Nondestructive sensing system and sensing method thereof

Abstract

A non-destructive testing system and method includes: a vibration generator, a vibration receiver, and a control unit. The vibration generator is disposed on one side of a container to emit vibration pulses to the container. The vibration receiver is disposed on the other side of the container opposite to the vibration generator to receive the vibration pulses emitted by the vibration generator. The control unit drives the vibration generator to emit vibration pulses and records the reception time and response waveform of the vibration pulses received by the vibration receiver. The control unit evaluates the state of the material or component inside the container based on the time difference between the emission time and the reception time of the vibration pulse and the response waveform.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates to a non-destructive testing system and method, and more particularly to a non-destructive testing system and method for evaluating the condition of materials or components through a vibration generator and a vibration receiver. [Previous Technology]

[0002] Most plastic products currently in use are manufactured using injection molding technology, which involves melting plastic granules and then injecting the resulting molten plastic into a mold under high pressure. Before solidification, the molten plastic forms a shape corresponding to the mold. This process can mass-produce high-quality plastic parts with almost no human intervention.

[0003] Plastic granules are typically melted in a barrel covered with heating elements. The heating elements provide some of the heat for melting the plastic granules; however, most of the heat is generated by a screw mechanism inside the barrel that compresses the plastic granules. The shaft of the screw mechanism is relatively thin at the rear end of the screw and thickens as it approaches the front end, where the plastic granules are introduced. As the plastic granules move towards the front end of the screw due to its rotation, they are compressed into a smaller space due to the thicker shaft at the front end. This compression, along with the heating elements, generates sufficient heat to melt the plastic granules. A check valve is located at the front end of the screw mechanism, and after the molten plastic is pushed through the check valve, there is a space to accommodate the molten plastic. When sufficient molten plastic is present in this space, the screw mechanism moves forward, thereby forcing the molten plastic into the mold.

[0004] The state of the molten plastic before injection into the mold directly affects the quality of the final plastic product, as incompletely melted plastic will lead to defects in various plastic parts. Furthermore, the screw mechanism will wear down over time, reducing the efficiency of melting plastic granules. Therefore, continuous monitoring to ensure proper plastic melting state can reduce waste and costs. [Summary of the Invention]

[0005] To solve the above problems, the present invention provides a non-destructive testing system that uses a vibration generator and a vibration receiver to evaluate the condition of materials or components.

[0006] This invention provides a non-destructive testing system, comprising: a vibration generator, a vibration receiver, and a control unit. The vibration generator is disposed on one side of a container to emit vibration pulses to the container; the vibration receiver is disposed on the other side of the container opposite to the vibration generator to receive the vibration pulses emitted by the vibration generator; the control unit is used to drive the vibration generator to emit vibration pulses and record the reception time and response waveform of the vibration pulses received by the vibration receiver; wherein, the control unit evaluates the state of the material or component inside the container based on the time difference between the emission time and the reception time of the vibration pulse and the response waveform.

[0007] The present invention provides a non-destructive testing method, which is executed by the non-destructive testing system, the non-destructive testing system including a control unit, a vibration generator and a vibration receiver, the method including: emitting vibration pulses to the container through a vibration generator disposed on one side of the container; receiving the vibration pulses emitted by the vibration generator through a vibration receiver disposed on the other side of the container; driving the vibration generator to emit vibration pulses through the control unit, and recording the reception time and response waveform of the vibration pulses received by the vibration receiver; and evaluating the state of the material or component through the control unit based on the time difference between the emission time and the reception time of one of the vibration pulses and the response waveform.

[0008] In one embodiment of the present invention, the control unit includes a drive unit and a measurement unit; the drive unit is coupled to a vibration generator and controls the vibration generator to emit vibration pulses based on measurement requirements; the measurement unit is coupled to a vibration receiver and is used to record the reception time and response waveform of the vibration receiver receiving the vibration pulses.

[0009] In one embodiment of the present invention, the non-destructive testing system further includes a storage device coupled to a control unit for storing historical time difference values ​​and historical reaction waveforms corresponding to the state of materials or components in the container; wherein the control unit compares the time difference values ​​with historical time difference values ​​and the reaction waveforms with historical reaction waveforms to determine whether the state of the materials or components is abnormal.

[0010] In one embodiment of the present invention, the non-destructive testing system further includes an input unit coupled to the control unit for inputting measurement requirements or basic information, wherein the basic information is the geometry, size, material, and type and properties of the container and component.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present invention, the storage device is used to store basic information and a correspondence table, wherein the correspondence table contains information on the state of a material or component based on the basic information, time difference and reaction waveform, so that the control unit can evaluate the state of the material or component based on the correspondence table.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present invention, the container is the barrel of an injection molding machine.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present invention, the component is a screw in a barrel, and the state is the screw wear state evaluated by the control unit based on the time difference and the reaction waveform.

[0014] In one embodiment of the present invention, the material is plastic in a barrel, and the state is the molten state of the plastic evaluated by the control unit based on a lookup table.

[0015] In one embodiment of the present invention, the non-destructive testing system further includes a display unit coupled to the control unit and used to display the evaluated state of the material or component.

[0016] In one embodiment of the present invention, the vibration generator is an ultrasonic vibration generator and the vibration receiver is an ultrasonic vibration receiver.

[0017] In one embodiment of the present invention, the non-destructive testing system may include multiple pairs of vibration generators and vibration receivers, which may be installed at different locations on the container.

[0018] In one embodiment of the present invention, the driving unit can drive multiple vibration generators simultaneously, and the measuring unit can simultaneously record the reception time and response waveform of multiple vibration receivers.

[0019] In one embodiment of the present invention, the measurement unit and the drive unit of the control unit may be disposed in the same housing or belong to different housings.

[0020] The non-destructive testing system and method of the present invention detect materials or components inside a container through a vibration generator and a vibration receiver, without the need to insert sensors inside the container or make major changes to the container, thus simplifying the entire monitoring process. By monitoring the state of materials or components inside the container, stable product processes and quality can be ensured. [Simplified Explanation of the Diagram]

[0043] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a non-destructive testing system according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a flowchart of a non-destructive testing method according to an embodiment of the present invention; and Figure 3 is a flowchart of a non-destructive testing method according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Implementation Method

[0021] The invention will now be described in more detail by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0022] Please refer to the schematic diagram of the non-destructive testing system in Figure 1. The non-destructive testing system 10 includes an input unit 11, a control unit 12, a storage unit 13, a vibration generator 14, a vibration receiver 15, and a display unit 16. The control unit 12 also includes a drive unit 121 and a measurement unit 122. The non-destructive testing system 10 sends vibration pulses to the container 21 and records the response waveform and elapsed time of the vibration pulses passing through the container 21 to determine the state of the material or component inside the container 21. The vibration generator 14 of the non-destructive testing system 10 is mounted on one side of the container 21 to emit vibration pulses to the container 21. The vibration receiver 15 is located on the other side of the container 21 opposite to the vibration generator 14 to receive the vibration pulses emitted by the vibration generator 14. The drive unit 121 of the control unit 12 is coupled to the vibration generator 14 to drive the vibration generator 14 to emit vibration pulses according to the measurement requirements. The drive unit 121 can be used to control the time, shape, frequency and length of the vibration pulses emitted by the vibration generator 14. The measurement requirements can be generated by the control unit 12 according to the processing requirements or can be input by the input unit 11. The measurement unit 122 of the control unit 12 is coupled to the vibration receiver 15 and records the reception time and response waveform of the vibration pulse received by the vibration receiver 15. The control unit 12 evaluates the state of the material or component in the container 21 based on the time difference between the emission time and the reception time of the vibration pulse, that is, the time it takes for the vibration pulse to pass through the container 21, and the response waveform received by the vibration receiver 14.

[0023] The non-destructive testing system 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention can be used in the barrel of an injection molding machine, the barrel containing plastic and a screw for pushing the plastic. The vibration generator 14 and vibration receiver 15 can be installed on both sides of the barrel to evaluate the screw wear state of the screw in the barrel or the molten state of the plastic.

[0024] A non-destructive testing system 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention further includes a storage device 13 for storing historical time difference values ​​and historical reaction waveforms corresponding to the state of materials or components in the container 21. The storage device 13 is coupled to the control unit 12, so that the control unit 12 can read the historical time difference values ​​and historical reaction waveforms in the storage device 13, and compare the time difference values ​​with the historical time difference values ​​and the reaction waveforms with the historical reaction waveforms to analyze whether the currently measured time difference values ​​and reaction waveforms are different from those previously measured, so as to determine whether any abnormality has occurred.

[0025] A non-destructive testing system 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention further includes an input unit 11, coupled to the control unit 12 to transmit input data to the control unit 12. The input unit 11 is used to input measurement requirements or basic information. The input unit 11 allows the user to input measurement requirements at any time based on the application object or process requirements to drive the non-destructive testing system 10 of the present invention. The basic information refers to the geometry, size, and material related to the container and component, or the type and properties of the material. The size of the container can be the inner diameter or outer diameter of the container, and the properties of the material can be properties such as melting temperature or time required for complete melting.

[0026] The storage device 13 of the present invention can store basic information and a correspondence table, wherein the correspondence table contains information on the material or component state based on the basic information, time difference, and reaction waveform. Therefore, the control unit 12 can seek the corresponding state in the correspondence table based on the currently measured time difference and reaction waveform.

[0027] The non-destructive testing system 10 of the present invention includes the aforementioned display unit 16, which is coupled to the control unit 12 to receive the status of the material or component evaluated and transmitted by the control unit 12, and to display the status so that the user can respond accordingly, such as replacing the screw or adjusting the heating parameters of the plastic. The display unit can also be a warning light; when the evaluated status is abnormal, it can flash a red light to warn the user.

[0028] The vibration generator 14 and vibration receiver 15 described in the non-destructive testing system 10 of the present invention may be an ultrasonic vibration generator and an ultrasonic vibration receiver, or any other type of generator and receiver that can emit vibration pulses, such as a laser.

[0029] The vibration generator 14 and vibration receiver 15 in the non-destructive testing system 10 of the present invention may include multiple pairs. The multiple pairs of vibration generators 14 and vibration receivers 15 may be installed at different positions in the container to detect the state of the internal materials or components at different positions. The driving unit 121 may drive at least one vibration generator 14 in the multiple pairs or drive multiple vibration generators 14 at the same time. The measuring unit 122 may record the reception time and response waveform of at least one vibration receiver 15 in the multiple pairs or record the reception time and response waveform of multiple vibration receivers 15 at the same time.

[0030] The control unit 12 in the non-destructive testing system 10 of the present invention includes a drive unit 121 and a measurement unit 122. The drive unit 121 and the measurement unit 122 may be disposed in the same housing or may have different housings.

[0031] Please refer to Figure 2. A non-destructive testing method according to an embodiment of the present invention is executed by the non-destructive testing system 10. The non-destructive testing system 10 includes a control unit 12, a storage unit 13, a vibration generator 14, a vibration receiver 15, and a display unit 16. The testing method includes: S12: The drive unit 121 of the control unit 12 drives the vibration generator 14 to emit vibration pulses based on measurement requirements; S13: The vibration generator 14 emits vibration pulses to the container 21; S14: The vibration receiver 15 receives the vibration pulses emitted by the vibration generator 14; S15: The measurement unit 122 of the control unit 12 records the reception time and reaction waveform of the vibration pulses received by the vibration receiver 15; S16: S161 The control unit 12 calculates the time difference based on the emission time of the vibration pulses and the reception time, and S162 analyzes the reaction waveform; and S17: The control unit 12 evaluates the state of the materials and components in the container based on the calculated time difference and the reaction waveform.

[0032] More preferably, the non-destructive testing method of the present invention further includes step S11: the control unit 12 generates measurement requirements according to the processing requirements.

[0033] More preferably, in the non-destructive testing method of the present invention, step S16 further includes: S163: the control unit 12 reads from the storage 13 the historical time difference value and historical reaction waveform of the state of the material and component in the container of the storage.

[0034] More preferably, in the non-destructive testing method of the present invention, step S17, the control unit 12 compares the read historical time difference value and historical reaction waveform with the current measured and calculated time difference value and reaction waveform to assess whether the state is abnormal.

[0035] More preferably, the non-destructive testing method of the present invention further includes S18: storing the time difference and reaction waveform measured and calculated at the moment to the storage device 13 for future analysis of whether the state is abnormal.

[0036] More preferably, the non-destructive testing method of the present invention further includes S19: the control unit 12 transmits the evaluated material or component status to the display unit 16, and the display unit 16 displays the evaluated status.

[0037] Referring to Figure 3, another embodiment of the non-destructive testing method of the present invention is executed by the non-destructive testing system 10. The non-destructive testing system 10 includes an input unit 11, a control unit 12, a storage unit 13, a vibration generator 14, a vibration receiver 15, and a display unit 16. The testing method includes: S21: The input unit 11 inputs measurement requirements and basic information; S22: The control unit 12 receives and drives the vibration generator 14 based on the measurement requirements; S23: The vibration generator 14 sends vibration pulses to the container 21; S24: The vibration receiver 15 receives the vibration pulses sent by the vibration generator 14; S25: The measurement unit 122 of the control unit 12 records the reception time and response waveform of the vibration pulses received by the vibration receiver 15; S26: S261 The control unit 12 calculates the time difference based on the emission time of the vibration pulse and the reception time, and S262 analyzes the response waveform; and S27: The control unit 12 evaluates the state of the materials and components in the container based on the calculated time difference and response waveform.

[0038] More preferably, in the non-destructive testing method of the present invention, step S26 further includes S263: the control unit 12 reads the correspondence table associated with the basic information from the storage 13.

[0039] More preferably, in the non-destructive testing method of the present invention, step S27, the control unit 12 evaluates the state of the material or component based on the read correspondence table, time difference and reaction waveform.

[0040] More preferably, the non-destructive testing method of the present invention further includes an S28 control unit 12 transmitting the evaluated material or component status to a display unit 16, and the display unit 16 displaying the evaluated status.

[0041] For example, the non-destructive testing system and method of the present invention can be applied to the barrel of an injection molding machine to monitor the molten state of the plastic in the barrel. When the plastic is all solid, the vibration receiver 15 will receive the vibration pulse about tens of microseconds after the vibration generator 14 emits the vibration pulse. When the plastic has completely melted into a liquid state, because the vibration pulse propagates slower in the liquid state than in the solid state, the time difference between the emission and reception of the vibration pulse will be longer than the time difference when the plastic is all solid. By monitoring the time difference between the emission and reception of the vibration pulse, the molten state of the plastic in the barrel can be estimated.

[0042] Although the present invention has been disclosed above by way of embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains may make some modifications and refinements without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention shall be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A non-destructive testing system for assessing the condition of a material or component within a container, comprising: At least one vibration generator is disposed on one side of the container to emit a vibration pulse to the container; At least one vibration receiver, disposed on the other side of the container opposite to the at least one vibration generator, is used to receive the vibration pulse emitted by the at least one vibration generator; and a control unit is used to drive the at least one vibration generator to emit the vibration pulse and record a reception time and a reaction waveform of the vibration pulse received by the at least one vibration receiver; wherein the control unit evaluates the state of the material or component in the container based on a time difference between the emission time and the reception time of the vibration pulse and the reaction waveform; and a storage device, coupled to the control unit, is used to store historical time difference values ​​and historical reaction waveforms corresponding to the state of the material or component in the container; wherein the control unit compares the time difference value with the historical time difference value and the reaction waveform with the historical reaction waveform to determine whether the state of the material or component is abnormal.

2. The non-destructive testing system as described in claim 1, wherein, The control unit includes a drive unit and a measurement unit. The drive unit is coupled to the at least one vibration generator and controls the at least one vibration generator to emit the vibration pulse based on a measurement requirement. The measurement unit is coupled to the at least one vibration receiver and is used to record the reception time and the response waveform of the vibration pulse received by the at least one vibration receiver.

3. The nondestructive testing system as described in claim 2 further includes an input unit coupled to the control unit for inputting the measurement requirement or basic information, the basic information being the geometry, size, material, and type and properties of the container and the component.

4. The nondestructive testing system as described in claim 3 further includes a storage device coupled to the control unit for storing the basic information and a mapping table containing information on the state of the material or component based on the basic information, the time difference, and the reaction waveform, so that the control unit can evaluate the state of the material or component based on the mapping table.

5. A non-destructive testing system as described in claim 1 or 4, wherein, The container is a barrel of an injection molding machine.

6. The non-destructive testing system as described in claim 5, wherein, The component is one of the screws in the barrel, and the state is the wear state of one of the screws evaluated by the control unit based on the time difference and the reaction waveform.

7. The non-destructive testing system as described in claim 5, wherein, The material is one of the plastics in the barrel, and the state is the molten state of one of the plastics evaluated by the control unit based on the lookup table.

8. The non-destructive testing system as described in claim 1 further includes a display unit coupled to the control unit for displaying the assessed state of the material or component.

9. The non-destructive testing system as described in claim 1, wherein, The at least one vibration generator is an ultrasonic vibration generator, and the at least one vibration receiver is an ultrasonic vibration receiver.

10. The non-destructive testing system as described in claim 2, wherein, The at least one vibration generator and the at least one vibration receiver in multiple pairs can be installed at different locations in the container. The driving unit simultaneously drives the at least one vibration generator in the multiple pairs, and the measuring unit simultaneously records the reception time and the response waveform of the at least one vibration receiver in the multiple pairs.

11. The non-destructive testing system as described in claim 2, wherein the measuring unit and the driving unit of the control unit may be housed in the same housing or in different housings.

12. A non-destructive testing method applicable to a non-destructive testing system for evaluating the state of a material or a component within a container, wherein the non-destructive testing system includes at least one vibration generator, at least one vibration receiver, and a control unit, the method comprising: A vibration pulse is emitted to the container through at least one vibration generator located on one side of the container; The system receives vibration pulses emitted by at least one vibration generator via at least one vibration receiver located on the other side of the container; the control unit drives the at least one vibration generator to emit vibration pulses and records the reception time and a response waveform of the vibration pulses received by the at least one vibration receiver; and the control unit evaluates the state of the material or component based on a time difference between the emission time and the reception time of the vibration pulses and the response waveform; the non-destructive testing system further includes a storage device for storing historical time differences and historical response waveforms corresponding to the state of the material or component in the container; wherein the control unit compares the time difference with the historical time difference and the response waveform with the historical response waveform to determine whether the state of the material or component is abnormal.

13. The non-destructive testing method as described in claim 12, wherein the control unit includes a drive unit and a measurement unit, the drive unit controlling the at least one vibration generator to emit the vibration pulse based on a measurement requirement, and the measurement unit recording the reception time of the vibration pulse received by the at least one vibration receiver and the response waveform.

14. The non-destructive testing method as described in claim 13, comprising: The measurement requirement or basic information is input through an input unit. The basic information includes the geometry, size, material, type, and properties of the container and the component.

15. The nondestructive testing method as described in claim 14, wherein the nondestructive testing system further includes a storage device for storing the basic information and a mapping table, the mapping table containing information on the state of the material or the component based on the basic information, the time difference and the reaction waveform, so that the control unit evaluates the state of the material or the component based on the mapping table.

16. The non-destructive testing method as described in claim 12 or 15, wherein the container is a barrel of an injection molding machine.

17. The non-destructive testing method as described in claim 16, wherein the component is a screw in the barrel, and the state is a screw wear state evaluated by the control unit based on the time difference and the reaction waveform.

18. The non-destructive testing method as described in claim 16, wherein, The material is one of the plastics in the barrel, and the state is the molten state of one of the plastics evaluated by the control unit based on the lookup table.

19. The nondestructive testing method as described in claim 12, wherein the nondestructive testing system further includes a display unit coupled to the control unit for displaying the evaluated state of the material or component.

20. The non-destructive testing method as described in claim 12, wherein the at least one vibration generator is an ultrasonic vibration generator and the at least one vibration receiver is an ultrasonic vibration receiver.

21. The non-destructive testing method as described in claim 13, wherein multiple pairs of at least one vibration generator and at least one vibration receiver may be installed at different locations in the container, the driving unit simultaneously drives at least one of the multiple pairs of vibration generators, and the measuring unit simultaneously records the reception time and the response waveform of at least one of the multiple pairs of vibration receivers.

22. The non-destructive testing method as described in claim 13, wherein the measuring unit and the driving unit of the control unit may be housed in the same housing or belong to different housings.

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