Weld test chain

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a weld seam testing chain for testing a weld seam by means of ultrasound of two plastic pipes welded together at the end, comprising standard chain links, wherein the standard chain links are hooked together to form the weld seam testing chain and the chain can be individually lengthened or shortened, a sensor holder for receiving the ultrasonic sensor and an adjustment unit for fine adjustment of the weld seam testing chain length.

[0002] Using the chain, the ultrasonic sensor is rotated around the circumference of the pipeline and checks the weld seam on the entire circumference using ultrasound without rotating the pipe itself and without destroying it.

[0003] Non-destructive testing of test objects using ultrasound is state of the art and is used in many areas, such as aircraft construction.

[0004] This method is mainly used for metallic materials because they have good sound conductivity.

[0005] Ultrasonic testing is intended to detect internal and external defects that would not be detectable without destroying the test object.

[0006] US 5 824 908 discloses such a testing method that allows defects in materials to be detected using ultrasonic waves.

[0007] However, the disadvantage of the disclosed method is that the system is only applicable to plates and only for materials that have a certain homogeneity without structural changes to the material.

[0008] CN 110031549 A1 discloses a device for checking the weld seam of pipes welded together.

[0009] The disadvantage of this design is that it has many individual parts that are screwed together, which requires complex assembly of the chain on the pipe, and due to the large number of rollers, the chain tends to become dirty and is very maintenance-intensive.

[0010] KR 101 645 977 B1 shows a test chain for testing a turbine rotor using ultrasound.

[0011] The object of the invention is to propose a weld seam testing chain which enables easy mounting of an ultrasonic testing device or a transmitter and receiver of such for testing weld seams on welded plastic pipelines and which can be adapted to different pipe diameters with little effort and which is also easy to maintain.

[0012] This object is achieved according to the invention in that the standard chain links have a hook on one side and a hook receptacle on the opposite side, whereby the individual chain links can be hooked together.

[0013] The inventive weld seam testing chain for ultrasonically testing a weld seam between two plastic pipes welded together at the end contains several standard chain links. The standard chain links are interlocked to form the weld seam testing chain. By adding or removing standard chain links in the weld seam testing chain, the chain can be individually lengthened or shortened and thus used for different pipe diameters. The weld seam testing chain has a sensor holder for accommodating the ultrasonic sensor or the transmitter and receiver of the ultrasonic sensor. For fine adjustment of the weld seam testing chain length, the inventive weld seam testing chain has an adjustment unit. The standard chain links, which are interlocked, have a hook on one side and a hook holder on the opposite side.The connection using hooks and hook holders makes it easy to connect or disconnect the standard chain links, which allows for quick adjustment of the chain length.

[0014] It has proven advantageous to manufacture the standard chain links as 3D printed parts, preferably from a polymer. Of course, other manufacturing processes are also conceivable, with the standard chain links being made of plastic.

[0015] Preferably, the standard chain link has contact surfaces on the hook side, with the contact surfaces being shaped as radii to rest directly on the outer casing of the welded pipe. This creates a single linear contact surface between the standard chain links and the pipe outer casing, allowing the chain to rotate easily and fit snugly against the outer diameter, regardless of the pipe dimension.

[0016] It has proven advantageous if the standard chain link is formed as a single piece and rests directly against the outer casing of the welded pipes. The single-piece design of the standard chain link and the support surfaces, which are designed as radii, eliminates the need for separate rollers. The standard chain link preferably has a fork-shaped design with preferably two struts on the hook-receiving side.

[0017] Preferably, the support surfaces of the standard chain links are rigidly and integrally arranged on the standard chain link. It is advantageous if the support surfaces are arranged on the two struts of the forked side of the hook receptacle.

[0018] A preferred embodiment has been found for the adjustment unit of the weld seam inspection chain according to the invention to have two mutually movable adjusting elements. The adjusting elements preferably interlock and are continuously adjustable and lockable by means of a screw.

[0019] It has proven advantageous to design the sensor mount as a chain link. This allows the sensor mount to be easily mounted on standard chain links, the adjustment unit, the bracket for an angle sensor, or any element that corresponds to the connection options of the chain links.

[0020] A preferred embodiment has been found to be when the wedges for receiving the ultrasonic sensor are arranged on the sensor mount, with the wedges being adjustably mounted on the sensor holder. Preferably, two wedges are arranged on the sensor mount, one of which accommodates the transmitter and the other the receiver of the ultrasonic sensor.

[0021] Preferably, a clamping system is arranged on the sensor mount, whereby the clamping system exerts a constant contact pressure on the wedges that rest against the outer surface of the pipe. It has proven advantageous if the clamping system is formed by resilient elements that press the wedges against the outer surface of the pipe. The resilient elements preferably also serve to position the wedges on the sensor mount, and the wedges can preferably be arranged in an adjustable manner.

[0022] It is advantageous if the wedges have an outer housing and an inner element. The outer housing and the inner element are preferably made of different materials. PTFE has proven to be an advantageous material for ultrasonic testing, which is why the inner element is preferably made of PTFE.

[0023] Preferably, the weld seam inspection chain according to the invention has a bracket for attaching an angle sensor, wherein the bracket is designed as a chain link. This also allows for easy installation into the weld seam inspection chain or onto the standard chain links or other links that are designed to be adapted to the chain.

[0024] An embodiment of the invention is described with reference to the figures, whereby the invention is not limited to the embodiment. They show: Fig. 1 a three-dimensional representation of a section of the weld seam testing chain according to the invention on the pipe, Fig. 2 a top view of the weld seam testing chain according to the invention in the sensor holder area, Fig. 3 a three-dimensional representation of two interlocked standard chain links, Fig. 4 a three-dimensional representation of a section of the weld seam testing chain according to the invention, Fig. 5 a three-dimensional representation of a section of the weld seam testing chain according to the invention from below, Fig. 6 a three-dimensional representation of a sensor holder from below and Fig. 7 a three-dimensional representation of a sensor holder.

[0025] The Fig. 1The weld seam testing chain 1 according to the invention shown for testing weld seams on butt-welded plastic pipes contains standard chain links 2, wherein the standard chain links 2 are connected to one another simply by hooking them together. By hooking and unhooking standard chain links 2, the chain can be lengthened or shortened as required. For this purpose, the standard chain links 2 have a hook 6 on one side and a hook receptacle 7 on the other side. The weld seam testing chain 1 according to the invention also has a sensor receptacle 4 for holding the ultrasonic sensor, or the transmitter and receiver of the ultrasonic sensor. In order to precisely adjust the length of the weld seam testing chain 1, the chain 1 contains an adjustment unit 5.

[0026] The standard chain links 2 have contact surfaces 9 on the side of the hook receptacle 7, wherein the contact surfaces 9 are formed by radii 8 that are arranged integrally on the standard chain link 2. The radii 8, which lie directly on the casing circumference of the pipe, create only a linear contact surface 9, whereby the chain according to the invention lies well on the outer casing and can also be easily rotated around the circumference. The contact surfaces 9 are integral and thus rigidly arranged on the one-piece standard chain link 2. The radii 8 on the standard chain link 2 form a protruding nose on the side of the hook receptacle 7, preferably to provide a bolt (not shown) into which the hook 6 is hooked. The protruding nose also serves to ensure that the standard chain link 2 is distanced from the outer casing of the pipe 20 and that it rests exclusively on the outer casing with the contact surface 9.

[0027] The hook receptacle 7 is preferably fork-shaped and has two struts 12 between which the hook 6 is suspended, wherein a bolt (not shown) runs between the struts 12, wherein the bolt is arranged as a separate part or also integrally on the standard chain link 2.

[0028] The standard chain link 2 is, as in Fig. 3 clearly one-piece, made of plastic and preferably manufactured using 3D printing.

[0029] In Fig. 2The further elements of the weld seam inspection chain 1 according to the invention are visible, such as the adjustment unit 5, which preferably includes two adjusting elements 10 that can be moved relative to one another. The length of the chain 1 can then be adjusted precisely using an adjusting screw 13. To ensure that the weld seam is tested over its entire circumference, it is advantageous to provide an angle sensor 21 on the chain 1. In order to attach this to the chain 1, a chain link is designed as a holder 3 for an angle sensor and has corresponding fastening options. The holder 3, as well as the sensor holder 4 and the adjustment unit 5, are designed at their ends in such a way that they can be easily adapted to the standard chain links 2, since they have the same ends and are therefore compatible. Fig. 5shows the chain 1 according to the invention from below, whereby the wedges 11, which accommodate the transmitter and receiver of the ultrasonic sensor, are clearly visible. The wedges 11 are arranged in the sensor holder 4 so as to be adjustable by means of a guide 15. The wedges 11 are preferably pressed against the outer surface of the pipe 20 by means of a clamping system 14 in order to be able to carry out an optimal ultrasonic test. Spring elements are preferably used for this purpose (not shown). It is advantageous if a safety clip 16 secures the wedges in the sensor holder 4. In addition, the wedges 11 are preferably arranged so as to be adjustable relative to one another, which allows different widths of weld seams to be tested, whereby the adjustment can be provided continuously or with predetermined positions.

[0030] The wedges 11 comprise an outer housing 17 and an inner element 18. Their two-part design makes them easy to replace when the inner elements become worn, as the inner element simply clips into the outer housing 17. Furthermore, the inner element 18 is preferably made of PTFE, which is preferred for transmitting ultrasonic waves. Furthermore, venting is provided via a bore 19 in the outer housing 17. List of reference symbols

[0031] 1 Weld seam inspection chain 2 Standard chain link 3 Bracket for angle sensor 4 Sensor holder 5 Adjustment unit 6 Hook 7 Hook holder 8 Radius 9 Support surface 10 Adjusting element 11 Wedges 12 Strut hook holder 13 Adjusting screw 14 Clamping system 15 Guide 16 Safety clip 17 Outer housing 18 Inner element 19 Bore 20 Tube 21 Angle sensor

Claims

1. Weld seam testing chain (1) for testing a weld seam by means of ultrasound on two plastic tubes (20) welded together at the ends, comprising standard chain links (2), wherein the standard chain links are hooked together to form the weld seam testing chain, and the chain (1) can be lengthened or shortened individually, a sensor receptacle (4) for accommodating the ultrasonic sensor, and an adjusting unit (5) for the fine adjustment of the weld seam testing chain length, characterized in that the standard chain links (2) have a hook (6) on one side and a hook receptacle (7) on the opposite side, thereby enabling the individual chain links to be hooked together, wherein the standard chain links are composed of plastic.

2. Weld seam testing chain (1) according to Claim 1, characterized in that the standard chain link (2) has bearing surfaces (9) on the side of the hook receptacle (7), wherein the bearing surfaces (9) are designed as radii (8) and rest directly against the outer shell of the welded tube (20).

3. Weld seam testing chain (1) according to either of Claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the standard chain link (2) is of one-piece design and rests directly on the outer shell of the welded tube (20).

4. Weld seam testing chain (1) according to Claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the bearing surfaces of the standard chain links (2) are arranged rigidly and integrally on the chain link.

5. Weld seam testing chain (1) according to any of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the adjusting unit (5) has two adjusting elements (10), which can be moved relative to one another.

6. Weld seam testing chain (1) according to any of Claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the sensor receptacle (4) is designed as a chain link.

7. Weld seam testing chain (1) according to any of Claims 1 to 6, characterized in that lead wedges (11) for receiving the ultrasonic sensors are arranged on the sensor receptacle (4), wherein the lead wedges (11) are arranged adjustably on the sensor holder (4).

8. Weld seam testing chain (1) according to Claim 7, characterized in that a clamping system (14) is arranged on the sensor receptacle (4), wherein the clamping system (14) exerts a constant contact pressure on the lead wedges (11), which rest on the outer shell of the tube (20).

9. Weld seam testing chain (1) according to Claim 7, characterized in that the lead wedges (11) have an outer housing (17) and an inner element (18).

10. Weld seam testing chain (1) according to any of Claims 1 to 9, characterized in that a holder (3) for securing an angle sensor is arranged in the weld seam testing chain (1), wherein the holder (3) is designed as a chain link.