Method and apparatus for flaw inspection of friction-weld part of stem in engine valve

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10473622-B2
Application number	US-201815887986-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 3, 2018
Priority date	Aug 3, 2015
Publication date	Nov 12, 2019
Grant date	Nov 12, 2019

Abstract

Provided is a method for flaw inspection of a stem joint of a valve including: an internal flaw inspection step including causing a flaw detection probe to be disposed so as to face upward in water in a tank in an ultrasonic inspection chamber, holding a valve in such fashion as to cause the tip to face the flaw detection probe, and inspecting for a flaw at the interior of the stem joint; and a surface flaw inspection step including causing a flaw detection probe to be disposed horizontally in an eddy-current inspection chamber, holding a valve in such fashion as to cause the side face of a stem of the valve to be close to and facing the flaw detection probe, inspecting for a flaw on the surface of the stem joint while the flaw detection probe and the valve are made to engage in mutual rotation. The valves are transferred from a valve loading position to the ultrasonic inspection chamber, from the ultrasonic inspection chamber to the eddy-current inspection chamber, and from the eddy-current inspection chamber to a valve unloading position in substantially simultaneous, continuous, synchronous, and/or coordinated fashion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for flaw inspection of an interior and a surface of a stem joint of an engine valve through use of an ultrasonic flaw detection probe and an eddy-current flaw detection probe, the method comprising:
an internal flaw inspection step comprising,
in an ultrasonic inspection chamber in a housing,
causing the ultrasonic flaw detection probe to be disposed so as to face upward in water in a tank,
holding the valve in such a way that a tip of a stem of the valve faces the ultrasonic flaw detection probe in the water, and
inspecting the interior of the stem joint with the ultrasonic flaw detection probe; and

a surface flaw inspection step comprising,
in an eddy-current inspection chamber adjacent to the ultrasonic inspection chamber in the housing,
causing the eddy-current flaw detection probe to be disposed horizontally,
holding the valve in such a way that a lower side face of a stem of the valve including the stem joint is close to and faces the eddy-current flaw detection probe, and
inspecting for a flaw on the surface of the stem joint with the eddy-current flaw detection probe while causing the eddy-current flaw detection probe to revolve about, and relative to, the outer periphery of the stem of the valve;

wherein a valve transfer mechanism capable of advancing and receding in a horizontal direction in which both inspection chambers are adjacent to each other integrally moves three valve supports positioned at intervals of a distance between the ultrasonic inspection chamber and the eddy-current inspection chamber, in the horizontal direction and vertical direction, so as to transfer the valve from a predetermined loading position to the ultrasonic inspection chamber, the valve which has completed internal flaw inspection in the ultrasonic inspection chamber to the eddy-current inspection chamber, and the valve which has completed surface flaw inspection in the eddy-current inspection chamber to a predetermined unloading position, in substantially synchronous fashion, while keeping the valve with the stem directed downward.

2. An apparatus for flaw inspection of an interior and a surface of a stem joint of an engine valve through use of an ultrasonic flaw detection probe and an eddy-current flaw detection probe, the apparatus comprising:
a housing;
an ultrasonic inspection chamber provided in the housing; and
an eddy-current inspection chamber provided in the housing adjacent to the ultrasonic inspection chamber in a horizontal direction,
the ultrasonic inspection chamber comprising
the ultrasonic flaw detection probe,
a tank in which the ultrasonic flaw detection probe is disposed so as to face upward in water, and
a first valve holding mechanism holding the valve at a predetermined position in which a tip of the stem of the valve faces the ultrasonic flaw detection probe,

the eddy-current inspection chamber comprising
the eddy-current flaw detection probe which is disposed horizontally,
a second valve holding mechanism holding the valve at a predetermined position in which a lower side face of a stem of the valve including the stem joint is close to and faces the eddy-current flaw detection probe, and
a rotation mechanism causing the eddy-current flaw detection probe to revolve about, and relative to, an outer periphery of the stem of the valve,

the housing comprising
a valve transfer mechanism having
three valve supports positioned at intervals of a distance between the first and the second valve holding mechanisms along the horizontal direction in which the ultrasonic inspection chamber and the eddy-current inspection chamber are adjacent and supporting the valve with the stem of the valve facing downward, the valve transfer mechanism transferring the valve from a predetermined loading position to the first valve holding mechanism, the valve which has completed internal flaw inspection and is held by the first valve holding mechanism to the second valve holding mechanism, and the valve which has completed surface flaw inspection and is held by the second valve holding mechanism to a predetermined unloading position, in substantially synchronous fashion, by virtue of the fact that the valve supports move integrally in the horizontal direction and a vertical direction, while keeping the valve with the stem directed downward; and

a control unit controlling drive of the valve transfer mechanism, the first and the second valve holding mechanisms, the ultrasonic flaw detection probe, the eddy-current flaw detection probe, and the rotation mechanism.

3. The apparatus for flaw inspection of a stem joint of an engine valve according to claim 2 , wherein the valve transfer mechanism includes a slide frame capable of advancing and receding in a horizontal direction in which the ultrasonic inspection chamber and the eddy-current inspection chamber are adjacent to each other, and the valve supports mounted to be capable of ascending and descending with respect to the slide frame in a vertical direction.

4. The apparatus for flaw inspection of a stem joint of an engine valve according to claim 2 , wherein the valve transfer mechanism includes a slide frame movable in a horizontal direction in which the ultrasonic inspection chamber and the eddy-current inspection chamber are adjacent to each other and capable of ascending and descending in a vertical direction, and the valve supports which are integrated with the slide frame.

5. An apparatus for flaw inspection of a stem joint of an engine valve, the apparatus comprising:
a housing;
an ultrasonic inspection chamber provided in the housing, the ultrasonic inspection chamber including
an ultrasonic flaw detection probe to inspect an interior of the stem joint of the engine valve, and
a tank in which the ultrasonic flaw detection probe is disposed so as to face upward in water;

an eddy-current inspection chamber provided in the housing adjacent to the ultrasonic inspection chamber, the eddy-current inspection chamber including
an eddy-current flaw detection probe which is disposed horizontally, the eddy-current flaw detection probe revolving about, and relative to, an outer periphery of the stem of the valve held in such a way that a lower side face of the stem of the valve including the stem joint is close to and faces the eddy-current flaw detection probe; and

a valve transfer mechanism having
three valve supports positioned at intervals of a distance between the ultrasonic inspection chamber and the eddy-current inspection chamber,
the valve transfer mechanism being capable of advancing and receding in a horizontal direction in which the ultrasonic inspection chamber and the eddy-current inspection chamber are adjacent, the valve transfer mechanism transferring the valve from a predetermined loading position to the ultrasonic inspection chamber, the valve which has completed internal flaw inspection to the eddy-current inspection chamber, and the valve which has completed surface flaw inspection to a predetermined unloading position, in substantially synchronous fashion, by virtue of the fact that the valve supports move integrally in the horizontal direction and a vertical direction, while keeping the valve with the stem directed downward.

Assignees

• Nittan Valva

Inventors

• Abe Yuichi
• Uchida Shigeru
• Takahashi Osamu

Classifications

• G01N27/904 Primary

  with two or more sensors · CPC title

• G01N29/27

  by moving the material relative to a stationary sensor · CPC title

• G01N2291/267

  Welds · CPC title

• G01N29/223

  Supports, positioning or alignment in fixed situation (mounting transducers per se G10K11/004) · CPC title

• G01N29/043

  in the interior, e.g. by shear waves · CPC title