SDI-MASTERSCAN MOTION CONTROL AND WINSCAN® ANALYSIS
The SDI MasterScan/WinScan® suite is one of the most powerful motion control and acquisition packages available. Designed from the ground up as a true Windows® application it has significant operational advantages over the competition. It is continually enhanced through feedback from our large international user base and our own test lab subsidiary.
SDI-MASTERSCAN MOTION CONTROL AND WINSCAN ANALYSIS OVERVIEW
The well structured modular software has evolved by incorporating customer’s motion control and acquisition requests into the standard product. With a user base of over 100 systems, incorporating the suggestions of technicians who spend all their time operating our equipment has resulted in the most versatile, user friendly, package in the industry.
Targeted primarily at high volume test lab users, the principal operational criteria are ease of use and fastest possible inspection times.
In addition to numerous custom systems, the SDI standard product range of over 14 systems types are employed in three main industry areas:
COMPLEX CONTOUR COMPOSITE SCANNERS
SDI’s range of high performance complex 3D scanners is able to perform simultaneous through transmission and pulse echo inspection on complex 3D composite parts. Advanced features include:
RAW MATERIAL INSPECTION SYSTEMS
SDI’s range of heavy duty plate and bar and billet inspection systems are designed for operation in harsh environments using sealed touch screen controls an air conditioned control enclosures.
Typical examples are bar systems with multitransducer bar followers performing multi zone inspection on 16000# round billets and plate inspection systems with up to 32 simultaneous data acquisition channels.
SDI-MASTERSCAN MOTION CONTROL
The SDI MasterScan is a Microsoft Windows® based high-speed, multi-axis, coordinated motion control package targeted at large scale production inspection and test lab applications. Developed by SDI for its extensive range of ultrasonic systems, MasterScan is installed on products ranging from small lab scanners to precision tanks and through transmission gantries.
MasterScan is used with a range of ultra low noise dc servo products designed and manufactured by SDI specifically for demanding ultrasonic applications. The MasterScan control package, working with WinScan acquisition and analysis, acquires data from up to 8 channels with both through transmission and pulse echo curve following capability.
For curved scans the scan index increment is measured along the surface of the part being tested. The package provides such features as ‘stop on defect’, ‘return to defect’, ‘chain scanning’ and ‘scan scripting’. The front end user interface, configured to match the application, ranges from a simple touch screen controller for bar scanners, to full featured controls for 3D through transmission contour following.
Scan profiles are taught using the front surface echo.
SDI systems are designed to function with a wide range of third party flaw detectors. Instrument set-ups can be stored with the scan plan for a number of Olympus and GE instruments.
For scripted scans, with multiple inspection sequences, a series of scans with different instrument set-ups are performed sequentially without operator intervention. Each scan produces a separate data file with automatic file name generation.
When used with the SDI-2800 programmable flaw detector, instrument parameters can be changed ‘on-the-fly’ as part of the scan plan. e.g. a gate can be set up to follow the back wall of a part with rapidly changing thickness, or follow a bond line under similar conditions.
SDI-WINSCAN® ACQUISITION AND ANALYSIS
SDI’s WinScan® is one of the most versatile ultrasonic acquisition and analysis packages available for production inspection and defect evaluation. Approved and used by all major aerospace prime contractors, the extensive features, intuitive operation and flexible data input alternatives have made it a popular choice for analysing and printing data acquired from a variety of sources.
In standard configuration WinScan® captures up to eight channels of 12 bit peak detected data in C-scan format. Defect evaluation, using the MiniScan feature, provides B-scan and full waveform capture features. The number of palette levels and palette colors are operator selectable.
Data can be displayed as percent of full scale, in dB or scaled for use with log amplifiers. Bipolar data display is provided for Eddy Current applications. Displayed data can be compressed, zoomed and panned. Analysis features include line cursor measurement, image enhancement, region of interest (ROI) histograms, signal to noise ratio measurement and cluster analysis.
During analysis indications can be annotated with a marker. The marker position and the comments are stored with the data file. If the part is still in the scanner, the transducer can be sent to a defect indication for further evaluation with the transducer following the part contour.
If defect evaluation is required while the test is in progress, it is possible to pause the acquisition while the transducer is jogged over an indication for evaluation. When completed the acquisition can continue from the original pause location or from the current position.
The WinScan® package offers extensive reporting and printing capabilities. The high quality illustrated documents produced can be printed on any printer or plotter with a Windows® driver. WinScan® also has the capability of plotting selected areas of the scan at any even integer scale from 1:8 to 8:1 allowing test results to be overlaid on the component being inspected.
WinScan® is fully compatible with the Windows® local area network. This means that adding a second PC with access to shared disks and peripherals over the network can enhance the system performance.
This would be advantageous when carrying out high volumes of data analysis and report generation while scanning other components. The real time analysis feature allows data from a component being inspected to be analyzed before the scan is completed.