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Inline weld seam evaluation, defect detection, full 360° coverage, straightness and ovality measurement — integrated directly into your tube or pipe mill for real‑time quality control.
External weld geometry, undercut, overlap, bead irregularities, and reliable detection at production speed.
The system uses a dedicated 5th sensor head optimised for the weld seam region. It acquires high‑resolution 3D profiles of the weld bead and surrounding area, allowing real‑time evaluation of:
All measurements are compared against user‑defined tolerances, and defective sections are flagged immediately.
Detection capability depends on both the spatial resolution and the acquisition rate. At 50 m/min (833 mm/s) with a 16 kHz profile rate, the longitudinal sampling step is approximately 52 µm. A reliable detection requires averaging at least 3 profiles, so the minimum detectable defect length is about 150 µm.
For width, the sensor provides 3200 points per profile; the lateral resolution is between 56 µm and 75 µm, depending on the standoff distance (object distance).
These figures represent worst‑case conditions (maximum speed, extreme product size). At lower speeds or more favourable geometry, even smaller defects can be detected.
Round and rectangular profiles, ovality, straightness, and corner radius — all in one pass.
Yes. The 3DShaper platform with static heads covers round pipes from OD 168.3 mm to 339 mm and square/rectangular profiles from 140×140 mm up to 200×300 mm. The multi‑head arrangement is designed to provide full 360° coverage for both geometries.
For rectangular profiles, corner radii and flatness are automatically evaluated, while for round pipes, ovality and diameter are measured at multiple cross‑sections along the length.
Straightness is derived by computing the centroid of each measured cross‑section along the tube or pipe axis. Deviations from a perfectly straight line are then calculated. The system can average multiple sections to improve accuracy.
Typical straightness accuracy is within ±0.15 mm over 1 meter, depending on the number of averaged sections and the total measured length.
Guaranteed sensor specifications and environmental robustness for harsh production environments.
Each sensor provides the following baseline specifications:
Overall system accuracy, taking into account real‑world factors (temperature drift, mounting, etc.), is typically ±0.100 mm for the 380 series in the worst‑case range. For weld inspection, the dedicated head achieves similar performance, ensuring reliable defect detection.
Yes, but with active cooling. The sensor frame is equipped with Peltier‑based air conditioning (thermoelectric cooler) to maintain a stable internal temperature. This is essential not only for hot products but also for cold ones, as it minimises temperature drift and thermal expansion of the frame.
The Peltier system has no moving parts and no direct air exchange, keeping dust and dirt out. For applications with sudden temperature changes greater than 10°C, carbon fibre plates can be used to further reduce thermal expansion effects.
The surface should be free from oil drops and excessive contamination. Oil droplets are interpreted by the system as part of the pipe/profile, leading to measurement errors.
An air wiping/cleaning system installed before the measurement station is highly recommended. Some users prefer alternative methods (e.g., mechanical wiping), but air spray is the most effective and maintenance‑friendly solution.
All vision and laser‑based systems are subject to this limitation. X‑ray, UT, and eddy current methods are immune but offer far lower resolution and are not suitable for full‑profile inspection.