Rail Weld Post-Heating with Laser-Based Section Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing post-heating treatment methods for rails rely on human visual inspection, leading to potential misalignment of induction heating coils and unstable quality of welding, as they lack automated detection and positioning of the welded section.
Innovation Solution
A post-heating treatment device and method that uses a laser displacement meter to detect height variations along the rail, automatically defining the start and end points of the welded section, allowing for precise positioning of induction coils for effective heat treatment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If human visual inspection is used to locate the welded section, then the operation is simple and requires minimal equipment, but the positioning accuracy is low and quality stability is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical visual inspection system with an optical measurement system using a laser displacement meter. The laser displacement meter emits laser light to the rail surface and measures the reflected light to detect height variations, automatically identifying the welded section's position and length without human intervention, thereby significantly improving positioning accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a control unit as an intermediary that processes the measurement data from the laser displacement meter. The control unit calculates the welded section's position and length based on height variation thresholds and consecutive detection criteria, then sends positioning instructions to the induction heating coil, achieving automated precise positioning without direct human involvement.
2Reliability
If automated detection is implemented to improve positioning accuracy, then the quality stability improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The laser displacement meter serves multiple functions: it measures the rail surface profile, detects the welded section's position, determines the welded section's length, and provides data for calculating heating parameters. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate detection devices, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity while improving reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the rail's own geometric characteristics (height variations at the welded section) as the detection target. The laser displacement meter measures these inherent features without requiring additional markers, tags, or modifications to the rail, allowing automated detection to achieve high quality stability without significantly increasing device complexity.
3Measurement precision
If the laser displacement meter detects height variations to identify the welded section, then the positioning precision improves, but the detection complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the physical parameter of rail surface height into an electrical signal through the laser displacement meter. By setting a height variation threshold and requiring consecutive detections above this threshold, the system converts complex continuous height data into discrete welded section position and length information, simplifying the detection process while maintaining high precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit continuously receives height variation data from the laser displacement meter and compares it against predetermined thresholds. When consecutive measurements exceed the threshold, the system identifies the welded section and adjusts positioning accordingly. This feedback mechanism enables precise automated detection without requiring complex manual analysis of height variation data.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables automatic detection and precise positioning of the welded section, ensuring stable quality of the rail after post-heating treatment by preventing false detection of foreign objects and accurately locating the welded section, even with low-height projections.
Implementation Method 1
a laser displacement meter to detect height variations along the rail
Implementation Method 2
detecting means for height variation on the head surface of the rail at every predetermined pitch along the rail direction
Implementation Method 3
provided with an induction heating coil which heats the entire circumference of the rail
Implementation Method 4
heating means for performing the heat treatment on the basis of the position of welded section defined by the control unit
Data Source
AI summary
A post-heating treatment device includes a detecting device for a height variation of a surface of the rail at every, predetermined pitch along a length direction of the rail, a control unit for defining a position of the rail to be a starting point of the welded section when the height variation detected by the detecting device at every predetermined pitch exceeds a predetermined threshold for the number of a predetermined times consecutively and defining a position of the rail to be an end point of the welded section when the height variation detected by the detecting device at every predetermined pitch is below the predetermined threshold for the number of the predetermined times consecutively, and a heating unit for heat treatment based on a position of the welded section detected by the detecting device. A post-heating treatment method using the post-heating treatment device is provided.