The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 27, 2012
Filed:
Oct. 27, 2009
Tzyy-shuh Chang, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
Hsun-hau Huang, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
Kazuomi Tomita, Muroran, JP;
Ryuichi Seki, Muroran, JP;
Tzyy-Shuh Chang, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
Hsun-Hau Huang, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
Kazuomi Tomita, Muroran, JP;
Ryuichi Seki, Muroran, JP;
OG Technologies, Inc., Ann Arbor, MI (US);
Abstract
An inspection system for detecting flaws on a moving metal (e.g., steel) bar coordinates the operation of an eddy current testing (ECT)-based flaw detection apparatus and an imaging-based flaw detection apparatus. The ECT-based flaw detection apparatus and the imaging-based flaw detection apparatus are disposed along a movement path in a predetermined relationship with each other, for example, as a predetermined fixed offset distance therebetween. A synchronizing mechanism synchronizes the output data streams from the two flaw detection apparatuses based on the predetermined relationship, so as to align the data streams as function of the axial position on the metal bar. A processing unit is configured to process the synchronized data streams for the detection of flaws, which are then also synchronized (axial position). The synchronization permits a variety of cross-referencing operations, such a flaw verification as to the existence of flaws, as well augmenting imaging-based flaws with flaw depth information from the ECT-based apparatus.