Method and system for locating and inspecting seam weld in metal seam-welded pipe

摘要

A seam locating system includes a laser beam scanning means for scanning a laser beam through a plurality of circumferentially aligned scanning points. The system includes means for forming a pattern image of reflected laser beam at each scanning points and means for forming a single-frame video image of the pattern image for each scanning point. A video signal processing circuit selects one or more scanning lines suitable for locating irregularities in the angle of reflection of the laser beam, for locating the scanning line in each frame with the maximum width over which the luminosity of the video signal is higher than a given threshold, for deriving a threshold value to be compared with the maximum width of each frame and for deriving the center position of the seam based on the comparison of the maximum width of each frame and the threshold value and the address of each frame, which address is indicative of the circumferential position of the corresponding scanning point. The seam locating system set forth above is not influenced by scale or the like which reflect the laser beam irregularly but with high luminosity by suitably selecting the scanning lines in each frame of video data. The seam locating system may further include means for feedback controlling the laser beam scanning means relative to the derived center position of the welded seam. Furthermore, the seam locating system according to the invention is applicable to seam-welded pipe annealing for automatically positioning the anneal device over the seam or for flaw detection in the welded seam.