Rapid changeover ultrasonic tube inspection system for inspecting tubes of different diameters for flaws of different orientations

摘要

An ultrasonic tube inspection system is capable of rapid changeover for inspecting tubes of different diameters for flaws of different orientations. The inspection system includes a serial arrangement of multiple separate inspection stations and a plurality of tube inspecting transducer assemblies supported at each inspection station in a predetermined configuration corresponding to the diameter size of the particular tube to be inspected at the respective inspection station without the need for readjustment. The multiple separate inspection stations includes one separate tube dimension inspection station for inspecting tubes irrespective of their different predetermined diameter sizes and a plurality of separate tube flaw inspection stations each for inspecting tubes of a given one of the different predetermined diameter sizes for flaws of different orientations so as to permit rapid changeover from one flaw inspection station to another so that the flaw inspection station will be matched to the diameter size of the tube to be inspected next.