflection source of the reflection echo determined as the defect echo in step SP8 is recognized as a defect, and the position in the pipe circumferential direction of the reception reference point O1 of the ultrasonic array sensor 30 at that time and the reflection source (that is, the defect in the inspection section). Position) and signal strength. These data will be used as reference data for repair position indication and welding quality improvement.

  In step SP10, the sensor position evaluation unit 25A of the flaw detection controller 25 determines whether or not the ultrasonic array sensor 30 has measured all the flaw detection target ranges in the pipe circumferential direction of the cross beam 3. That is, the inspection ends when the flaw detection end point is reached. If the flaw detection end point has not been reached, the process returns to step SP3 in order to continue the inspection, and thereafter the processing of step SP3 to step SP10 is repeated.

  Then, when the ultrasonic array sensor 30 finishes measuring all the flaw detection target ranges in the pipe circumferential direction of the horizontal beam 3, this inspection process is finished.

(1-6) Effect As described above, according to the ultrasonic inspection apparatus 20 of the present embodiment, the inspector installs the ultrasonic array sensor 30 on the outer surface of the cross beam 3 and performs the necessary settings only by making the necessary settings. One side beam-cross beam weld 7 can be inspected. Also, since the ultrasonic array sensor 30 is installed on the outer surface of the horizontal beam 3 in the ultrasonic inspection apparatus 20, a mechanism for inserting the ultrasonic flaw detector and the ultrasonic flaw detector are pressed and fixed to the inner surface of the horizontal beam 3. Therefore, the configuration can be greatly simplified as compared with the conventional ultrasonic inspection apparatus that requires these mechanisms. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to facilitate the inspection of the side beam-lateral beam welded portion 7 of the carriage frame 1 while simplifying the configuration of the ultrasonic inspection apparatus 20.

(2) Second Embodiment In FIG. 4, reference numeral 40 denotes an ultrasonic inspection apparatus according to the second embodiment as a whole. In this ultrasonic inspection apparatus 40, the evaluation range determination unit 42C of the flaw detection controller 42 constituting the information processing unit 41 displays an inspection image S2 as shown in FIG. The configuration is the same as that of the ultrasonic inspection apparatus 20 of the first embodiment except for.

  Actually, in the inspection image S1 of the first embodiment, the reception reference point O1 of the ultrasonic array sensor 30 is set at the upper left of the image, and the inspection result is as if the ultrasonic wave 35 is irradiated toward the lower right of the image. Drawn. In contrast, in the inspection image S2 according to the present embodiment, the reception reference point O1 of the ultrasonic array sensor 30 is set at the lower left of the image, and the inspection result is drawn as if the ultrasonic wave 35 was irradiated toward the upper right of the image. Is done. That is, in the inspection image S2 of the present embodiment, the flaw detection image is displayed upside down with respect to the inspection image S1 of the first embodiment. As a result, according to the inspection image S2 of the present embodiment, since the upper and lower arrangements of the actual structural members coincide in the defect evaluation range, the image of the defect evaluation range with respect to the structural member becomes clear and the evaluation can be simplified. it can.

  In the inspection image S2 of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8B, the shape of each member in the side beam-lateral beam welded portion 7 (the shape of the horizontal beam 3, the side beam 2, and the backing plate 8) is a broken line. Is displayed. This makes it possible for the inspector to more easily compare the flaw detection image and the actual structural member as compared with the case where only the defect evaluation range is displayed in broken lines as in the inspection image S1 of the first embodiment.

  Here, a method for aligning the coordinates of the component shapes when the shapes of the members in the side beam-lateral beam welded portion 7 are displayed in broken lines in the inspection image S2 will be described. First, regarding the position in the depth direction, if the thickness of the cross beam 3 is t, the shape line representing the inner surface of the cross beam 3 is at the position of the depth t. Alternatively, the coordinate position in the depth direction can be determined by the shape line representing the outer surface of the horizontal beam 3 being located at the depth 2t. As for the horizontal position, since the echo from the gap position D1 between the cross beam 3 and the backing plate 8 is the reflected echo E1, the horizontal direction position of the reflected echo E1 and the gap position D1 is made to match the horizontal direction. The coordinates of the position are fixed. As described above, by using the shape and coordinates in the depth direction and in the horizontal direction, the coordinate alignment with the inspection image S2 can be performed, and compared with the determination of the defect evaluation range in the first embodiment. Thus, the defect evaluation range can be determined more easily.

  In addition, in the processing procedure of the inspection according to the present embodiment, in step SP6 of FIG. 5, the evaluation range determination unit 25C adds the shape of each member in the side beam-lateral beam welded portion 7 as described above in addition to the defect evaluation range. Since it is the same as the inspection processing procedure in the first embodiment except that a broken line is displayed on the inspection image S2, description thereof is omitted here.

  According to the ultrasonic inspection apparatus 40 of the present embodiment described above, in addition to the same effects as the ultrasonic inspection apparatus 20 according to the first embodiment, the effect of improving the visibility of the inspection result based on the inspection image S2. Can be obtained.

(3) Other Embodiments In the first and second embodiments described above, a sensor moving mechanism that moves the ultrasonic array sensor holder 21 along the tube circumferential direction of the horizontal beam 3 is an ultrasonic array. Although the case where the control motor 31 (FIG. 5) and the gear 32 (FIG. 5) of the sensor holder 21 and the guide rail 33 (FIG. 4) are configured has been described, the present invention is not limited to this, and the sensor Various other configurations can be widely applied as the configuration of the moving mechanism.

  Further, in the first and second embodiments described above, the information processing units 22 and 41 (FIG. 4) are respectively constructed by separately constructing the ultrasonic controller 23, the probe movement controller 24, and the flaw detection controller. Although the present invention is not limited to this, the functions of the ultrasonic controller 23, the probe movement controller 24, and the flaw detection controllers 25 and 42 are, for example, personal computers. For example, the information processing units 22 and 41 may be constructed as a single device by mounting on a single device.

  The present invention can be applied to an ultrasonic inspection apparatus that performs ultrasonic inspection on a bogie frame of a bogie used in a railway vehicle.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Bogie frame, 2 ... Side beam, 3 ... Lateral beam, 7 ... Side beam-lateral beam welded part, 8 ... Backing plate, 20, 40 ... Ultrasonic inspection apparatus, 21 ... Ultrasonic array Sensor holding unit, 22, 41 ... Information processing unit, 23 ... Ultrasonic controller, 23A ... Transmission unit, 23B ... Reception unit, 24 ... Probe movement controller, 25, 42 ... Flaw detection control 25A... Sensor position evaluation unit, 25B... Ultrasonic evaluation unit, 25C and 42C... Evaluation range determination unit, 25D... Signal position determination unit, 25E. …… Ultrasonic array sensor, 31 …… Control motor, 32 …… Wheel, 33 …… Guide rail, 35 …… Ultrasonic, E1 to E3 …… Echo, S1, S2 …… Inspection image.

Claims (8)

In the ultrasonic inspection apparatus for inspecting the welded portion between the side beam and the horizontal beam in the carriage frame having the side beam arranged in the rail direction and the tubular horizontal beam arranged in the sleeper direction by injecting ultrasonic waves,
An ultrasonic array sensor that is installed on the outer surface of the transverse beam and reflects the ultrasonic wave on the inner surface of the transverse beam to irradiate the welded portion;
A sensor moving mechanism for moving the ultrasonic array sensor along the pipe circumferential direction of the transverse beam;
An ultrasonic control unit that controls the ultrasonic array sensor to irradiate the ultrasonic wave to the weld and receive the reflected wave of the ultrasonic wave at the weld;
A movement control unit that controls the sensor moving mechanism to move the ultrasonic array sensor by a predetermined distance in the pipe circumferential direction of the transverse beam;
The ultrasonic control unit and the movement control unit are controlled, and an inspection image representing a cross section of the welded part is generated based on a reflection signal generated based on the reflected wave received by the ultrasonic array sensor. A flaw detection control unit that sets a defect evaluation range that represents the range of the welded part in the generated inspection image ;
A display for displaying the inspection image generated by the flaw detection control unit;
With
The flaw detection control unit
Of the plurality of feature points in the welded portion, the reflected echo from one feature point with a clear relationship between the shape of the welded portion and the position where the reflected echo is generated is extracted from the inspection image, and the extracted reflection While displaying the defect evaluation range in the inspection image based on the position of the echo,
When extracting the reflection echo from the one feature point where the relationship between the shape of the weld and the generation position of the reflection echo is clear, the inspection image is based on the plate thickness of the transverse beam and the shape of the weld. The ultrasonic inspection apparatus characterized by extracting the reflected echo by limiting the extraction range of the reflected echo and extracting the echo within the limited extraction range . The flaw detection control unit
The reflected echo from one feature point with a clear relationship between the shape of the weld and the generation position of the reflected echo is extracted from the inspection image, and based on the extracted position of the reflected echo, The ultrasonic inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the position of each of the other feature points is determined, and the defect evaluation range is set and displayed in the inspection image based on the determination result . The flaw detection control unit
The ultrasonic inspection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein presence / absence of a defect in the welded portion is determined based on a signal intensity of each signal component within the defect evaluation range set in the inspection image . The side beams are welded to the cross beams together with a backing plate,
2. The ultrasonic wave according to claim 1 , wherein the feature point having a clear relationship between the shape of the welded portion and the generation position of the reflection echo is a gap position between the side beam and the backing plate. Inspection device. Performed by an ultrasonic inspection apparatus that inspects the welded portion between the side beams and the side beams in the carriage frame having side beams arranged in the rail direction and tubular side beams arranged in the sleeper direction by irradiating ultrasonic waves. In the ultrasonic inspection method to be performed,
The ultrasonic inspection apparatus includes:
An ultrasonic array sensor that is installed on the outer surface of the transverse beam and reflects the ultrasonic wave on the inner surface of the transverse beam to irradiate the welded portion ;
A sensor moving mechanism Before moving along the ultrasonic array sensor in the pipe circumferential direction of the cross beam,
An ultrasonic control unit that controls the ultrasonic array sensor to irradiate the ultrasonic wave to the weld and receive the reflected wave of the ultrasonic wave at the weld ;
A movement control unit that controls the sensor moving mechanism to move the ultrasonic array sensor by a predetermined distance in the pipe circumferential direction of the transverse beam;
The ultrasonic control unit and the movement control unit are controlled, and an inspection image representing a cross section of the welded part is generated based on a reflection signal generated based on the reflected wave received by the ultrasonic array sensor. A flaw detection control unit that sets a defect evaluation range that represents the range of the welded part in the generated inspection image;
A display for displaying the inspection image generated by the flaw detection control unit;
Have
The flaw detection control unit extracts, from the inspection image, the reflected echo from one of the feature points where the relationship between the shape of the welded portion and the generation position of the reflected echo is clear among the plurality of feature points in the welded portion. A first step to:
A second step in which the flaw detection control unit displays the defect evaluation range in the inspection image based on the extracted position of the reflected echo;
With
In the first step, the flaw detection control unit
When extracting the reflection echo from the one feature point where the relationship between the shape of the weld and the generation position of the reflection echo is clear, the inspection image is based on the plate thickness of the transverse beam and the shape of the weld. The ultrasonic inspection method characterized by extracting the reflected echo by limiting the extraction range of the reflected echo and extracting the echo within the limited extraction range . In the second step, the flaw detection control unit
The position of each other feature point in the inspection image is determined based on the extracted position of the reflected echo, and the defect evaluation range is set and displayed in the inspection image based on the determination result. The ultrasonic inspection method according to claim 5 . In the second step, the flaw detection control unit
The ultrasonic inspection method according to claim 5 , wherein the presence or absence of a defect in the welded portion is determined based on a signal intensity of each signal component within the defect evaluation range set in the inspection image . The side beams are welded to the cross beams together with a backing plate,
The ultrasonic wave according to claim 5 , wherein the feature point having a clear relationship between the shape of the weld and the generation position of the reflected echo is a gap position between the side beam and the backing plate. Inspection method.

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