Crack inspection system for inspecting parts

• US 20040119969A1
• Filed: 10/06/2003
• Published: 06/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: LSM Sondermaschinen GmbH
• Original Assignee: LSM Sondermaschinen GmbH
• Inventors: Schleicher, Andrej, Ey, Gerhard, Brandt, Karl-Peter
• Application Number:
  US10/474,452
• Publication Number:
  US 20040119969A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 356/237.1
• CPC Class Codes: B23Q 17/20 for indicating or measuring workpiece characteristics, e.g. contour, dimension, hardness

Abstract

Crack detection device with at least one detection unit (7) for checking parts (9, 10) for cracks with the use of a suitable crack detection method, wherein the detection unit (7) is movable by means of a moving unit (3) between at least two checking positions (8a, 8b), and one part of the parts to be checked (9, 10) can be fed to each of the checking positions (8a, 8b).

Claims

1. Crack detection device with at least one said detection unit (7) for checking said parts (9, 10) for cracks with the use of a suitable crack detection method, characterized in that the said detection unit (7) is movable by means of a said moving unit (3) between at least two said checking positions (8a, 8b), wherein a said part (9, 10) to be checked each can be fed to each of the said checking positions (8a, 8b).

2. Crack detection device in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the crack detection device has a said feeding and removal unit (4, 5), which feeds the said parts (9, 10) to be checked into the said checking positions (8a, 8b) and removes the said parts (9, 10) to be checked from the said checking positions (8a, 8b).

3. Crack detection device in accordance with claim 2, characterized in that the said feeding and removal unit (4, 5) comprises at least two said, linearly movable checking carriage units (11), which are arranged vertically one on top of another and by which the said parts (9, 10) to be checked can be moved between different positions.

4. Crack detection device in accordance with claim 3, characterized in that the parts to be checked are movable by the said linearly movable checking carriage units (11) between a said feeding position, one of the said checking positions (8a, 8b) and a said removal position.

5. Crack detection device in accordance with claim 4, characterized in that each of the said checking positions (8a, 8b) is arranged between the respective feeding position and the respective removal position located on the same line with these.

6. Crack detection device in accordance with one of the claims 3 through 5, characterized in that at least one said linear transfer system, which is coupled with the said respective checking carriage unit (11), is associated per checking position with the said feeding and removal unit (4, 5).

7. Crack detection device in accordance with claim 6, characterized in that to convey said different parts (9, 10), the said linear transfer system associated with the said first checking position is different from the said linear transfer system associated with the said second checking position.

8. Crack detection device in accordance with one of the claims 3 through 7, characterized in that the said parts (9, 10) to be checked are mounted in the said checking positions (8a, 8b) rotatably in the said checking carriage unit (11).

9. Crack detection device in accordance with one of the above claims, characterized in that in each said checking position (8a, 8b), the said crack detection device has a said drive unit (12) for rotating the said parts (9, 10) arranged in the said checking stations (8a, 8b).

10. Crack detection device in accordance with claim 9, characterized in that each of the said drive units (12) is designed as a said friction wheel, which is driven by an electric motor and is contact with the said respective part (9, 10) to be checked in the respective checking position (8).

11. Crack detection device in accordance with claim 9 or 10, characterized in that the said parts (9, 10) to be checked are rotatable by the said drive unit (12) at a speed of at least 1,000 revolutions per minute.

12. Crack detection device in accordance with one of the above claims, characterized in that the said moving unit (3) is operated by an electric motor, hydraulically or pneumatically and is controlled by a said control unit (13).

13. Crack detection device in accordance with claim 12, characterized in that the said control unit (13) has a said programmable contour tracing control.

14. Crack detection device in accordance with one of the above claims, characterized in that the said detection unit (7) comprises at least one measuring sensor.

15. Crack detection device in accordance with one of the above claims, characterized in that the said detection unit (7) is arranged on the said moving unit (3).

16. Crack detection device in accordance with one of the above claims, characterized in that the said moving unit (3) is a biaxial linear moving unit with a said horizontal axis (3a) and with a said vertical axis (3b).

17. Crack detection device in accordance with one of the above claims, characterized in that the said detection unit (7) additionally has at least one said distance measuring unit, by which the distance between the said detection unit (7) and a said part (9, 10) to be checked, which is fed into one of the said checking positions, can be determined.

18. Crack detection device in accordance with one of the above claims, characterized in that the said parts (9, 10), especially ball pivots, have a rotationally symmetrical outer contour in the area of measurement.

19. Crack detection device in accordance with one of the above claims, characterized in that the suitable crack detection method is an eddy current method or an optical crack detection method.

20. Method for checking said parts (9, 10) for cracks with the use of a suitable crack detection method, wherein a said first part (9) of the said parts (9, 10) to be checked is fed into a said first checking position (8a) and is checked for cracks with the use of at least one said detection unit (7) arranged in the said first checking position (8a), characterized in that

a said second part (10) of the said parts (9, 10) to be checked is fed into a said second checking position (8b),

the said detection unit (7) is moved to the said second checking position after the checking of the said first part (9), and

the said second part (10) is checked for cracks with the use of the said detection unit (7).

21. Method in accordance with claim 20, characterized in that the suitable crack detection method is an eddy current method or an optical crack detection method.