Automotive Testing Systems
All Electric or Hybrid Vehicles and those with Internal Combustion Engines have critical safety parts which need Non Destructive Testing to guarantee their continuous operation without breakdown. To help you find an NDT system for your parts, the following list describes and shows some of the Eddy Current and Ultrasonic testing systems made, and installed worldwide, by Andec for that part. If your part to be tested is similar to one of those on this list, simply clicking on it will get you photographs and a full description of that system. Any of these systems can be supplied with off line manual, or inline Robotic or pick and place, automatic loading and unloading at production throughput speeds.
Eddy Current Testing System for Automotive Engine Stator Shafts
This fully automatic testing arrangement consists of surround guarding enclosing a floor mounted robot in the center between the testing station and input and accept/reject chutes.
The system operates without operator involvement.
A complete pallet filled with sixteen stator shafts is slid down a short roller conveyor through the surround guarding. It stops in a precise location from which the programmed robot picks up each part and places it in the testing station, where an array of Eddy Current probes inspects the machined surfaces of each part for cracks.
After the completion of the test, and in response to an accept/reject signal from the system PLC, the robot picks up each part from the inspection station and places it on a separate accept or reject roller conveyor section, so the part can roll through the surround guarding for operator pick up and removal.
Eddy Current Testing System for Shock Absorber Strut Rods
This automatic testing system is mounted in line to detect long and very short and shallow surface cracks in and under the plating.
It also verifies proper heat treatment and plating thickness along the length of each rod.
A novel adjustable motor driven roller arrangement advances the rod without slippage in a specific helix to accommodate the width of the overlapping Eddy Current probes, to guarantee over 100% surface coverage.
Rods are automatically separated after testing into accept and reject accumulators and sorted in matching lengths for easy batch removal.
The system is controlled by a PLC with large HMI and instrument displays for easy setup and calibration.
Offline Eddy Current Tester for Large Automotive Engine Cylinder Liners
Quick and simple off line Eddy Current testing unit for the quick comparison of hardness and case depth throughout the inner circumference of large engine cylinder liners, with robot operations in a robot cell, or manual load/unload.
The circumferentially sensitive coils are automatically passed down and retracted while scanning the inside of both parts. The part to be tested is compared during this scan to a permanently mounted “good” reference part.
Inline Eddy Current Testing System for Large Automotive Engine Cylinder Liners
This fully automatic, PLC controlled, testing system inspects large steel cylinder liners for the presence of surface cracks, changes in hardness and casedepth, as well as end of edge casedepth and degree of rolling effects.
The system is supplied with multichannel instrumentation and arrays of special probes and coils.
The same complex system is installed in several manufacturing lines, each with a cycle time of less than fourteen (14) seconds.
Automatic accept/reject mechanisms let acceptable parts continue to inline roller conveyors, while unacceptable parts are ejected into reject chutes.
Eddy Current Testing System for Two Automotive Transmission Parking Gear Lines
This automated system is placed in two adjacent lines to automatically test parts in both lines with one robot loading and unloading parts in sequence for each line.
The system can also operate with manual load/unload to and from each line through safety light curtains.
Each system automatically inspects the part for cracks in five locations and checks the casedepth and runout on each side around the teeth of the main disk and along the length of the shaft.
The system operation is controlled by the line PLC and built in PC, and the Eddy Current testing is performed by one multi-channel instrument and arrays of probes and sets of coils. The cycle time is less than ten seconds.
Eddy Current Testing System for Automotive Transmission Sun Gears
This system inspects the surfaces of the tubular shaft which are shown on the detailed sketch of a Sun Gear, on the large HMI display of the PLC, which controls the automation of the system.
All of these surfaces are inspected for surface breaking cracks, hardness and case depth at the “top of the part”, the “spline”, the “barrel 1 & 2”, as well as case run out on the surface area marked “machine surface”.
HMI displays, like the one shown, are supplied on most Andec systems to make the operation and interpretation of the test results easy and operator friendly.
This system is placed in a robot cell for automatic robot load/unload, or fed in and out manually through safety light curtains.
The cycle time of this system is less than twelve seconds.
Eddy Current Testing System for Automotive Transmission Output Hubs, with laser marker
This automated system detects shallow cracks at the roots of the gear teeth, on both sides of the part, and checks hardness and case depth around the outer periphery of the teeth.
After completion of the testing sequence, each acceptable part is automatically moved over to a rigid steel platform where it is parked with a sequential number by a laser marker prior to exiting the system via the parallel roller conveyor into the next inline operation. Rejected parts continue to roll down the throughput roller conveyor out of the system into reject receptacles.
The testing of each part is completed in the line cycle time of about six (6) seconds.
The system is placed against the inside of the robot cell surround guarding in which openings were made to provide access to the Eddy Current instrument and HMI controls to allow adjustments to be made without the operator having to enter the robot cell and interrupt the line operation.
Eddy Current Testing System for Automotive Transmission Rockers
This high-speed Eddy Current testing system verifies the proper heat treatment, and measures the thickness of small steel rockers used in automotive transmissions, at a throughput of less than two (2) per second.
The rockers are placed into a large hopper from which they move into a custom designed vibratory bowl feeder. The feeder separates the rockers and feeds them individually into a gravity fed track.
They then slide through an Eddy Current encircling test coil to check the heat treat properties, and under a laser beam which measures the rocker’s thickness to an accuracy of 0.0001” (0.0025mm).
After each of the two tests, automatic flippers eject unacceptable rockers and allow all accepted rockers to pass into a receptacle, or be blown via a special flexible tube to the next inline operation.
Eddy Current Testing System for Automotive Transmission Gears
This system is designed to inspect three different sizes of similar gears.
It is manually loaded into a preset chute and manually unloaded from an output chute.
The chutes are adjustable to handle each of the three part types separately into and out of each chute and the testing encircling coils are dedicated to each part.
The parts are inspected to monitor the part hardness and case depth Unaccepted parts are shuttled into reject receptacles provided on one side of the system.
Eddy Current Testing System to Test Automotive Transmission Parts
This unique testing system is installed close to several automotive transmission parts production lines to monitor hardness and case depth on each line.
Periodically (i.e. every couple of hours) a trained inspector takes a sample of parts from each line and checks the hardness and case depth of each part.
A set of two coils is mounted on the benches for each different part.
The operator places each of the parts in the designated test coil and takes the same master part from a drawer and places it in the comparator coil.
The computer and sophisticated software monitoring the test result of eight frequency instrument, and turn on green or red light indicating to the inspector ‘hard and ‘soft’ and ‘deep’ and ‘shallow case’.
Simple Eddy Current Testing System for Automotive Engine Camshafts
Off line system to rapidly scan all of the camshaft lobes, without having to stop at each lobe, to verify hardness and casedepth, with a robot or overhead pick and place load/unload, or manually with safety light curtains.
This system is installed in a number of production lines with automatic and continuous load/unload with overhead pick and place, or a walking beam conveyor, and ejection of unacceptable camshafts.
Total time to scan the complete camshaft length and all the lobes is less than five (5) seconds.
Eddy Current instrumentation and system PLC control is supplied from a floor mounted temperature-controlled cabinet.
Eddy Current Testing System for Automotive Engine Camshafts
This inline automatic system with walking beam conveyor detects hardness and casedepth variations on the base circle of each cam as well as surface cracks in the surface around each cam.
Hardness and casedepth are monitored with specially developed test coils, with contoured testing shape to intimately fit around each cam base circle.
Crack detection is performed with an array of probes in spring loaded, wear protected mounting holders, riding on the surface of each cam, while the shaft is rotating.
After completion of the testing, acceptable camshafts are moved to the next line conveyor operation, and rejected shafts are ejected to an accumulating conveyor, to one side of the system.
Eddy Current Inline Testing System for Automotive Engine Camshafts
This fully automated inline testing system continuously moves camshafts via a walking beam conveyor into and through an Eddy Current testing arrangement where they are scanned by encircling coils.
The camshafts are stepped, two at a time, to align them with a lifting mechanism to centers which hold them to allow two encircling coils to rapidly scan along them to check for hardness and case depth variation of each cam.
After completion of each test scan, the camshafts are released and lowered down to the walking beam, which steps them to the next station to continue to the line accepting area. Unacceptable camshafts are ejected to one side of the line.
Total cycle time is only about eight seconds.
Eddy Current Testing System for Automotive Drive and Driven Gears
This system detects any cracks at the roots of the gear teeth on both sides of the part.
The system can be installed in line with overhead pick and place or robot load/unload, or out of line with manual operation using safety light curtains.
The PLC controlled system automatically resets for varying part thicknesses or diameters. The total testing time is approximately ten (10) seconds.
Similar Andec testing systems are installed for the inspection of various other gears.
Eddy Current Testing System for Automotive Transmission Turbine Shafts
This inline automated testing system inspects turbine shafts for surface cracks as well as hardness, case depth, and case run out along its’ entire length, including the spline section.
The accept/reject of the crack detection is just by screen height monitoring, while the hardness, case depth and end case run out, is by means of set and displayed thresholds along the shaft.
The display of these parameters is shown in real time during and after the scan of each part. If the test shows an out of tolerance condition, the system automatically rejects the shaft into a side mounted collecting chute.
These features are used to monitor the heat treat equipment settings, and provide the opportunity to tweak the heat treat units if a high or low drift is detected.
Green and red markings continuously show the totals of good and bad shafts tested.
Eddy Current Testing System for Automotive Transmission 4X2 Output Shaft
This system inspects the stepped surfaces of the long shaft and the large disk outer gear teeth on both sides at the roots of these teeth. It requires a number of encircling coil combinations and an array of probes to assure that all surfaces are tested for cracks and hardness case depth variations. Even the splined teeth are checked for cracks and hardness throughout the splined area.
This inspection is controlled by a built in PLC and it’s HMI display.
These systems are mostly located in a robot cell, but are also supplied with safety light curtains for manual load/unload.
Even with the time consuming placing and moving of the encircling coils and the probes along the shaft, the system cycle time is less than fourteen seconds.
Eddy Current Testing System for Automotive Transmission Inner Sun Gears
Eddy Current testing system with inline robot load/unload or out of line manual load/unload with safety light curtains.
The system inspects the automotive transmission sun gears for cracks, hardness, case depth and case runout along the shaft, the splines, and the gear teeth inside the bell housing.
The gear is shown in the photograph and the tested areas are layed out on the PLC display. Such displays are used on most Andec systems to make operation, and interpretation of the testing results, easy and operator friendly.
The cycle time of this system with robot load/unload is less than fifteen seconds.
Unique Ultrasonic Testing System for Automotive Rear Axles
Like the automated system, this manually loaded/unloaded ultrasonic testing system automatically ‘measures’ deep case depth to at lease 5mm (0.200”) and case depth runout along the length of the shaft, as well as at the flange.
It also detects longitudinal and transverse cracks, as well as chevrons.
Unique Ultrasonic Testing System for Automotive Rear Axles (Inline)
This system accurately “Measures” Casedepth and Case Runout along the length of the shaft, as well as at the flange, and detects longitudinal and transverse cracks, as well as chevrons.
Instead of just comparing to other parts of the same type, like Eddy Currents does for shallow case inspection down to a depth of only about 2.25mm (0.090”), this system accurately measures from shallow to greater than 6mm (0.250”) deep casedepth.
Using a multi-channel Ultrasonic instrument and an array of custom-made transducers in rust inhibited water immersion, or using a bubbler technique, each axle is inspected along its full length in less than 10 seconds.
The included overhead pick and place system automatically picks each axle up from the output line conveyor before testing, places it on the in the tank, and lifts it up after testing, to pass it on to the next operation.
Ultrasonic Immersion Testing System for Automotive Transmission Gear, with blow dryer
In this inline Ultrasonic testing system, the gear is submerged in rust inhibited water to inspect the integrity of the weld around its’ circumference.
Via an overhead pick and place arrangement the part is placed on a submerged motor driven rotator to pass the complete circumference of the weld in front of an array of transducers.
An inline high volume air blower assures that each part can continue in line after testing, without interrupting or delaying the production cycle time.
Unique Ultrasonic Laserweld Inspection Technology: The Andec ‘ULIT’ System
Over many years, a variety of Andec’s in-house developed Ultrasonic Laserweld Inspection Technology (ULIT) systems, have been installed in many automotive assembly welding lines. They are available with robotic or overhead pick and place, load/unload, or with surround guarding and safety light curtains.
The Andec ‘ULIT’ system assures the quality and integrity of each laser welded assembly in a welding line, at production speed, with automatic or manual loading/unloading.
Employing it’s unique ‘Laminar Link’ liquid coupling device which is custom made for each different gear assembly, the coupling liquid slightly wets only the surface of the assembly near the weld, while the rest of the assembly remains dry.
The self locating part loading assembly, with the dedicated coupling device, can be replaced quickly. This allows each ‘ULIT’ system to be utilized for various different gear assemblies, eliminating the need to purchase a separate system for each different assembly.
The ‘ULIT’ system detects, displays on a large colour monitor, and records the test results and all weld defects, such as lack of fusion or penetration, voids or shrinkage cracks, porosity or slag inclusions, as well as a displaced weld or mis-aligned assembly.
Some ‘ULIT’ specifications:
Testing sequence is completed in less than 10 seconds
All weld defects, as well as a displaced weld and misaligned assembly are detected
Location of defect around weld circumference is identified
Dimensions of each defect are indicated
Percentage of weld defects is calculated and displayed
Testing with the unique patented “Laminar Link” coupling device, only the small area of the weld surface gets slightly wet, leaving almost all of the part dry
Fully automatic testing after manual or automated loading
System pre-calibrated only once with standard welded assembly
Automatic display of accept/reject with manual or automated load/unload
Accept/reject result passed on to line PLC with automated load/unload
Ultrasonic Immersion Testing System for Blanks of Automotive Stator Shaft
This simple PLC controlled system is used inside a robot cell for automatic robot load/unload and inspection of forged stator shaft blanks before they are machined.
A number separate prepositioned immersion transducers on a multi-chrome instrument are used to inspect this part for longitudinal and transverse defects.
Two PLC screens display the operational control settings and test results, for easy operator friendly manual set up of the system.
The total cycle time is less than six seconds.
Multi NDT System for Automotive Transmission Output Shafts
This system is one of the first automated inline automotive parts testing systems installed by Andec in 1983. It uses a combination of Ultrasonics, Eddy Current and dimensional tests to inspect transmission output shafts.
The system detects surface breaking cracks, internal chevrons and laminations, and measures the total length of each spindle as a walking beam moves it through the three testing methods in less than eleven (11) seconds.
