Patent Application
20240183653
The disclosure relates to a method for optically measuring a thread on an end of a metal pipe by means of at least one measuring head which is fastened to a manipulator and freely positionable in relation to the metal pipe.
The disclosure further relates to a device for optically measuring a thread, in particular for carrying out the method.
The threads of pipes used for transporting pressurized fluids, such as natural gas or crude oil, which are bolted together in a pressure-resident, gas-tight and liquid-tight manner, are subject to stringent requirements for leak-tightness. With such OCTG (oil country tubular goods) tubes as casing tubes or riser tubes for oil or gas exploration wells or natural gas or oil production pipelines, conical threads with undercut thread flanks are typically used. A sealing lip is usually attached to the threads on the front side of the pipe. Both the thread and the sealing lip must meet the highest precision requirements. In the prior art, in principle it is known to optically measure the threads for quality control of the pipes.
A method and a device for optically measuring the external thread profile of pipes is known, for example, from WO 2019/09371 A1. The device comprises a support for the pipe to be measured and an optical measurement unit with at least one measuring device, which comprises a light source and a camera arranged in the beam path of the light source for recording a shadow image of the external thread profile, wherein the optical measurement unit is rigidly arranged on a support element that is held pivotably about three spatial axes, wherein, furthermore, the optical measurement unit has at least two measuring devices whose beam paths cross one another. The method comprises arranging the pipes to be measured on a support, such that the spatial axis runs transversely with respect to a measuring plane of the measurement unit and the external thread is arranged in the beam path between the light sources and the associated cameras, aligning the measurement unit in such a manner that the measuring plane encloses a right angle with the spatial axis, recording shadow images of the external thread by means of the camera of at least one measuring device, and evaluating the shadow images.
Another device for measuring a thread is known, for example, from EP 3 465 079 B1. The device comprises a holder for releasably holding a pipe, wherein the thread is formed at one end of the pipe, a first optical measuring path having a first optical sensor, wherein the first optical measuring path is mounted on a manipulator of the device, which is configured to move the first measuring path relative to the pipe, and wherein the first optical measuring path is adjustable about a first adjustment axis relative to a thread axis of the thread, wherein a second optical measuring path of the device with a second optical sensor is arranged on the manipulator, wherein the optical measuring paths altogether form a measuring channel for the simultaneous measurement of opposite sides of the thread. The device is characterized in particular by the fact that the measuring channel may be tilted by means of the manipulator about at least a second adjustment axis relative to the thread axis, such that the measuring channel may be freely aligned within a solid angle interval.
DE 10 2007 017 747 A1 describes a method and a device for the optical measurement of an external thread profile at the end of a pipe, with which the threads are previously created in a clocked manner in a production line and are continuously measured from the beginning to the end of the thread before further processing in line. The profile of the previously created thread is illuminated or scanned, as the case may be, tangentially to the cross-section of the pipe via a relative movement consisting of rotation and translation between the pipe and at least one optical measurement unit consisting of illumination and camera arranged in backlight.
Further prior art is known from EP 2 259 015 B1, which describes a combination of tactile measurement and optical measurement of pipe threads.
Finally, a method for cleaning and subsequently measuring a flank surface of a thread is known from EP 2 799 809 B1.
When measuring threads, the metal pipe to be measured is usually placed in a measurement position, in which the position of the thread in space is not exactly defined. This also results from the fact that the pipe to be measured has tolerances with regard to straightness or that the end of the pipe hangs down due to the weight force if the pipe is not supported over its entire length by a support. This affects the accuracy and reproducibility of the measurement.
Therefore, the disclosure is based on the object of providing a method and a device for optical thread measurement, which are improved with regard to the accuracy and reproducibility of the measurement results. Further, the method and device are intended to be easily and accurately adaptable to the measurement of various threads on metal pipes of various diameters.
The object is achieved by a method as disclosed and claimed. The object is further achieved by a device as disclosed and claimed.
According to a first aspect, a method is proposed, with which the measuring head is freely positionable in relation to the metal pipe and the measuring head comprises at least one optical measuring path and at least one position detector. The method comprises at least the following method steps:
A) providing the metal pipe in a measurement position,
The method steps A) to D) listed above are preferably carried out in the order in which they are listed, wherein the order of method steps B) and C) are interchangeable.
Preferably, the at least one position detector is arranged on the measuring head in such a manner that, when the measuring head approaches the thread to be measured or the metal pipe to be measured, as the case may be, it is arranged at a leading end of the measuring head relative to the adjustment path covered by the measuring head in the direction of the metal pipe to be measured. In this manner, the measuring head may be aligned parallel to the longitudinal axis of the metal pipe while still approaching the thread, for example by corresponding control of the manipulator, to which the measuring head is fastened.
In a preferred variant of the method, a further method step is provided, which comprises a fine alignment of the measuring head and/or the measuring path of the measuring head in the measurement position at a specific and given angle and/or in a specific axial position in relation to the longitudinal axis of the metal pipe.
The position detector is preferably at least one optical measuring means, in particular a first line laser, which is preferably aligned at a right angle to a target course of the longitudinal axis of the metal pipe or to a provided linear adjustment of the measuring head, as the case may be.
With a further expedient and preferred variant of the method, it is provided that the determination of the spatial position of the longitudinal axis of the metal pipe and/or the fine alignment of the measuring head and/or the at least one optical measuring path is carried out using at least one second line laser on the measuring head, which is aligned parallel to a target course of the longitudinal axis of the metal pipe.
In principle, the measuring head may also comprise a third line laser or light section sensor, which is provided for measuring the thread flanks or the flank angles, as the case may be, of the thread.
Furthermore, it may be provided that the diameter of the metal pipe is measured and/or calculated, for example, during the positioning of the measuring head into the measurement position. The diameter of the metal pipe may be determined directly, for example by means of the optical measuring paths of the measuring head.
With a further advantageous variant of the method, it is provided that the roundness of the metal pipe is determined during a rotation of the measuring head over a predetermined target course of the longitudinal axis of the metal pipe. Due to the thread cutting process, for example in a machining center, the metal pipe to be machined may be out-of-round after the machining process or have a partially oval shell contour. Such out-of-roundness of the metal pipe may be determined during a rotation of the measuring head over a certain angle around the longitudinal axis of the metal pipe, for example either with the aid of at least one line laser and/or with the aid of at least one optical measuring path.
With a variant of the method, it is provided that during a rotation of the measuring head of at least 180° about the target course of the longitudinal axis of the metal pipe, a deviation of an actual thread depth from a target thread depth is measured over the circumference of the metal pipe by means of at least one, preferably by means of both optical measuring paths. By rotating the measuring head by approximately 180º around the target course of the longitudinal axis of the metal pipe, a 360° scan as a whole of the thread may be generated with the aid of two opposing optical measuring paths.
The deviation of the thread depth over the circumference of the metal pipe may also be used to calculate an angular offset of the actual course of the longitudinal axis of the metal pipe from the target course of the longitudinal axis of the metal pipe.
The measuring head and/or the measuring path may be adjustable relative to a carrier, which may be fastened to a free end of the manipulator, for fine alignment of the measuring head and/or the measuring path. Preferably, the positioning of the measuring head in the measurement position is initially performed by a corresponding control of the manipulator, which is designed, for example, as an industrial robot with an articulated arm mechanism movable in a plurality of degrees of freedom. The fine alignment of the measuring head or the optical measuring path, as the case may be, is preferably performed by adjusting the measuring head relative to the carrier, wherein the measuring head is preferably both linearly adjustable and pivotable with respect to the carrier. The measuring head is preferably pivotable about an axis that extends approximately perpendicularly to the target course of the longitudinal axis of the metal pipe.
With a particularly advantageous variant of the method, it is provided that the measuring head has two measuring paths extending preferably approximately parallel and at a distance from one another, the distance of which is adjustable in relation to the longitudinal axis of the metal pipe, wherein the distance preferably is adjusted automatically as a function of the determined and/or calculated diameter of the metal pipe. In this manner, it is particularly easy to calibrate the device to different pipe diameters. Calibration may be undertaken, for example, using a test specimen arranged in a measurement station.
Preferably, a further method step comprises a manual and/or automatic adjustment of at least one optical measuring path about an axis perpendicular to the target course of the longitudinal axis of the metal pipe for the purpose of adapting the measuring head to the specified pitch angle of the thread.
Furthermore, a collision detection in relation to diameter and position of the metal pipe is preferably provided during the positioning of the measuring head into the measurement position, which blocks a further movement of the measuring head and/or the manipulator if a possible collision of the measuring head with the metal pipe is detected. This prevents the sensitive measuring electronics from being affected by shock-related forces.
Finally, with a variant of the method, a preferably automatic detection of the contamination of at least one optical measuring path is provided. As a function of a detected degree of contamination, either a cleaning process may be initiated or a functional interruption of the measuring process is provided. As the degree of contamination of, for example, the glass covers of the sensors or the light sources increases, the respective sensor may determine the degree of obscuration in the form of so-called “gray scale detection.” With the method, it is provided to clean the glass covers automatically on a regular basis, for example pneumatically. Depending on the degree of contamination, an additional cleaning process may be initiated. Above a predetermined degree of contamination, a measurement may no longer be carried out reliably. In such a case, it makes sense to abort the measuring process. Optical sensors of the measuring paths may, for example, be designed as CCD or CMOS sensors.
An additional aspect of the disclosure relates to a device for optically measuring a thread on at least one end of a metal pipe, in particular a device for carrying out the method described above. The device may comprise at least one measuring head guided on a manipulator and freely positionable in relation to the metal pipe, which measuring head has at least one optical measuring path for measuring the thread along with at least one position detector, wherein the measuring head is mounted so as to be linearly adjustable and/or pivotable about an axis relative to a carrier fastened to the manipulator and the at least one optical measuring path extends approximately perpendicularly to the linear adjustment path of the measuring head, wherein the device further comprises means for adjusting and/or calibrating the measuring head and/or the measuring path of the measuring head in a measurement position.
For example, at least one linear drive and/or at least one rotary drive may be provided as means for adjusting and/or calibrating the measuring head, which may be controlled accordingly by a controller.
It is expedient that an industrial robot with an articulated arm having a plurality of degrees of freedom is provided as the manipulator.
At least one first line laser may be provided as a position detector, which first line laser extends approximately at right angles to the linear adjustment path of the measuring head.
Preferably, at least one collision detector is provided, which blocks the adjustment of the measuring head and/or movement of the manipulator if the measuring head or parts of the measuring head threaten to collide with the metal pipe. At least one of the line lasers of the position detector may simultaneously fulfill the functionality as a collision detector.
Expediently, the measuring head comprises at least a first and a second optical measuring path, each of which extends approximately perpendicularly to the linear adjustment path of the measuring head. The measuring head may, for example, have at least two legs arranged at a distance from one another and adjustable relative to one another, in each of which at least one optical sensor and at least one light source arranged at a distance from it are provided, each of which forms an optical measuring path. The optical sensor of a measuring path may, for example, be designed as a CMOS or CCD sensor and have telecentric optics.
The beam path between the optical sensor and the light source does not necessarily have to extend in a straight line; it may also be deflected by means of at least one mirror. This allows a relatively compact design of the measuring head to be realized. In particular, this allows the distance of the respective measuring path to the longitudinal axis of the pipe and thus the radius of rotation about the longitudinal axis of the metal pipe to be reduced.
Preferably, at least one of the optical measuring paths or the legs of the measuring head, as the case may be, may be pivoted relative to the respective other measuring path transversely to the linear adjustment path of the measuring head. In this manner, a preferably automatic adjustment and/or adaptation of the measuring head or the position of the measuring paths, as the case may be, to different thread pitch angles may be achieved.
A preferred exemplary embodiment of the method and device is explained below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
A device for optically measuring a thread is shown schematically in
The diameter calibration of the measuring head 10 serves to position the measuring means of the measuring head 10 relative to the carrier 11 in such a manner that the metal pipe 3 is positioned between the measuring means, such that the measuring head 10 does not collide with the metal pipe 3 during the pre-alignment. For this purpose, a gauge may be arranged in the measurement station as a reference component, on the basis of which the measuring head 10 may be calibrated before the measurement process is carried out.
For positioning or pre-alignment, as the case may be, of the measuring head 10, at least one position detector may be provided on the measuring head 10, which position detector determines the spatial position of the longitudinal axis 2 of the metal pipe 3 before and/or while the measuring head 10 is moved into the measurement position shown in
The arrangement of the first and second line lasers 6, 7 on the measuring head is shown schematically in
The method comprises both a pre-alignment of the measuring head 10 or a positioning of the measuring head 10, as the case may be, in the measurement position shown in
As mentioned above, the measuring head 10 is linearly movable relative to the carrier and preferably pivotable about at least one axis. The linear adjustment can be achieved, for example, by means of at least one driven recirculating ball screw or by means of at least one lantern pinion. The adjustment about the pivot axis 1 can be accomplished, for example, by means of an electric rotary drive, which is not shown.
The measuring means for measuring the external thread 4 are each arranged in legs 19 of the measuring head 10. The legs 19 of the measuring head 10 are linearly adjustable in their distance relative to one another. The legs 19 of the measuring head 10 form a U-shaped enclosure of the metal pipe 3. These may both be formed independently and adjustable relative to one another. With the described exemplary embodiment, it is provided that one leg 19 of the measuring head 10 is arranged in a stationary manner, whereas the other leg 19 of the measuring head 10 is adjustable relative to the opposite leg 19 of the measuring head 10. For the purpose of adjusting the measuring head 10 to different thread pitches, it is provided that the legs 19 of the measuring head 10 may be pivoted relative to one another about an axis transverse to the linear adjustment path of the measuring head 10.
In each of the legs 19 of the measuring head 10, a camera 14 with telecentric optics and a light source 15 positioned opposite the camera are provided as measuring means, as shown for example in
The measuring principle is explained below with reference to
With one variant of the measuring head 10, it is provided that it comprises at least one light section sensor 17, which is formed as a laser section sensor and which is aligned with a thread flank 5 of the external thread 4. The measurement of the thread flanks 18 is illustrated in
In a control unit, which is not shown, the measured data of the external thread profile and/or a sealing lip of the external thread 4 is evaluated, and control commands for controlling the machine tool are derived, in particular in the case of a deviation between the target profile and the actual profile documented by the measured data. The respective target profile can, for example, be freely selectable in an operator interface (HMI) from a catalog of different thread types.
The measuring head 10 and the controller of the machine tool form a preferably closed control loop. Control commands may be, for example, the readjustment of the tool positions, the selection of the tools, the rotation speed and the torque that is thereby applied of the chuck of the machine tool and of the metal pipe 3, the carrying out of a tool change, the change of the cycle time of the machine tool, etc. The control system may be designed as a self-learning control system (AI) and comprise at least one control algorithm for this purpose. The measurement data determined with respect to a pipe are used not only for feedback with the machine tool and for its control, also for quality data assurance and tracking.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2021 202 213.8 | Mar 2021 | DE | national |
This application is a national stage application, filed under 35 U.S.C. § 371, of International Patent Application PCT/EP2022/054059, filed on Feb. 18, 2022, which claims the benefit of German Patent Application DE 10 2021 202 213.8, filed on Mar. 8, 2021.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2022/054059 | 2/18/2022 | WO |
