A copper plate strip horizontal continuous casting blank defect ultrasonic online detection system

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of copper plate strip horizontal continuous casting billet defect ultrasonic online detection system, belong to steel metallurgy continuous casting detection technical field, including support frame, up-down moving mechanism and probe box mechanism, the up-down moving mechanism includes two oppositely arranged guide rail fixed plate, and support aluminum profile is arranged in the Z-axis direction and can move up and down between two the guide rail fixed plate;The probe box mechanism is set in the bottom of the support aluminum profile, and the copper plate strip is scanned, and the probe box mechanism includes probe module that can reciprocate along Y-axis direction, and multiple groups of probes are inlaid in the probe module.The on-line automatic nondestructive testing is carried out by the high-frequency electric pulse generated by the probe in the probe device, and the sound wave is propagated in the copper plate strip after being transmitted into the copper plate strip by electroacoustic conversion, the reflection of sound wave occurs when the sound wave meets the interface of different acoustic impedance (such as defect), and the defect is obtained in real time on-line in the form of image by adopting the combination of B and C scanning.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of continuous casting inspection technology in iron and steel metallurgy, specifically an online ultrasonic inspection system for defects in horizontal continuous casting billets of copper strip. Background Technology

[0002] Copper strips are characterized by high electrical conductivity and strong corrosion resistance, and have a wide range of applications. They can be used to manufacture conductive, thermally conductive, and corrosion-resistant materials, as well as load-bearing parts manufactured through deep drawing and bending. Horizontal continuous casting is the primary step in the entire copper strip production process. Due to numerous influencing factors during the forming process, defects such as surface cracks, inclusions, central segregation, porosity, and internal cracks are easily generated. These defects in the cast billet reflect its production quality and directly affect the quality of the copper strips after subsequent processes.

[0003] Currently, most copper processing companies do not have relevant online testing equipment for cast billets. They can only sample a small section of copper strip and take it to the laboratory for metallographic analysis. This has several drawbacks: first, the testing coverage is small and it is impossible to define the overall quality; second, the sample needs to be cut and etched, which is a complex and cumbersome process; and third, it is out of sync with the production cycle and cannot reflect the production status in real time, affecting the quality of subsequent copper strip production.

[0004] In the production of sheet and strip metal, online non-destructive testing methods for defects in cast billets include visual inspection, machine vision inspection, infrared inspection, and ultrasonic inspection. Visual inspection is simple and intuitive, but it relies heavily on the eyesight and experience of the inspectors and is susceptible to human interference. Machine vision inspection technology can quickly build a three-dimensional model of the prototype, providing intuitive display and good real-time performance, but it has high requirements for external environmental factors such as lighting. Infrared inspection offers good real-time performance, high sensitivity, and speed, allowing for large-area inspection in a single operation, but it is significantly affected by time, surface, and background radiation. All three methods can only detect surface defects and cannot detect internal defects. Ultrasonic inspection is based on the various propagation characteristics of ultrasound in a specimen. Ultrasound is excited in a certain way and propagates within the specimen. When it encounters a defect, various propagation characteristics of the ultrasound, such as reflection, refraction, diffraction, scattering, interference, attenuation, and sound velocity, change. The detection signal is captured by a corresponding receiving device, and through calculation and analysis, information such as the size and location of the defect in the specimen can be detected. Its advantages include strong penetration, accurate positioning, high sensitivity, and high resolution. However, due to the complexity of its subsequent qualitative and quantitative calculations for defects, it is currently mostly used in laboratories, with a small number used in online production testing of steel plates and strips. However, its display results are not intuitive enough, and there is no connection with subsequent quality testing in the process. The surface condition of the specimens can also affect the accuracy of the test.

[0005] Existing technologies mostly involve offline laboratory testing, which requires damaging the copper strip. Some technologies can achieve online testing, but these are mostly for steel strip applications, and the test results are in the form of curves or data, without images, and cannot intuitively help companies complete product quality grading. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide an ultrasonic online inspection system for defects in horizontal continuous casting billets of copper strip, in order to solve the technical problem of supervising production quality in the copper strip production process using online non-destructive testing methods, displaying the specific location, size, shape and other information of defects in real time through color images, and providing quantitative defect data to assist in product grading.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: An online ultrasonic inspection system for defects in horizontal continuous casting of copper strip, comprising a support frame, an up-and-down moving mechanism, and a probe box mechanism. The copper strip passes through the support frame along the X-axis direction for online defect inspection. A water circulation filtration system is provided in the middle of the support frame along the Z-axis direction. The water circulation filtration system injects water between the probe box mechanism and the copper strip as a coupling agent for ultrasonic scanning.

[0008] The up-and-down moving mechanism is arranged along the height direction of the support frame and is located above the copper strip. The up-and-down moving mechanism includes two oppositely arranged guide rail fixing plates, and a support aluminum profile that can move up and down along the Z-axis is arranged between the two guide rail fixing plates.

[0009] The probe box mechanism is located at the bottom of the supporting aluminum profile and scans the copper strip. The probe box mechanism includes a probe module that can reciprocate along the Y-axis. Multiple probes are embedded in the probe module and arranged in a rectangular array.

[0010] According to the ultrasonic online detection system for defects in horizontal continuous casting billets of copper strip provided by the present invention, each group of probes includes a dual-crystal longitudinal wave straight probe, a dual-crystal longitudinal wave angle probe and a single-crystal longitudinal wave angle probe, and the scanning area of ​​each probe is repeated by more than 10%, and its scanning range can cover a variety of defects commonly found in copper strips, such as cracks and pores.

[0011] According to the ultrasonic online detection system for defects in horizontal continuous casting billets of copper strip provided by the present invention, the probe box mechanism further includes a synchronous belt linear module, and the slide of the synchronous belt linear module drives the probe module to reciprocate along the Y-axis direction.

[0012] According to the ultrasonic online detection system for defects in horizontal continuous casting billets of copper strip provided by the present invention, four linear bearings are bolted to both sides of the slide of the synchronous belt linear module. A guide rod is installed in each linear bearing. The guide rod is passed through the linear bearing to connect the slide of the synchronous belt linear module to the probe module, so that the distance between the probe module and the synchronous belt linear module can be adaptively adjusted as the position of the probe module changes.

[0013] According to the ultrasonic online detection system for defects in horizontal continuous casting billets of copper strip provided by the present invention, the up-and-down moving mechanism further includes a ball screw structure for driving the supporting aluminum profile to move up and down. The ball screw structure includes a ball screw vertically arranged along the Z-axis and a motor for driving the ball screw to rotate. The motor is fixedly arranged on the inner side of the supporting aluminum profile. A ball screw nut is meshed with the outer wall of the ball screw. The side of the ball screw nut is fixedly connected to one of the guide rail fixing plates. While the motor drives the ball screw to rotate, it moves up and down relative to the guide rail fixing plate.

[0014] The ultrasonic online detection system for defects in horizontal continuous casting billets of copper strip provided by the present invention further includes a Y-axis moving mechanism, which is disposed on the top of the support frame. The Y-axis moving mechanism includes two X-axis crossbeams that can reciprocate along the Y-axis direction. The guide rail fixing plate of the vertical moving mechanism is connected to the X-axis crossbeams by bolts. The X-axis crossbeams drive the vertical moving mechanism to reciprocate along the Y-axis direction.

[0015] According to the ultrasonic online detection system for defects in horizontal continuous casting billets of copper strip provided by the present invention, the Y-axis moving mechanism further includes two circular sliding rails arranged opposite to each other along the X-axis and a slider slidably connected to the circular sliding rails. Both ends of the X-axis beam are connected to the two oppositely arranged sliders by bolts.

[0016] According to the ultrasonic online detection system for defects in horizontal continuous casting billets of copper strip provided by the present invention, the Y-axis moving mechanism further includes an X-axis support beam, a rack is installed along the length of the X-axis support beam, a motor is installed on the side of the X-axis beam, and a gear is installed on the motor through a rotating shaft, and the gear meshes with the rack.

[0017] According to the ultrasonic online detection system for defects in horizontal continuous casting of copper strip provided by the present invention, a movable water-blocking mechanism is provided along the forward direction of the copper strip and is located behind the probe box mechanism. The movable water-blocking mechanism includes a fixed frame, and a water-blocking cloth assembly is bolted to the bottom of the fixed frame, and the water-blocking cloth assembly is in contact with the surface of the copper strip.

[0018] According to the ultrasonic online detection system for defects in horizontal continuous casting billets of copper strip provided by the present invention, an encoder assembly is installed in the middle of the movable water-blocking mechanism. The encoder assembly includes an L-shaped connecting plate, and an encoder movable mounting plate is hinged to the L-shaped connecting plate. An encoder is installed on one end of the encoder movable mounting plate, and an encoder roller is installed on the other end.

[0019] The advantages and effects of this invention are:

[0020] 1. Online automatic non-destructive testing: A probe in the probe device generates high-frequency electrical pulses, which are converted into acoustic signals and transmitted to the copper strip for sound wave propagation. When the sound waves encounter interfaces with different acoustic impedances (such as defects), they will be reflected. The internal quality of the copper strip is determined based on the reflected waves.

[0021] 2. The inspection process enables visualization of defect images. During production, it allows for comprehensive detection of surface cracks and internal defects in copper strips, statistical analysis of defect area percentages, and visualization of the copper strip outline. Internal defects are displayed in layers using different colors, allowing for real-time product quality grading and characterization based on defect characteristics. Simultaneously, the specific inspection status of each segment of the copper strip can be observed individually, leading to assessments of the entire copper strip production process.

[0022] 3. The detection process is intuitive and efficient, reflecting the production quality of copper strip in real time. It does not corrode or cut the copper strip, and covers the entire copper strip with high coverage. It does not interfere with the normal production process or damage the product itself, and can realize real-time monitoring and detection of copper strip horizontal continuous casting billet production. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 This is an isometric view of the ultrasonic online detection system for defects in horizontal continuous casting billets of copper strip according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 2 This is a side view of the ultrasonic online detection system for defects in horizontal continuous casting billets of copper strip according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 3 This is an isometric view of the probe box mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 4 This is an isometric view of the vertical moving mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 5 This is an isometric view of the Y-axis moving mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 6 This is an isometric view of the water-blocking device and encoder according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 7 These are ultrasound scan images from embodiments of the present invention;

[0030] In the picture:

[0031] 1. Up-down moving mechanism; 2. Probe box mechanism; 3. Y-axis moving mechanism; 4. Water circulation filtration system; 5. Support frame; 6. First motor; 7. Ball screw; 8. Ball screw nut; 9. Connecting aluminum profile; 10. Sliding rail; 11. Guide rail fixing plate; 12. First bolt; 13. Guide rail; 14. Circular sliding rail; 15. Slider; 16. Second motor; 17. Gear; 18. Rack; 19. X-axis support beam; 20. First guide rod; 21. X-axis crossbeam; 22. Synchronous belt linear module. 3. Supporting aluminum profile; 24. Probe module; 25. Second bolt; 26. Linear bearing; 27. Dual-crystal longitudinal wave straight probe; 28. Single-crystal longitudinal wave angle probe; 29. ​​Dual-crystal longitudinal wave angle probe; 30. Moving water-blocking mechanism; 31. Encoder; 32. Water-blocking cloth assembly; 33. Third bolt; 34. Fixed frame; 35. Second guide rod; 36. L-shaped aluminum profile; 37. Encoder movable mounting plate; 38. Fourth bolt; 39. Movable bolt; 40. Encoder roller; 41. Fifth bolt; 42. L-shaped connecting plate. Detailed Implementation

[0032] To better understand the purpose, structure, and function of this invention, the following is combined with... Figures 1-7 The present invention provides a further detailed description of the ultrasonic online detection system for defects in horizontal continuous casting billets of copper strip.

[0033] like Figure 1 As shown, this embodiment of the invention discloses an ultrasonic online detection system for defects in horizontal continuous casting billets of copper strip, including a support frame 5, an up-and-down moving mechanism 1, and a probe box mechanism 2. The copper strip passes through the support frame 5 along the X-axis direction for online defect detection. A water circulation filtration system 4 is provided in the middle of the support frame 5 along the Z-axis direction. The water circulation filtration system 4 injects water between the probe box mechanism 2 and the copper strip as a coupling agent for ultrasonic scanning.

[0034] The up-down moving mechanism 1 is arranged along the height direction of the support frame 5 and is located above the copper strip. The up-down moving mechanism 1 includes two oppositely arranged guide rail fixing plates 11, and a support aluminum profile 23 that can move up and down along the Z-axis is arranged between the two guide rail fixing plates 11.

[0035] The probe box mechanism 2 is located at the bottom of the supporting aluminum profile 5 and scans the copper strip. The probe box mechanism 2 includes a probe module 24 that can reciprocate along the Y-axis. The probe module 24 has multiple probes embedded in it and is arranged in a rectangular array.

[0036] The core device of this invention is installed between the water cooling system and the traction machine in the horizontal continuous casting process. The copper strip passes through the middle of the support frame 5. The up-down moving mechanism 1 controls the probe box mechanism 2 to move up and down along the Z-axis. After contacting the upper surface of the copper strip, it reciprocates along the direction perpendicular to the copper strip's travel direction (Y-axis direction) through the Y-axis moving mechanism 3. The speed is higher than the forward speed of the copper strip, realizing 100% full-area automatic ultrasonic flaw detection on the copper strip.

[0037] This invention relates to an online ultrasonic defect detection system for horizontal continuous casting of copper strip. It is suitable for online defect detection in copper strip castings with a width of 420-480mm and a thickness of 16-18mm. The system can automatically perform ultrasonic non-destructive testing on two copper strips produced simultaneously on the production line. By controlling the position of the ultrasonic probe group and combining B-scan and C-scan techniques, it can detect surface and internal defects such as cracks, inclusions, and porosity in the copper strip in real time, displaying and providing visual feedback in image form. Simultaneously, it provides data for quantitative and graded management of the slab production quality. The use of this invention improves the production quality and inspection efficiency of the casting. Based on the inspection results, process parameters can be adjusted in a timely manner, the condition of the crystallizer can be predicted, and the casting production process can be rationally arranged to improve the yield. The device has a wide range of applications, a simple structure, low processing cost, and good promotion and application value. It is also easy to operate.

[0038] Using water as a coupling agent for ultrasonic scanning and injecting it between the probe housing mechanism 2 and the copper plate strip can reduce the acoustic impedance difference between the probe and the copper plate strip, thereby reducing the reflection loss of ultrasonic energy at this interface, and also playing a lubricating role.

[0039] Specifically, the water circulation filtration system 4 mainly includes a water tank, a water pump, a filter device, and supporting pipelines. The water pump supplies water to the device and then reuses the filtered water for the detection system. The water circulation filtration system 4 is hung on the support frame 5 for easy disassembly and cleaning.

[0040] The probe box mechanism 2 is described in detail below;

[0041] like Figure 3 As shown, in this embodiment of the invention, a two-group probe box mechanism 2 is used as an example. Each probe box mechanism 2 contains four groups of probes. Each group of probes includes a dual-crystal longitudinal wave straight probe 27, a dual-crystal longitudinal wave angle probe 28, and a single-crystal longitudinal wave angle probe 29, for a total of 12 probes. The scanning area of ​​each probe overlaps by more than 10%, and its scanning range can cover a variety of defects commonly found in copper strips, such as cracks and pores.

[0042] Among them, the dual-crystal longitudinal wave straight probe 27 has a sampling frequency of 4MHz and is mainly used to detect volumetric defects such as holes to complete C-scan imaging; the dual-crystal longitudinal wave angle probe 28 has a sampling frequency of 2.5MHz and is mainly used to detect transverse and longitudinal cracks on the inner wall of the plate and strip; the single-crystal longitudinal wave angle probe 29 has a sampling frequency of 2.5MHz and is mainly used to detect transverse and longitudinal cracks on the outer wall of the plate and strip; both types of angle probes can complete B-scan bar chart display.

[0043] See also Figure 3 In order to enable the probe module 24 to reciprocate along the Y-axis, the probe box mechanism 2 also includes a synchronous belt linear module 22. The T-slot on the synchronous belt linear module 22 is bolted to the supporting aluminum profile 23 through an L-shaped profile. The slide of the synchronous belt linear module 22 drives the probe module 24 to reciprocate along the Y-axis.

[0044] See also Figure 3 Four linear bearings 26 are bolted to both sides of the slide of the synchronous belt linear module 22. Each linear bearing 26 has a first guide rod 20 installed inside it. The first guide rod 20 is passed through the linear bearing 26 to connect the slide of the synchronous belt linear module 22 to the probe module 24, so that the distance between the probe module 24 and the synchronous belt linear module 22 can be adaptively adjusted as the position of the probe module 24 changes.

[0045] The following is a detailed description of the vertical moving mechanism 1;

[0046] like Figure 4 As shown, in order to drive the vertical movement of the supporting aluminum profile 23, the vertical movement mechanism 1 also includes a ball screw structure for driving the supporting aluminum profile 23 to move vertically. The ball screw structure includes a ball screw 7 vertically arranged along the Z-axis and a first motor 6 for driving the ball screw 7 to rotate. The first motor 6 is fixedly arranged on the inner side of the supporting aluminum profile 23. A ball screw nut 8 is meshed with the outer wall of the ball screw 7. The side of the ball screw nut 8 is fixedly connected to one of the guide rail fixing plates 11. While the first motor 6 drives the ball screw 7 to rotate, it moves up and down relative to the guide rail fixing plate 11.

[0047] See also Figure 4To improve the stability of the supporting aluminum profile 23 during the lifting process, guide rails 13 are installed on both the front and rear ends of the inner side of the guide rail fixing plate 11 by fifth bolts 41. Sliding rails 10 are installed on the outer side of the supporting aluminum profile 23 at the corresponding positions of the guide rails 13 by first bolts 12. The guide rails 13 are embedded in the sliding rails 10 and slidably connected to the sliding rails 10. Connecting aluminum profiles 9 are installed on both the upper and lower ends of the inner side of the supporting aluminum profile 23. The first motor 6 is fixedly installed on the connecting aluminum profile 9 located at the upper end.

[0048] The following describes the lifting and lowering process of the vertical moving mechanism 1;

[0049] When the copper strip under inspection is detected, the lower mechanism is raised and lowered. The position of the ball screw nut 8 can be adjusted according to the actual situation. The first motor 6 drives the ball screw 7 to rotate in both directions. Under the action of meshing with the ball screw nut 8, the ball screw 7 is driven to rise and fall relative to the ball screw nut 8. Then, the supporting aluminum profile 23 is driven to move up and down along the Z-axis through the connecting aluminum profile 9. At the same time, the supporting aluminum profile 23 drives the sliding track 10 to slide and rise and fall along the guide rail 13, thereby driving the probe box mechanism 2 to move up and down.

[0050] like Figure 5 As shown, in order to realize the reciprocating motion of the probe box mechanism 2 in the Y-axis direction of the copper plate strip, a Y-axis moving mechanism 3 is also included. The Y-axis moving mechanism 3 is set on the top of the support frame 5. The Y-axis moving mechanism 3 includes two X-axis crossbeams 21 that can reciprocate along the Y-axis direction. The guide rail fixing plate 11 of the up-down moving mechanism 1 is connected to the X-axis crossbeams 21 by bolts. The X-axis crossbeams 21 drive the up-down moving mechanism 1 to reciprocate along the Y-axis direction.

[0051] The Y-axis moving mechanism 3 can control the up and down position of the probe box mechanism 2. When the measurement starts, it lowers to contact the surface of the copper strip. When the measurement is completed or the line is changed, the probe box mechanism 2 is raised to protect the probe.

[0052] Furthermore, in order to improve the stability of the X-axis beam 21 during movement, the Y-axis moving mechanism 3 also includes two circular sliding rails 14 arranged opposite to each other along the X-axis and sliders 15 slidably connected to the circular sliding rails. Both ends of the X-axis beam 21 are connected to the two oppositely arranged sliders 15 by bolts.

[0053] The X-axis beam 21 is driven to move, and the X-axis beam 21 drives the slider 15 to move along the circular sliding track 14, which limits the trajectory of the X-axis beam 21 and improves the stability of the X-axis beam 21.

[0054] Furthermore, in order to drive the reciprocating movement of the X-axis beam 21, the Y-axis moving mechanism 3 also includes an X-axis support beam 19, which is fixed to the support frame 5 by bolts. A rack 18 is installed along the length of the X-axis support beam 19. A second motor 16 is installed on the side of the X-axis beam 21. A gear 17 is installed on the second motor 16 through a rotating shaft, and the gear 17 is meshed with the rack 18.

[0055] Power is provided by the second motor 16, which rotates the gear 17, causing the gear 17 to move on the racks 18 on the left and right sides, thereby driving the X-axis beam 21 to move. The Y-axis moving mechanism 3 enables the probe box mechanism 2 to reciprocate in the Y-axis direction of the copper strip. The distance the copper strip moves forward in the time consumed is less than the width covered by the probe, thus ensuring that the effective ultrasonic beam width covers the entire copper strip during the detection process, thereby achieving 100% full-area automatic ultrasonic flaw detection on the copper strip.

[0056] like Figure 6 As shown, in order to prevent excess water remaining on the copper strip from entering subsequent work stations, a movable water-blocking mechanism 30 is provided along the forward direction of the copper strip and is located behind the probe box mechanism 2. The movable water-blocking mechanism 30 includes a fixed frame 34, and a water-blocking cloth assembly 32 is connected to the bottom of the fixed frame 34 by a third bolt 33, and the water-blocking cloth assembly 32 is in contact with the surface of the copper strip.

[0057] like Figure 2 As shown, specifically, the supporting aluminum profile 23 has two L-shaped aluminum profiles 36 installed on the outer side in the X-axis direction. Each L-shaped aluminum profile 36 is equipped with a linear bearing. The second guide rod 35 passes through the linear bearing and is connected to the L-shaped aluminum profile 36. The top end of the second guide rod 35 has a stop portion, and the bottom end of the second guide rod 35 is connected to the fixed frame 34.

[0058] The movable water-blocking mechanism 30 uses its own weight to make the lower surface of the water-blocking cloth assembly 32 stick to the copper plate strip. The water-blocking cloth assembly 32 is composed of nitrile rubber and Oxford cloth. The three layers of nitrile rubber plate limit the deformation range of the Oxford cloth and play a supporting role. The nitrile rubber plate and Oxford cloth have temperature resistance, wear resistance and water resistance properties, and leave a certain amount of wear, ensuring service life and use effect.

[0059] Furthermore, in order to record the detection position, an encoder assembly is installed in the middle of the movable water-blocking mechanism 30. The encoder assembly includes an L-shaped connecting plate 42, and an encoder movable mounting plate 37 is hinged to the L-shaped connecting plate 42. An encoder 31 is installed on one end of the encoder movable mounting plate 37, and an encoder roller 40 is installed on the other end.

[0060] Specifically, one side of the L-shaped connecting plate 42 is bolted to the fixed frame 34. One end of the other side of the L-shaped connecting plate 42 has a through hole, and the other end has an arc-shaped hole. The encoder movable mounting plate 37 is hinged to the through hole of the L-shaped connecting plate 42 by a fourth bolt 38. The encoder movable mounting plate 37 is provided with a movable bolt 39, which can move along the trajectory of the arc-shaped hole, so that the encoder movable mounting plate 37 can move up and down.

[0061] The encoder 31 and encoder roller 40 are connected and fixed on the encoder movable mounting plate 37. The encoder 31 is used for system recording and detection position, and the encoder roller 40 is close to the copper plate strip.

[0062] The hardware of this invention also includes a control cabinet and an operating console. The control cabinet houses the main instrument components, including two host computers, three slave computers, and one switch. The operating console includes three displays (one for C-scan imaging, one for B-scan switch peak value, and one for an electrical touchscreen); the back panel mounts Siemens PLCs, drivers, and other electrical control components, and connects to the main control computer via a control interface. The control cabinet and operating console enable the system's motion control, ultrasonic data acquisition and analysis, communication transmission, and display / alarm functions.

[0063] The present invention also includes system software, which includes electrical control software and ultrasonic testing software;

[0064] The electrical control software is used to control the motor to operate the up and down moving mechanism 1. Before the test starts, the probe box mechanism is moved to the corresponding plate and strip inspection position, and the water pump is started to prepare for the start. After the test, the probe is raised away from the copper plate and strip surface to protect the probe.

[0065] The ultrasonic testing software combines ultrasonic testing with computer image display, including a multi-channel B-scan imaging system and a multi-channel C-scan imaging system. It can display the outline of the copper strip, use different colors to indicate internal defects, and record the overall number and volume percentage of defects in the copper strip. The software displays the interior of the copper strip in multiple layers, visually showing various defects and summarizing information such as defect size for each layer. This allows for a very clear observation of the distribution of all defects throughout the copper strip. The resulting C-scan image is proportional to the actual copper strip, providing a direct assessment of its quality. A moving mechanism ensures no area is missed during scanning, improving testing speed and accuracy. A contact-type ultrasonic probe specifically designed for cast copper plates is used, with two sets of ultrasonic probes arranged in a rectangular configuration to ensure complete scanning coverage of the copper strip.

[0066] The multi-channel C-scan imaging system can observe the specific morphology of defects, measure the length, width, depth, location, and proportion of defects using a cursor, generate B-scan and D-scan images by moving the cursor, save the three-dimensional data of the entire copper strip, support online / offline analysis, and automatically generate and store a large number of inspection reports.

[0067] The multi-channel B-scan imaging system is used to detect strip-shaped defects in different directions. Each channel can be controlled independently, with automatic audible and visual alarms, and the probe and instrument parameters for each channel can be automatically calibrated.

[0068] By analyzing B and C ultrasonic scan data, ultrasonic amplitude data is extracted, and different ranges are represented by different colors. Defect information such as points and lines can be clearly displayed from the two-dimensional color image. By summarizing and calculating the size data, the overall defect area ratio of the copper strip can be represented. Furthermore, through layered display, the depth information of defects is further classified in detail, thereby determining the overall production quality. Ultrasonic scan images are shown below. Figure 7 As shown.

[0069] The ultrasonic testing software has the function of real-time image display. After the test, it can generate a report to record the production quality status of copper strip, and prepare data for subsequent joint analysis with other process parameters.

[0070] The system of this invention has two working modes: automatic and manual.

[0071] In "automatic mode", the copper strip is controlled by the traction machine to move forward at a constant speed; the up and down moving mechanism 1 controls the probe box mechanism 2 to move back and forth along the Y-axis, matching the traction speed, and controls the water pump to automatically supply water, providing coupling agent for copper strip detection, and realizing real-time automatic ultrasonic detection.

[0072] In "manual mode", the movement mechanism in each direction can be controlled individually to adjust the position and control each axis to return to the origin.

[0073] The working process of this device is described in detail below:

[0074] Step 1: Pre-etch a bottom groove defect of a set size on the surface of the copper plate to make a copper plate sample. Move the dual-crystal angle probe and single-crystal angle probe in the probe box back and forth at the defect position on the surface of the copper plate sample, adjust the software parameters, and prepare to start the formal inspection.

[0075] Step 2: Start the electrical control software, set the coordinate origin for each direction, and move the probe group of the testing station to the origin position using the electrical switch.

[0076] Step 3: Click the Auto button. The probe will scan horizontally along the direction perpendicular to the copper strip to acquire C-scan images and B-scan strip images.

[0077] Step 4: The inspection report includes specific scanned images and a summary of relevant defects. The relevant information is summarized in Table 1, which can specifically characterize the real-time changes in production, thereby analyzing the specific defects and production quality of the copper strip and guiding subsequent process adjustments.

[0078] Table 1. Statistics on the Number and Area Percentage of Defects

[0079] TP22305133A01 55 65％ 35％ 56％ 44％ TP22305133A02 33 66％ 34％ 42％ 58％ TP22305143A01 35 86％ 13％ 48％ 52％ TP22305143A02 18 72％ 28％ 46％ 54％ TP22305153A01 16 62％ 38％ 54％ 46％ TP22305153A02 15 67％ 33％ 60％ 40％ TP22305163A01 25 75％ 25％ 62％ 38％ TP22305213B01 24 72％ 28％ 48％ 52％ TP22305213B02 30 80％ 20％ 42％ 58％ TP22305213B03 18 45％ 55％ 12％ 88％ TP22305223B01 19 37％ 63％ 34％ 76％ TP22305223B02 22 82％ 18％ 62％ 38％

[0080] The above description is only a partial embodiment of the present invention, not all embodiments. Any equivalent changes to the technical solutions of the present invention made by those skilled in the art through reading the present invention specification are covered by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. An online ultrasonic inspection system for defects in horizontal continuous casting billets of copper strip, characterized in that, include: A support frame is provided, and a copper strip passes through the support frame along the X-axis for online defect detection. A water circulation filtration system is provided in the middle of the support frame along the Z-axis. The water circulation filtration system injects water between the probe box mechanism and the copper strip as a coupling agent for ultrasonic scanning. The vertical moving mechanism is arranged along the height direction of the support frame and located above the copper strip. The vertical moving mechanism includes two oppositely arranged guide rail fixing plates, and a support aluminum profile that can move up and down along the Z-axis is arranged between the two guide rail fixing plates. The probe box mechanism is located at the bottom of the supporting aluminum profile and scans the copper strip. The probe box mechanism includes a probe module that can reciprocate along the Y-axis. The probe module is embedded with multiple probes and arranged in a rectangular array. Each group of probes includes a dual-crystal longitudinal wave straight probe, a dual-crystal longitudinal wave angled probe, and a single-crystal longitudinal wave angled probe, and the scanning area of ​​each probe overlaps by more than 10%.

2. The ultrasonic online detection system for defects in horizontal continuous casting billets of copper strip as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The probe box mechanism also includes a synchronous belt linear module, and the slide of the synchronous belt linear module drives the probe module to reciprocate along the Y-axis.

3. The ultrasonic online detection system for defects in horizontal continuous casting billets of copper strip as described in claim 2, characterized in that: Four linear bearings are bolted to both sides of the slide of the synchronous belt linear module. Each linear bearing contains a guide rod. The guide rod passes through the linear bearing to connect the slide of the synchronous belt linear module to the probe module, so that the distance between the probe module and the synchronous belt linear module can be adaptively adjusted as the position of the probe module changes.

4. The ultrasonic online detection system for defects in horizontal continuous casting billets of copper strip as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The up-and-down moving mechanism also includes a ball screw structure for driving the supporting aluminum profile to move up and down. The ball screw structure includes a ball screw vertically arranged along the Z-axis and a motor for driving the ball screw to rotate. The motor is fixedly arranged on the inner side of the supporting aluminum profile. A ball screw nut is engaged with the outer wall of the ball screw. The side of the ball screw nut is fixedly connected to one of the guide rail fixing plates. While the motor drives the ball screw to rotate, it moves up and down relative to the guide rail fixing plate.

5. The ultrasonic online detection system for defects in horizontal continuous casting billets of copper strip as described in claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a Y-axis moving mechanism, which is located on the top of the support frame. The Y-axis moving mechanism includes two X-axis crossbeams that can reciprocate along the Y-axis direction. The guide rail fixing plate of the vertical moving mechanism is connected to the X-axis crossbeams by bolts. The X-axis crossbeams drive the vertical moving mechanism to reciprocate along the Y-axis direction.

6. The ultrasonic online detection system for defects in horizontal continuous casting billets of copper strip as described in claim 5, characterized in that: The Y-axis moving mechanism also includes two circular sliding rails arranged opposite each other along the X-axis and sliders slidably connected to the circular sliding rails. Both ends of the X-axis beam are connected to the two oppositely arranged sliders by bolts.

7. The ultrasonic online detection system for defects in horizontal continuous casting billets of copper strip as described in claim 6, characterized in that: The Y-axis moving mechanism also includes an X-axis support beam, a rack is installed along the length of the X-axis support beam, a motor is installed on the side of the X-axis beam, and a gear is installed on the motor through a rotating shaft, and the gear meshes with the rack.

8. The ultrasonic online detection system for defects in horizontal continuous casting billets of copper strip as described in claim 1, characterized in that: A movable water-blocking mechanism is provided along the forward direction of the copper strip and is located behind the probe box mechanism. The movable water-blocking mechanism includes a fixed frame, and a water-blocking cloth assembly is bolted to the bottom of the fixed frame, and the water-blocking cloth assembly is in contact with the surface of the copper strip.

9. The ultrasonic online detection system for defects in horizontal continuous casting billets of copper strip as described in claim 8, characterized in that: An encoder assembly is installed in the middle of the movable water-blocking mechanism. The encoder assembly includes an L-shaped connecting plate, and an encoder movable mounting plate is hinged to the L-shaped connecting plate. An encoder is installed on one end of the encoder movable mounting plate, and an encoder roller is installed on the other end.

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