There are problems in the railway and mining sector related to the probability of detection of failures in a conventional ultrasonic inspection and many technicians are not sufficiently trained in advanced ultrasonic methods to operate equipment with phase array.
In the railway sector, it is essential to inspect the railroad tracks and wheels (or axles); if inspections are performed from the shaft side surfaces, methods such as ultrasound (UT) or magnetic particles require coating, painting, and removal of accessories, such as brake discs and gears, to allow proper attachment of the probe or inspection device.
From the front face of the shaft, only ultrasonic inspection is possible because it is the only method that can penetrate several millimeters of material. Unfortunately, solutions based on conventional ultrasound often do not achieve the highest probability of detection (POD). This is because by minimizing the number of inspection angles and transducers, inspection may not be optimal. Additionally, many specific configurations and kits may be required for different inspection tasks.
The solution was to present the Mentor UT equipment with its transducers, conduct training on how to operate the equipment, create customized applications and full support to migrate to the phase array method.
With sector steering capability, Waygate‘s Solid Shaft Mechanized Testers (SAMT) combine several conventional probes into a single phase array (PA) probe. This flexible solution offers the necessary steering angles to optimally cover the entire lateral surface of the axle. More reliable inspection is possible because SAMT’s single phase array probe offers less risk of loss of UT coupling.
In the mining sector, carrying out inspections on diesel and electric engines of trucks, motors of conveyor belts and locomotives, vacuum pumps and reducers, is essential for their proper functioning and to achieve a good transport, processing and refining of the extracted minerals.
In the case of a CAT C175 diesel engine, it was necessary to remove the caps and 20 head injectors and analyze them.
After performing the video endoscopy test with the Mentor IQ equipment on all 20 cylinders, 7 of them were found with refrigerant leaks through the injector sleeve.
What do you think about the use of this equipment in mining and railways? They can also be useful in other sectors of your preference, write to us if you want to make a query.
