Level I Ultrasonic (Rotary Immersion)

Five day program, theory and application; 
Tuition $1,150
-includes lunches, plus books to be retained by student

Introduction

Since installation of the first electromagnetic inspection equipment in this country in the mid 1930′s, Magnetic Analysis Corporation has attempted to provide its customers with training services to assure that operators, of the equipment we lease, are properly instructed in the use of the instrument.  In addition, our company has, on numerous occasions, conducted special, short-term courses on ultrasonic theory and application where the needs of the particular customer justified the time and expense. 

In an effort to improve the reliability of non-destructive techniques, the American Society for Non-destructive Testing has instituted a program of personnel qualifications and certification.  This program applies to employers who utilize ultrasonic inspection techniques.

As part of our continuing service to our lease customers, MAC has now revised and upgraded the training programs available.  Some of the programs are also being offered to companies or individuals who are not now our customers.  This leaflet describes the programs available and their intended purpose.

Course Description

The course outline has been drawn to conform to the requirements of the ASNT, recommended practice #ASNT-TC-1A Level I.

Course Schedule Includes:

• Orientation of ASNT TC-1A & Introduction To Ultrasonic Testing
• Basic Principles Of Acoustic Transducer Operation & Theory
• Ultrasonic Testing Equipment
  & Methods
• Hands-On FD5 Electronics
  & Echomac UT Rotary

 In addition, the course includes suitable material on the practical application of ultrasonic systems to actual inspection problems.

A combination of lectures, discussions and laboratory sessions will be utilized to provide instruction.  A variety of ultrasonic equipment will be available together with sample materials.  Because of the limited class size, each student will have an opportunity to participate directly in the discussions.

Because Ultrasonic Level I will include theoretical discussion as well as practical application work, students should be high school graduates.  A working knowledge of algebra, geometry and trigonometry is highly desirable.  Familiarity with metallurgical terminology and processes, plus some experience with test equipment and procedures is also highly desirable.

To sign up for the course, please email info@mac-ndt.com

FAST 100% SORTING OF METAL PARTS
The Varimac, latest in MAC’s line of eddy current comparators gives you fast, convenient sorting of metal parts such as fasteners, bearings, and other cold formed pieces. Its high speed continuous operation and reliability in production environments make 100% inspection economically feasible.

SIMPLE TO USE
The Varimac electronics, a test coil, a balance coil, known samples of your part, and an optional monitor are all that is needed to set up your test. After setup, Varimac runs automatically. Check its operations with a quick look at the remote monitor on your desk, or other location. No need to run out to the plant floor.

SORT FOR DIFFERENT ALLOYS & HARDNESS
The instrument features high sensitivity with high resolution and selective circuits to optimize your ability to differentiate between signals from wanted and unwanted conditions, whether you are looking for different alloys, hardness, or major dimensional variances. A broad frequency range of 100 Hz to 2 MHz enhances selectivity and a hard disk drive with 250 GB gives you all the data storage for setups and reporting you might need.

SELECT THE SORT REGION THAT WORK BEST FOR YOU
MAC’s newest Varimac model gives customers much greater flexibility and convenience in setting up the instrument to fit their specific application. By viewing where the peak signals for a batch of parts are clustered on the screen, the customer can then select and position both elliptical and rectangular target regions that correspond to the clusters they want to capture and categorize. Threshold levels within the target regions can be selected and adjusted to accept or reject pieces. Signals that peak outside the selected regions will automatically be categorized as Region 3. The thresholds can be set to select signals based on amplitude, phase, or a combination of both.

3 WAY SORTING WITH MAC’S HIGH SPEED PARTS GATE
Three outputs, each corresponding to one region, are available. A fourth “Piece Count” output is also included to activate an alarm or other device. Used with MAC’s new Parts Gate and control system, parts can be sorted at speeds up to 6 parts per second into acceptable, below specification and above specification. Or, use the outputs for markers and other operations. You can see a counter display on screen which shows the number of parts in each region. A standard keyboard, or optional remote keypad controls the system, and a back panel output connector is provided for an external monitor. Setup and test data can be shown on the monitor in full color. A lockout is provided to help you prevent
unauthorized changes to equipment settings.The Varimac is fully compatible with all current and past Varimac coils. In addition, a single Varimac coil can also be connected to the back panel.

         A new ultrasonic End Test System that fulfills ultrasonic and electromagnetic API requirements for end testing of tubes for flaw, lamination and wall thickness, has been introduced by Magnetic Analysis Corporation (MAC).  In many mills, inspection systems are not able to test to the very end of a tube. This requires the untested tube end to be cut off, resulting in a substantial loss of product and revenue. MAC’s new UT End Tester provides a solution to this problem.

         The Echomac® UT End Tester consists of two independent, identical, test stations designed to inspect up to the first 500mm from each tube end, depending on the application. The tube is fed to one of these test stations where a tracking cone is inserted into the tube end, the tube is spun, and the end is inspected. The end plug cone tracks with the rotating tube and keeps the couplant out of the tube interior to prevent interference with the test signals. The tube is then transferred to the second test station where the other end is scanned. The stations each include Echomac® ultrasonic instrumentation with up to 10 UT elements, housed in a transducer box which contains the water couplant and follows the tube surface, as it is being spun.

Magnetic  Analysis Corp.’s end tester UT transducer box mounted on the Automatic Pitch Control (APC) carrier. The rolls automatically adapt to the actual pitch as the tube is rotated during the test.

         Included are multiple ultrasonic transducers for circumferential shear wave testing in each direction and/or a transducer array as required by the application, one normal beam for wall thickness and lamination testing, and two elements for upstream and two for downstream transverse shear wave testing.

         Four wheels mounted on the transducer box have an innovative Automatic Pitch Control (APC) feature which provides accurate contact with the tube surface to maintain a constant distance between the transducers and the surface, eliminating adjustments of shear wave transducers and keeping dimension changeover time to a minimum.  The follower wheels also automatically skew to achieve the proper angle to conform to any helical pitch and eliminate any force between the transducer box and the roll assembly. MAC recently shipped an End Test system designed to inspect up to 275mm from the end of seamless steel tube with a size range of 38 – 170 mm diameter. This system was customized for this application, but the test area could be longer or shorter, depending on the length of the uninspected end.

The floating transducer box and APC feature may also be adapted for use with existing mechanics that rotate the tube as it is moved past a single test station. Another possible use for this feature may be in eddy current and flux leakage applications.

A little glimpse into the very well written article on MAC

Written by Sasha Orman

Produced by Alex Hortaridis

…

The Right Technology for the Customer

When it comes to non destructive testing, MAC specializes in three technologies: eddy current,
flux leakage, and ultrasonic testing. What separates MAC from its competitors is its range, giving
customers their choice of the three rather than a limited set of options.

“That’s one of the unique things about MAC: we’re one of the only companies around the world
that can offer all three of these technologies,” says Dudley Boden, Vice President of Sales at
MAC. “They each have different strengths and weaknesses, and different applications that they’re
better used in, so it gives us a real advantage. Instead of saying, ‘this is what we have to sell – how
can we make that work in your facility,’ we can go to a customer and say, ‘what are you doing,
what kind of defects do you need to find, what kind of standards are you working to?’ Then we can
put together the right technology for their requirements.”

…

Read more of this interesting article on Magnetic Analysis Corporation: An Attraction to Innovation by following the bellow links:

Energy Digital: http://www.energydigital.com/magazines/10520 page 312

Business Review USA:  http://www.businessreviewusa.com/magazines/10523 page 276

In addition to finding butt welds in automotive wire, the Minimac is also capable of detecting laps, seams, slivers, and cracks in magnetic and non magnetic grades of wire at speeds up to 4000 ft/min. Test frequencies can range from 2.5 Hz to 2 MHz.

Magnetic Analysis Corp.’s Minimac® MAC 40 is being successfully used to detect butt welds in stranded copper automotive wire ranging from 10 gage to as small as 24 gage, during the extrusion and coating process. Typically, large spools of wire are run through an extrusion line, which applies a coating, at speeds of 1200 ft/min to 3500 ft/min. However, because it is difficult and time consuming to thread the wire when the end of a coil is near, the beginning of the next coil is welded to the end of the previous one to maintain a constant run. The Minimac instrument uses eddy current technology with high speed test coils to detect the weld and provide outputs that are tracked by the customer’s PLC to allow the weld zone to be cut out down-line, before shipment to the end user.

The Minimac is a high performance, low cost, compact eddy current tester designed for production line applications. The unit is set up and controlled using a separate monitor and keyboard. Complete networking capabilities are included. In the installation described above, the customer uses a portable monitor and keyboard for setup and then allows the tester to run unmonitored until there is a change in the size of the wire being inspected.

In addition to finding butt welds in automotive wire, the Minimac is also capable of detecting laps, seams, slivers, and cracks in magnetic and non magnetic grades of wire at speeds up to 4000 ft/min. Test frequencies can range from 2.5 Hz to 2 MHz.

Optional software can extend its application with the use of instantaneous suppression of the relay output for unwanted signals, and a System-Not-Ready control can stop the line, if there is a problem with the tester or test coil. Test data, including a virtually unlimited number of setups can be stored, recalled, annotated, and printed using a keyboard or keypad.

MAC instruments can handle a range of metal wire including cut lengths, continuous production, stranded, multi conductor, cold drawn, fine diameter, and insulated cable. Carbon steels, stainless alloys, copper, aluminum, titanium and other non ferrous metals can be inspected.

Magnetic Analysis Corp. supplies Eddy Current, Ultrasonic, and Flux Leakage test systems to wire and bar manufactures worldwide. Applications include Eddy Current testers for in line testing with cold heading operations such as spring makers and other parts formers. MAC’s MultiMac® Electronics and Rotary Probe can detect long continuous surface and subsurface defects such as seams and welds, while short defects such as cracks and laps are detected using encircling or segmented test coils. By using the Varimac® or Production Comparator eddy current testers, alloy differences, hardness, and heat treatment may be detected in cut lengths or continuous wires. MultiMac can also be used to check alloy, continuity, and locate welds and splices in insulated cable.

MAC instruments can handle a range of metal wire including cut lengths, continuous production, stranded, multi conductor, cold drawn, fine diameter, and insulated cable. Carbon steels, stainless alloys, copper, aluminum, titanium and other non ferrous metals can be inspected.

Additional items such as markers, controls, demagnetizers and components for mounting the coils or rotaries, and positioning and driving of the material through the test, are combined with the instrumentation to make up a complete test system.

MAC’s new multiplex 180 mm Echomac® ultrasonic rotary system was recently installed in a Russian plant that produces oil country tubular goods (OCTG).  The unit is part of a test station that inspects welded ERW line pipe and casing tube up to 168 mm diameter and 7.5 mm wall thickness for lamination, wall thickness, and transverse/longitudinal defects.

Responding to the need for more test channels to detect smaller and smaller defects without sacrificing speed, Magnetic Analysis Corp. engineers developed a new multiplexed ultrasonic transducer design for the way transducers send and receive signals. MAC’s new multiplex 180 mm Echomac® ultrasonic rotary system was recently installed in a Russian plant that produces oil country tubular goods (OCTG).  The unit is part of a test station that inspects welded ERW line pipe and casing tube up to 168 mm diameter and 7.5 mm wall thickness for lamination, wall thickness, and transverse/longitudinal defects. Using the new, fully multiplexed 32 transducer elements that feed 20 channels, results were excellent even when testing to 5% threshold, meeting API standards.

MAC’s ultrasonic unit is mounted on a Triple Drive Roll Bench installed as part of the customer’s in-line test system. MAC’s bench provides constant centering which reduces vibrations and allows for leading and trailing upset ends to be accommodated. The entire plant’s production passes the test station which has integrated the MAC ultrasonic system with an existing magnetic flux leakage test unit.  MAC’s bench was synchronized with the customer’s conveyor test speed, height, and logic controls. A new multi-collector computer receives data from all testing stations and presents a single traceable report for each tube.  The multiplex feature will also be extended to other ultrasonic rotaries in MAC’s product line.  MAC also offers flux leakage and eddy current systems for testing tube, bar, wire, and parts. For more information, email info@mac-ndt.com.