Laser System for Tube Sheet Holes Measurement

RIFTEK:The tube sheet is an essential component of heat exchangers and is usually a round plate with many (up to several thousand) holes. One of the most important indicators of the tube sheets quality is compliance of the diameter of all holes with the specified value. Currently, diameter control is done manually and, given the number of holes, is a very labor-intensive process.

To increase productivity and reliability of control, eliminating the human factor, we have developed a system for automated measurement of tube sheet holes. The operation of the system is based on the principle of scanning the inner surface of holes with a rotating laser triangulation sensor.

Main components of the system:

• Laser triangulation probe(s) RF609-Wi-Fi Series.
• Industrial tablet with software.

Hole inspection is performed as follows:

• The laser triangulation probe is installed in the spindle of the CNC machine.
• The CAD file of the controlled tube sheet is uploaded into the program on the tablet.
• The operator enters the sequence of measuring the tube sheet holes into the machine program and the system program.
• The tablet is switched to data reception mode, and the scanning program is launched on the machine.

During the measurement process, the machine sequentially, in accordance with the selected algorithm, inserts a rotating laser probe into the controlled hole. The laser probe transmits measurement data to the tablet, and the tablet software calculates the geometric parameters of each hole and displays them in a digital and a graphic color code. After completing the measurements, the operator generates a report.

Using the system allowed the customer to significantly improve product quality and output, significantly reduce measurement costs and time.