Ultrasonic Probe Adapter for Toothed Component Testing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current ultrasonic testing methods for toothed components, such as gears in wind energy plants, face inefficiencies in flaw detection due to the non-smooth surface of toothed components, which complicates the homogeneous introduction of ultrasonic pulses and limits automation, leading to less effective and more labor-intensive processes.
Innovation Solution
An ultrasonic probe adapter with a test specimen side featuring a negative form of the component, including teeth, is used to optimize the introduction of ultrasonic signals into toothed components, allowing for improved alignment and simplified movement of the ultrasonic probe, thereby enhancing flaw detection accuracy and automation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If ultrasonic testing is performed directly on toothed components with non-smooth surfaces, then the testing process becomes labor-intensive and difficult to automate, but using conventional smooth adapters reduces measurement precision and flaw detection accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The adapter body is created as a negative copy (inverse mold) of the toothed component's external geometry. This copying approach allows the adapter to perfectly match the complex toothed surface, enabling automated probe movement while maintaining consistent acoustic coupling and measurement precision across all tooth surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The adapter serves as an intermediary device between the ultrasonic probe and the toothed component. It provides a smooth reference surface for the probe while its external teeth match the component's geometry, thereby enabling automated testing without sacrificing measurement accuracy on the complex toothed surface.
2Ease of operation
If ultrasonic pulses are introduced directly onto the non-smooth toothed surface, then alignment becomes difficult and homogeneous pulse introduction is compromised, but using simplified adapters reduces manufacturing precision for complex geometries
Solution Approach 1:
By creating the adapter as a negative copy of the toothed component, the complex geometry is captured in the adapter's external toothed surface. This allows the adapter to be manufactured with high precision using conventional molding techniques, while the smooth internal surface provides easy probe alignment and movement.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of trying to create a smooth adapter for a complex toothed surface, the approach is inverted: the adapter itself is given the complex toothed external geometry that matches the component, while the internal surface remains smooth for probe contact. This inversion solves both the alignment ease and manufacturing precision requirements.
3Productivity
If conventional ultrasonic testing methods are used on toothed components, then the process requires significant personnel time and manual intervention, but automated systems reduce measurement precision on complex surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The adapter acts as a mediator that enables automated testing systems to achieve high productivity while maintaining measurement precision. Its dual geometry (smooth internal surface for probe contact, external teeth matching the component) allows automated probe movement along predetermined paths while ensuring consistent acoustic coupling and accurate flaw detection on the complex toothed surface.
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
The ultrasonic probe adapter improves the efficiency and accuracy of flaw detection in toothed components by optimizing the introduction of ultrasonic signals and simplifying the testing process, enabling more effective and automated detection of flaws, particularly in wind energy plant components like blade bearings.
Implementation Method 1
Ultrasonic testing comprises in particular the detection of flaws in and/or on a material by means of ultrasound. The principle of ultrasonic testing is based at least on the fact that the ultrasonic waves emitted by an ultrasonic device propagate at different speeds in different media.
Implementation Method 2
the ultrasonic probe adapter exhibits on its test specimen side a negative form of the test specimen, i.e. of the component to be tested. In the present case, the ultrasonic probe adapter therefore exhibits partly or fully the negative form of a gear
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to an ultrasonic probe adapter for ultrasonic testing of toothed test specimens,an ultrasonic testing method and an ultrasonic testing system for detecting flaws in toothed test specimens. In particular, the present invention relates to an ultrasonic probe adapter (1, 1') for ultrasonic testing of toothed test specimens, in particular of externally toothed test specimens (100, 100', 101), comprising a probe side (10, 10') which preferably faces away from a test specimen (100, 100', 101) during ultrasonic testing,a test specimen side (20, 20') which preferably faces a test specimen (100, 100', 101) during ultrasonic testing,wherein the probe side (10, 0') and the test specimen side (20, 20') each have a longitudinal extension (L),a thickness (D) extending from the probe side (10, 10') to the test specimen side (20, 20'),and a width(B) extending orthogonally to the thickness (D) and orthogonally to the longitudinal extension of the probe side (10, 10') and/or to the longitudinal extension of the test specimen side (20, 20'), wherein a test toothing (21) is arranged on the test specimen side (20, 20').