Development of a new type of automatic magnetic particle inspection wall-climbing robot

In the paper, a permanent magnet adsorption wall-climbing robot using magnetic particle detection technology for crack detection is introduced, which solves the problems of low efficiency of traditional manual detection and long detection time. According to the working environment of the detection system and the detection functions that need to be completed, the body structure of the robot is designed, the overall size of the robot is smaller than the distance between two steam turbine blades, so it can achieve the crack detection function of large steam turbine blades, and the stability and force analysis of the robot are carried out, and the adsorption conditions that meet the conditions of no sliding and overturning are obtained. In the paper, we use the magnetic circuit method to design a miniature excitation device for robotic applications and use the simulation software Ansoft-Maxwell to verify its feasibility. In the final experiment, it can be shown that the robot designed can achieve a series of functions such as magnetic particle inspection and image acquisition. There is a good prospect for the inspection of turbine blades.

Magnetic Particle Inspection Optimization Solution within the Frame of NDT 4.0

The quality of product and process is one of the most important factors in achieving constructively and then functionally safe products in any industry. Over the years, the concept of Industry 4.0 has emerged in all the quality processes, such as nondestructive testing (NDT). The most widely used quality control methods in the industries of mechanical engineering, aerospace, and civil engineering are nondestructive methods, which are based on inspection by detecting indications, without affecting the surface quality of the examined parts. Over time, the focus has been on research with the fourth generation in nondestructive testing, i.e., NDT 4.0 or Smart NDT, as a main topic to ensure the efficiency and effectiveness of the methods for a safe detection of all types of discontinuities. This area of research aims at the efficiency of methods, the elimination of human errors, digitalization, and optimization from a constructive point of view. In this paper, we presented a magnetic particles inspection method and the possible future directions for the development of standard equipment used in the context of this method in accordance with the applicable physical principles and constraints of the method for cylindrical parts. A possible development direction was presented in order to streamline the mass production of parts made of ferromagnetic materials. We described the methods of analysis and the tools used for the development of a magnetic particle inspection method used for cylindrical parts in all types of industry and NDT 4.0; the aim is to provide new NDT 4.0 directions in optimizing the series production for cylindrical parts from industry, as given in the conclusion of this article.

Image feature analysis for magnetic particle inspection of forging defects

Magnetic particle inspection is typically used to detect the magnetic leakage caused by defects. This method is mainly used to detect the surface and subsurface defects of ferromagnetic materials. The conventional detection method involves inspectors performing visual inspection under high-power ultraviolet light. However, the intense ultraviolet light can easily damage the eyes of the inspectors. Furthermore, the aforementioned process is not only time consuming but also susceptible to human errors. Therefore, this study developed an automated optical inspection system to perform magnetic particle inspection. Analysis of several image features revealed that a contour compactness between four and five can be used to distinguish defective and non-defective features effectively. The defect identification ability obtained with several input combinations of image features for neural networks was analyzed. The results revealed that a high identification ability can be achieved for defective features when the input combination of area, mean width, and compactness is used.

A novel graphene-based Fe3O4 nanocomposite for magnetic particle inspection

The magnetic particle material is the crucial part in the field of nondestructive inspection. Nevertheless, traditional magnetic particle still leaves much to be desired. In this research, we designed a simple procedure to synthesize a novel graphene-based ferroferric oxide (Fe3O4) nanocomposite. All characterizations implied that Fe3O4 was anchored on the surface of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) nanosheets successfully. Especially this specimen reveals significant magnetic property improvement and macroscopic stability because of the synergistic effect between Fe3O4 and graphene, as compared to the traditional magnetic particle. More importantly, our method optimizes intrinsic magnetization intensity, reduces remanence and sedimentation velocity of magnetic particle material. Thus, this nanocomposite holds great potential for the field of magnetic particle inspection.