NEW - View a video that shows the laser ultrasonic process.
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NEW - See an illustration of how laser ultrasonic technology measures a rotating steel tube.
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Laser Ultrasonic Technology – a laser-based gauging system that makes steel tube manufacturing processes more efficient through online measurement capability and reduced material costs. The system:

• Reduces material cost by producing less excess material (to assure adequate machining stock) during manufacturing.
• Generates data for process control adjustments to achieve better, more rapid size adjustments.
• Saves sampling time by providing online tube measurement data during the production process.
• Enhances the sampling process by providing a more complete view across the tube length.

The Timken Company, in cooperation with the National Research Council of Canada and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, completed development and testing of the new gauging system in 2001. In addition to enabling more efficient manufacturing of seamless steel tubing, the process also reduces energy consumption. The United States Department of Energy funded 60 percent of the $3.1 million development project.

The non-contact laser-based system measures the wall thickness of steel tubing as it is produced. The dimension data will be used as feedback for process control to reduce tube eccentricity. The new technology will further enhance the world-leading quality of Timken® steel by facilitating production of tubing at even tighter tolerances and with a more uniform wall thickness.

The technology will be a vast improvement over the current method of achieving size. Current production runs need to be halted at the beginning of each order for manual size measurement and machinery adjustments to meet product specifications, resulting in a potential loss of several tubes from a given production run to achieve aim size. With online measurement capability, adjustments will be made based on gauge data from the first piece, with a significant material, time and energy saving.

It is estimated that this online measurement system will:

• Improve the productivity of seamless mechanical steel tubing through reduced mill downtime, fewer set-up pieces, tightened tolerances.
• Reduce the energy consumption and pollution emissions associated with remanufacturing or reworking out of tolerance product.
• Produce estimated savings of $234 million per year if adopted by all domestic seamless tube and pipe mills.

For more information on laser-ultrasonic technology, please contact Robert V. Kolarik at 1-330-471-2378.