Porosity Detection

• US 20130060511A1
• Filed: 09/12/2012
• Published: 03/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Southwire Company
• Original Assignee: Southwire Company
• Inventors: Rundquist, Victor F., Dinwiddie, Ralph B. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 8,991,472 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/136
• CPC Class Codes: B22D 46/00 Controlling, supervising, not restricted to casting covered by a single main group, e.g. for safety reasons controlling or regulating in general G05

Abstract

A computer executing a software algorithm may be used to detect a depression in a temperature profile. The temperature profile may be smoothed to eliminate noise. Next, the temperature profile'"'"'s center may be extracted. A polynomial may be fitted to extracted data. An algorithm used to fit the polynomial may guarantee that the fitted curve'"'"'s peak may be below the actual temperature data'"'"'s peak. Next, residuals may be calculated by subtracting the fitted curve from the actual data. If there is a dip at the center, then the residuals in the center may be less than zero. The software algorithm executing on the computer may then make a decision based on a sign of the residuals. For example, residuals less than zero may indicate bar porosity. Residuals above zero may indicate no porosity. The magnitude of the residuals may then be used to classify a size of a detected defect.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A system for providing porosity detection, the system comprising:

a memory storage; and

a processing unit coupled to the memory storage, wherein the processing unit is operative to;

create a heat signature profile for a casting;

fit a mathematical function to the heat signature profile;

compare the heat signature profile to the fitted mathematical function; and

indicate, in response to the comparison, information about the casting.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the casting comprises one of the following:

a copper casting and an aluminum casting.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the processing unit being operative to create the heat signature profile for the casting comprises the processing unit being operative to create the heat signature profile for the casting from a first edge of the casting to a second edge of the casting.

24. The system of claim 21, further comprising the processing unit being operative to receive, from an infrared device, data corresponding to the heat signature for the casting.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the processing unit being operative to indicate information about the casting comprises the processing unit being operative to indicate that a void exists in the casting.

26. The system of claim 25, further comprising the processing unit being operative to, in response to the indication that the void exists in the casting, slow down a casting process associated with the casting.

27. The system of claim 21, wherein the processing unit being operative to indicate information about the casting comprises the processing unit being operative to indicate that a void exists in the casting when, in response to the comparison, a peak value of the heat signature profile is less than a peak value of the mathematical function.

28. The system of claim 21, wherein the processing unit being operative to indicate information about the casting comprises the processing unit being operative to indicate that a void does not exist in the casting.

29. The system of claim 28, further comprising the processing unit being operative to, in response to the indication that the void does not exist in the casting, speed up a casting process associated with the casting.

30. The system of claim 21, wherein the processing unit being operative to indicate information about the casting comprises the processing unit being operative to indicate that a void does not exist in the casting when, in response to the comparison, a peak value of the heat signature profile is one of the following:

greater than a peak value of the mathematical function and equal to a peak value of the mathematical function.

31. The system of claim 21, wherein the processing unit being operative to fit the mathematical function to the heat signature profile comprises the processing unit being operative to fit the mathematical function comprising a polynomial.

32. The system of claim 21, wherein the processing unit being operative to fit the mathematical function to the heat signature profile comprises the processing unit being operative to fit the mathematical function comprising a second order polynomial.

33. The system of claim 21, wherein the processing unit being operative to fit the mathematical function to the heat signature profile comprises the processing unit being operative to fit the mathematical function comprising a second order mathematical function.

34. The system of claim 21, wherein the processing unit being operative to create the heat signature profile for the casting comprises the processing unit being operative to create the heat signature profile comprising a natural temperature profile for the casting.

35. The system of claim 21, wherein the casting comprises a bar that is cast in a continuous casting process.

36. A method for providing porosity detection, the method comprising:

creating a heat signature profile for a casting;

fitting a mathematical function to the heat signature profile; and

comparing the heat signature profile to the fitted mathematical function.

37. The method of claim 36, further comprising indicating, in response to the comparison, information about the casting.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the processing unit being operative to indicate information about the casting comprises the processing unit being operative to indicate that a void exists in the casting.

39. The method of claim 38, further comprising the processing unit being operative to, in response to the indication that the void exists in the casting, slow down a casting process associated with the casting.

40. The method of claim 37, wherein the processing unit being operative to indicate information about the casting comprises the processing unit being operative to indicate that a void exists in the casting when, in response to the comparison, a peak value of the heat signature profile is less than a peak value of the mathematical function.

41. The method of claim 37, wherein the processing unit being operative to indicate information about the casting comprises the processing unit being operative to indicate that a void does not exist in the casting.

42. The method of claim 41, further comprising the processing unit being operative to, in response to the indication that the void does not exist in the casting, speed up a casting process associated with the casting.

43. The method of claim 37, wherein the processing unit being operative to indicate information about the casting comprises the processing unit being operative to indicate that a void does not exist in the casting when, in response to the comparison, a peak value of the heat signature profile is one of the following:

greater than a peak value of the mathematical function and equal to a peak value of the mathematical function.

44. The method of claim 36, wherein creating the heat signature profile for the casting comprises creating the heat signature profile for the casting wherein the casting comprises a bar that is cast in a continuous casting process.

45. A computer-readable storage medium device which stores a set of instructions which when executed performs a method for providing porosity detection, the method executed by the set of instructions comprising:

receiving a heat signature profile for a casting comprising a bar that is cast in a continuous casting process;

receiving a mathematical function that is fitted to the heat signature profile; and

indicating information about the casting in response to a comparison of the received heat signature profile and the received mathematical function.

46. The computer-readable storage medium device of claim 45, wherein indicating information about the casting comprises indicating that a void exists in the casting.

47. The computer-readable storage medium device of claim 45, wherein indicating information about the casting comprises indicating that a void does not exist in the casting.