JPH03170049A - Probe positioning device for ultrasonic flaw inspecting machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To position a probe with high accuracy by providing a tension wire whose one end is connected to one end of a flaw inspection carriage or expansion mechanism and drawing the other end of the wire toward the other end of the expansion mechanism. CONSTITUTION:The tension wire 30 is extended between flaw inspection carriages 3a and 3b fitted to both ends of a pantagraph mechanism 4. One end of this wire 30 is coupled with the flaw inspection carriage 3a and the other end is coupled directly with a wire tension mechanism 31 installed on the flaw inspection carriage 3b. The tension of the wire is detected by a load cell in the mechanism 31 and its detected value is outputted to a tension controller 32. The controller 32 compares a value which is set previously as enough tension to remove play with the detected value and controls the wire take-up motor of the mechanism 31 so that the deviation becomes zero. Thus, the tension of the mechanism 31 and wire 30 is set to the set value to remove 'backlash' at all times.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a probe α positioning device for an ultrasonic flaw detector that uses ultrasonic waves to inspect a vertical or tubular test material without destroying it. .

[Conventional technology]

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a probe positioning device applied to an ultrasonic flaw detector. Reference numeral 1 (not shown in the figure) indicates a material to be inspected, and a plurality of probes 2 are placed around the outer periphery of the material 1 to be inspected in the length direction.
are placed facing each other. Each probe 2 is held by a corresponding probe holding mechanism, and each probe holding mechanism is attached to a plurality of flaw detection carts 3, respectively. Each of the flaw detection carts 3 is connected at a predetermined interval to each fulcrum of a pantograph mechanism 4 that is extendable and retractable in the length direction of the test material 1 . Further, each flaw detection cart 3 is connected to a frame 6 supported by pillars 5, and is configured to be guided by this frame side 6 and movable together with the pantograph mechanism 4 in the direction of arrow A in the figure. In addition, as in state A shown in the figure, a state where the flaw detection cart is in the illustrated position and the pantograph mechanism 4 is extended indicates an online state, and as in state B, when the flaw detection cart is in the position shown in the figure, it is in the online state. A state in which the pantograph mechanism 4 is contracted to the minimum indicates an off-line state.

FIG. 4 shows the above-mentioned apparatus as viewed from a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the flaw detection cart 3. As shown in the figure, flaw detection truck 3
is suspended from a running rail 11 provided on the frame 6. Reference numeral 12 denotes a probe holding mechanism, and reference numeral 13 moves in the vertical direction in the figure to make the specimen 1 face the probe 2 held by the probe retaining mechanism 12, and to hold the specimen 1 against the probe 2. It is a turning roll.

As shown in FIG. 5, the pantograph mechanism 4 has two arms 21 of the same length that are pivoted at their midpoints to form an X-shape, and the ends of the arms forming the X-shape are connected in the same manner as described above. The ends of the arm 21 which are pivotally connected in an X shape are pivotally connected to form a parallelogram link, and such parallelogram links are continuously formed, and further composed of continuous parallelogram links. One end of arms 22a, 22b having 1/2 the length H of arm 21 is pivotally attached to the ends of arms 21a, 21b at both ends of the structure, and the other ends of arms 22a, 22b are The structure is such that they are pivoted to each other. In addition, below, 2
The parts where the midpoints of the two arms 21 are pivoted and the parts where the arms 22a and 22b are pivoted are called intermediate supports a, b, c, d, and e in order from one side of the pantograph mechanism 4, Further, the pivoting portion of each arm end will be referred to as an end fulcrum 23. In the pantograph mechanism 4 configured in this way, when the distance between the fulcrums a and b is changed by a predetermined drive mechanism, the distance between the fulcrums b and c, between the fulcrums c and d,
The distance between fulcrums d and e also changes by the same displacement as between fulcrums a and b.

In the probe positioning device configured in this way, when the material 1 to be tested is conveyed onto the turning roll 13, the turning roll 13 rises to the installation position of the probe 2, and at the same time moves the material 1 to be tested. Rotate. Then, by moving the flaw detection cart 3 in the axial direction of the test material 1 with the probe 2 in contact with the test material l through a constant water film gap, the test material 1 is spread out. It is possible to detect flaws in
By running the flaw detection cart 3 by the distance between the carts, the entire surface of the test material 1 can be detected.

In addition, since the distance between adjacent flaw detection carts 3 is variable by the pantograph mechanism 4, the distance between the carts can be easily changed according to the length of the material 1 to be inspected, allowing for efficient inspection. can.

In addition, when changing the size of the specimen 1, it is necessary to go offline to replace the shoe of the probe holding mechanism 2a and calibrate the sensitivity. , the distance between the flaw detection carts 4 can be minimized by reducing the pantograph mechanism 4 to the minimum size.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, in the probe positioning device of the conventional ultrasonic flaw detector described above, each intermediate fulcrum a" of the pantograph mechanism 4
-e, If the end fulcrum 23 wears out and a "shape" occurs there, the position of the probe 2 will no longer be fixed, and the specimen 1
There is a problem that it becomes impossible to perform full spiral flaw detection, and that the flaw detection cart does not move smoothly.

In other words, if the fulcrums a to e between Φ and the end fulcrums 23 of the pantograph mechanism 4 are tilted, a plurality of flaw detection carts 3
Even if the flaw detection cart 3 at the drive side end starts moving, each flaw detection cart 3 cannot move until it crosses the "half" of each fulcrum from the drive side end to each flaw detection cart 3. The movement of the flaw detection cart 3 is delayed as it moves away from the side. As a result, the distance between the probes 2 with respect to the material 1 to be inspected is not fixed, making it impossible to carry out spherical full-surface flaw detection.

In addition, as a means to prevent the above-mentioned "backlash", it is possible to connect the carts with ball screws, but if the length of the material 1 to be inspected is, for example, 14 m, In practice, it is extremely difficult to manufacture and install a ball screw with a length that can accommodate this. Furthermore, even if a ball screw of the required minimum length is attached to each trolley, when the pantograph mechanism is shortened to the minimum during an offline state, the distance between each trolley will be, for example, about 350 mm, so the drive device, etc. This is difficult to realize considering the installation space.

In addition, in the pantograph mechanism 4, when the fulcrum portion of each arm is worn out and a “deformity” occurs, the actual situation is that it takes at least 5 days to perform repairs such as replacing parts. Moreover, depending on the operating state, it is necessary to carry out repairs at intervals of about six months, resulting in a problem that the operating efficiency of the apparatus is reduced.

The present invention has been developed in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and it is possible to remove the "backlash" that occurs in the pantograph mechanism without reducing the operating efficiency of the device, and to achieve highly accurate positioning of the probe. An object of the present invention is to provide a probe positioning device for an ultrasonic flaw detector that can perform the following steps.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention is provided with a plurality of flaw detection carts arranged in the length direction of the material to be tested, each of which is provided with a probe facing the material to be tested, A probe of an ultrasonic flaw detector in which the plurality of flaw detection carts are attached at predetermined intervals to a pantograph-type extension mechanism that can be extended and contracted in the length direction, and the probe is positioned by expanding and contracting the extension mechanism. In the positioning device, a tension wire whose one end is connected to one end of the flaw detection trolley or one end of the telescoping mechanism among the plurality of flaw detection trolleys, and the other end of the tension wire is pulled toward the other end of the telescoping mechanism. The structure includes tension applying means.

In order to solve the above problem, the tension applying means includes a wire winding drum that winds the other end of the tension wire toward the other end of the telescopic mechanism, and a wire winding drum that rotationally drives the wire winding drum. a winding motor, a load cell that detects the tension of the tension wire, and a motor control means that controls the wire winding motor so that the tension detected by the load cell becomes a predetermined set value. Configured.

[Effect]

By taking the above-mentioned measures, the present invention allows the tension wire, one end of which is connected to one end of the flaw detection cart or one end of the telescoping mechanism, of a plurality of flaw detection carts each attached to the telescoping mechanism, to apply tension. Since the flaw detection carts at the other end of the plurality of flaw detection carts or the other end of the telescoping mechanism are pulled by the additional means, even if each fulcrum of the pantograph-type telescoping mechanism is skewed, it will not shift. Each fulcrum where the "backlash" occurs is pressed down in one direction, and the "backlash" is removed.

Therefore, the distance between each flaw detection cart is maintained at a constant interval, and each probe can be positioned with high precision.

Further, by taking the above measures, the tension applied to the tension wire is detected by the load cell, and the wire winding motor is controlled by the motor control means so that the detected tension becomes a predetermined setting value. . Therefore, by setting a tension sufficient to remove the "backlash" in the telescoping mechanism, the tension of the tension wire will always be adjusted to that value, allowing highly accurate positioning of the probe. Become something.

〔Example〕

Examples of the present invention will be described below.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic structure of a probe positioning device of an ultrasonic flaw detector according to this embodiment. In this figure, the same parts as those in the apparatus shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 are given the same reference numerals, and detailed explanations will be omitted. In this embodiment, flaw detection carts 3a, which are attached to both ends of the pantograph mechanism 4,
A tension wire 30 is stretched between 3b. One end of this tension wire 30 is connected to the flaw detection cart 3a, and the other end is directly connected to a wire tension mechanism 31 installed on the flaw detection cart 3b serving as a driving cart. This wire tension mechanism 31 is configured to be controlled by a tension controller 32 as a motor control means.

Note that the wire tension mechanism 31 and the tension controller 32 constitute a tension applying means.

As shown in FIG. 2, the wire tension mechanism 31 includes a load cell 41 that detects the tension of the tension wire 30 and outputs the detected tension to the tension controller 32.
and a winding drum 42 that winds up the tension wire 30.
A wire winding motor 43 that rotationally drives this winding drum 42 is connected to the winding drum 42 and the wire winding motor 43 to prevent a load torque exceeding a set value from being applied to the wire winding motor 43. A winding positioning boolean 45 for ensuring that the tension wire 30 is wound on the winding drum 42 in an orderly manner, and a guide pulley 46 for determining the direction of the tension wire 30. has been done.

In addition, the tension controller 32 has a tension sufficient to remove "backlash" in the pantograph mechanism 4 set in advance, and compares this set value with the detected value sent from the load cell 41 and determines the tension. It has a function of controlling the wire winding motor 43 so that the deviation becomes zero.

Next, the operation of the probe positioning device configured as described above will be explained. The tension of the tension ear 30 is detected by a load cell 41, and the detected value is output to the tension controller 32. The tension controller 32 compares the detected value with a preset value that is sufficient to remove the "head", and adjusts the wire winding motor so that the deviation is zero. 4
Control 3. That is, if the detected value is smaller than the set value, a command signal to rotate the wire winding motor 43 in the winding direction is output. Further, if the detected value is larger than the set value, a command signal to rotate the wire winding motor 43 in the unwinding direction is output. In this way, the tension in the tensioner 30 is always maintained at the set value.

Therefore, the pantograph mechanism 4 is pushed from the left end to the right end with a force large enough to remove the "backlash".
The pivots of the fulcrums a to e, 23 of the pantograph mechanism 4 are uniformly pressed rightward in the figure, and the "backlash" occurring at the fulcrums aye, 23 is removed. As a result, each flaw detection truck 3
The spacing is kept constant, and the position of each probe 2 attached to the flaw detection cart 3 is fixed.

Note that the distance between the flaw detection carts 3 will be narrowed by the amount of "backlash" removed as described above, but the narrowed distance will be fed back to the drive cart 3b and the pantograph mechanism 4 will be lengthened to achieve the initial setting. The trolley spacing can be set as follows.

Further, the tension wire mechanism 31 always acts so that the tension of the tension wire 30 is at the set value even after changing the interval between the flaw detection carts 3 or while the carts are running. It acts to remove "backlash".

According to this embodiment, the tension wire 30 is stretched from one end of the pantograph mechanism 4 to the other end, and the tension wire 30 is directed by the wire tension mechanism 31 to direct the pantograph mechanism 4 from one end to the other end. The tension of the tension wire 30 at this time is detected by the load cell 41, and the wire is wound so that this detected value becomes a set value that is sufficient to remove "backlash". Since the wire take-up motor 43 that drives the take-up drum 42 is controlled by the tension controller 32, the tension of the tension wire 30 can always be maintained at the above-mentioned setting value, and therefore each fulcrum a of the pantograph mechanism 4 It is possible to remove the "shank" occurring at e and 23, and the probe 2 can be positioned accurately. As a result, the entire surface of the test material 1 can be subjected to spiral flaw detection.

Furthermore, even if the pantograph mechanism 4 has a wobble, it can be removed by the wire tension mechanism 31, so there is no need to replace the parts of the fulcrum parts a-e, 23, which was previously unnecessary. It is possible to eliminate the repair time or reduce the number of repairs, and improve the operating efficiency of the device.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described in detail above, according to the present invention, the "heaviness" that occurs in the pantograph mechanism can be avoided without causing a decrease in the operating efficiency of the device.
Accordingly, it is possible to provide a probe positioning device for an ultrasonic flaw detector that can perform highly accurate positioning of the probe.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the embodiment, FIG. 2 is a diagram of the wire tension mechanism 31, FIG. 3 is a diagram of a conventional probe positioning device, and FIG. 4 is a diagram of the configuration of the conventional probe positioning device. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the probe positioning device shown in FIG. 5 viewed from a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal force direction of the specimen, and FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of the pantograph mechanism. 1... Test material, 2... Probe, 3... Flaw detection truck,
4... Pantograph mechanism, 30... Tension wire, 31... Wire tension mechanism, 32... Tension controller, 41... Load cell, 42...
- Winding drum, 43...Wire winding motor.

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) A plurality of flaw detection carts arranged in the length direction of the test material are each equipped with a probe facing the test material, and are expandable and retractable in the length direction of the test material. In a probe positioning device for an ultrasonic flaw detector, the plurality of flaw detection carts are attached to a pantograph-type telescoping mechanism at predetermined intervals, and the telescoping mechanism is expanded and contracted to position the probe. A tension wire having one end connected to one end of the flaw detection cart or one end of the telescoping mechanism among the flaw detection carts, and a tension applying means for pulling the other end of the tension wire toward the other end of the telescoping mechanism. A probe positioning device for an ultrasonic flaw detector. (2) The tension applying means includes a wire winding drum that winds the other end of the tension wire toward the other end of the telescopic mechanism, and a wire winding motor that rotationally drives the wire winding drum;
a load cell that detects the tension of the tension wire;
The ultrasonic flaw detector according to claim 1, further comprising a motor control means for controlling the wire winding motor so that the tension detected by the load cell becomes a predetermined set value. Probe positioning device.