| Until now, finding longitudinal defects under 0.25mm deep required rotation of the part or the eddy-current probe. Complex, expensive electro-mechanical methods were a prerequisite. General Inspection LLC, USA, has recently developed an eddy-current system that detects defects previously undetectable at production speeds. In the new method, parts slide through an eddy-current coil.
The eddy-current circuitry, software, and coil development are all contributing factors to the success of this system. Unlimited numbers of part set-up parameters can be stored in memory and simple coil changeover for different part sizes is accomplished in a few minutes. Exhaustive testing has been performed by several fastener manufacturers to prove the systems capability for finding �head cracks� on bolts ranging from 12.5 to 37.5mm �, and several systems are already installed and many more are on order.
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