Boots – shoes – and leggings
Patent
1986-04-28
1989-11-14
MacDonald, Allen
Boots, shoes, and leggings
73619, 73634, 36447437, 901 44, 901 47, G01B 734
Patent
active
048811777
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to ultrasonic scanning systems for non-destructive testing of structures.
Ultrasonic scanning of fibre/resin matrix composite components has become the currently accepted non-destructive testing technique adopted by aerospace companies to test large area components made from these new materials.
The ultrasonic technique involves the transmission of an ultrasonic signal in the frequency range 1 MHz-25 MHz through the component thickness and measurement of the attenuation to establish the level of defects present. Such defects may take the form of a delamination between the constituent plies of the component or a collection of microscopic gas voids or bubbles within the matrix. A delamination, in presenting a gas/solid interface, will cause significant attenuation whilst tests have shown that voids or porosity up to approximately 10% cause attenuation in direct proportion to the amount of porosity. Accordingly, the amount of this attenuation is a clear indicator of component quality.
An ultrasonic scanning system of general suitability incorporates a pair of ultrasonic probes (i.e. a transmitter and receiver) immersed in water or embodied in water jet nozzles, the probes being mounted in a device which locates them in correct relation to one another and to the workpiece. The system scans the workpiece in a laced pattern so that its entire surface is systematically examined. There is provision for making a permanent record of the measured attenuation.
The present Applicants have used a so-called flat bed scanning system to scan essentially flat components or those with relatively little curvature, e.g. an aircraft wing skin panel. Their system embodies vertically opposed jet nozzle probes located in adjustable mountings on two roller-supported trolleys which are in turn seated on upper and lower sets of rails laid transversely across a horizontal carriage. The carriage is itself roller mounted on a pair of rails located along the longer sides of a rectangular water tank. The system has the ability to scan or index along the length of the tank i.e. The `x` direction or scan or index across the tank i.e. in the `y` direction. The upper probe has a vertical indexing capability, for bringing the probes closer together during a scanning operation, or for indexing if a single probe in an immersed probe scanning mode is to be used on the end of an extended `z` arm.
Scanning and indexing is achieved by microprocessor-controlled stepper motor drives. The workpiece to be scanned is supported between the probes, and the operator adjusts the ultrasonic and scanning settings as required, the latter on an interactive basis through a visual display unit (V.D.U.) and keyboard. Four levels of quality are determined by a level-calibrating unit and then recorded by a chart recorder.
The stylus of the recorder is linked mechanically to the scanning probe system in the `x` direction, and the `y` axis of the recorder is stepper motor driven and linked electrically to the `y` or `z` axis of the scanner as required.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,898,838 discloses an ultrasonic scanning system wherein the position of a transducer is adjusted by stepping motors actuated according to signals generated by the transducer for positioning the transducer adjacent and perpendicular to the surface of the article under test. The possibility of a system in which the transducer is positioned by a programmed computer is dismissed as difficult to provide, time-consuming and expensive when irregularly shaped workpieces need to be tested.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,463,609 discloses an ultrasonic scanning system for welded steel offshore structures in which a probe on a mechanical limb is caused to follow a weld bead by feed-back signals from the transducer. EP-A No. 2-0060952 discloses a similar system.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,370,889 discloses an ultrasonic probe mounted on a manipulator for following automatically a predetermined path over the surface of an article under test, augmented with a hand-operated guide element for manually-controlled move
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Campbell Neil A.
McClean James H.
Reid Iain M.
MacDonald Allen
Short Brothers PLC
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