British acoustics unites

final bundle is weighed by load cells. The system can be stopped when a batch length is reached and the batch length, number and weight read out (Fig.3).

FIIDT Ilff RFIIIFmOFtlRIIL tFIIEEIIS

One man operates this semi-automatic system and replaces a team of three who had an accuracy no better than 6%. It could be automated if necessary. The light sources, phototransistors and handling equipment have been made robust enough to achieve a mean time between failures in optical and electronic systems of 2 200 h. A warning is given for lamp failure, foreign object or tube under 1 m long, light detector failure, or delivery failure. A system fault or completion of required batch length mechanically locks the system. Reynolds Tube Co Ltd, Tyseley, Birmingham, UK

....

~ e ~ "~.'~:

"" ""t;';

,7? ~...~....-~.:~

-

,

'

"

,j

,,z

Pommie detectors down under A British ndt equipment manufacturer has arranged to sell its ultrasonic equipment in Australia and New Zealand. Baugh & Weedon Ltd of Hereford has appointed ACI Metlab Mapel Pry of Sydney its regional exclusive agent for its ultrasonic flaw detectors and thickness gauges. Baugh & Weedon Ltd, Blackfriars Street, Hereford, I lerefordshire, UK

Research firm finds a friend Vickers Ltd and Reyrolle Parsons Ltd have reached agreement for Vickers to buy a 50% interest in International Research & Development (IRD), the British industrial research concern with headquarters at Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Before this agreement Reyrolle Parsons owned the whole thing. IRD was set up in 1962 and it undertakes contracts for government and industry. It was recently involved in the marketing of the Royal Navy's acoustic emission system. Much of Vickers research work will be transferred to IRD which will thus increase its workload. The nonexecutive chairman of IRD is Dr H. M. Finniston who is also head of the nationalized British Steel Corporation. The deal cost Vickers £700 000 in cash; no easy terms for research it seems. IRD, Fossway, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE6 2YD, UK

NON-DESTRUCTIVE

i

A

Fig.3 One man operates the system which transfers the batch o f tube f r o m one bundle to a n o t h e r and gives the length and weight

British acoustics unites The British Acoustics Society and the Acoustics Group of the Institute of Physics have amalgamated to form the Institute of Acoustics. This will mean there will be a single British body for the whole field of acoustics which includes ultrasonics. The new Institute will hold meetings and symposia in Great Britain and take part in joint meetings in Europe. It will organize the Eighth International Congress on Acoustics to be held in London in July 1974. There is already one committee, on education, and others will be formed as required. Institute of Acoustics, 47 Belgrave Square, London SWI X 8QX

on each tie rod. Two probes cover the ball and taper neck of the rods and the rest covers the shank. The components are separated into cracked or uncracked categories. The machine can test up to 1 000 units an hour. The machine will be integrated into the production line. Teledictor Ltd, Groveland Road, Tipton, Staffordshire, UK

w

~

,

.~=~i~

'1"

Italian motormakers buy ndt Messrs TRW Italia, of Italy has bought a complete automatic eddy-current crack detection system to inspect motor steering components. The equipment is supplied by Teledictor Ltd of Tipton, UK and it will be used for tie rods, a part of the steering mechanism (Fig.4). The machine will handle tie rods in the 225-450 mm length range. Six eddycurrent probes will test various points

T E S T I N G . A P R I L 1974

•

,.

p

,

II ,

!

Fig.4 A n Italian m o t o r car m a n u f a c t u r e r has bought instrumentation f o r its eddycurrent crack detection f r o m a British f i r m

61