Trucks that move copper, coal and other resources extracted from mines need to be maintained not only for their proper use, but also for safety reasons. They can often carry loads of up to 400 tonnes and operate for long hours. The wheels are under constant stress during operation. The center of the wheel holds the wheel to the vehicle, making it a critical part of the truck. A poorly assembled wheel can be very costly, and can lead to an accident. Wheel centers are often made of cast steel. During the forging process, irregularities such as porosities or inclusions can be created. Intensive use of the truck also causes wear on the wheels, with cracks appearing. It is therefore vital to carry out non-destructive testing of these vital components.
Thanks to a multi-element fault detector, the area covered by the inspection is increased, without having to move the probe. Very often we only have one access to the wheel. Using multiple angles with a single multi-element probe and a single position increases the probability of crack detection and sizing. A larger area of the wheel can be inspected and the data recorded.
In conclusion, wheels are critical truck parts. Defects can have far-reaching consequences. Olympus portable multi-element solutions, such as the OmniScan, allow you to inspect crowded areas with optimized coverage and improved defect detection.
Learn more: https://www.olympus-ims.com/fr/phasedarray/