The Research on Path Planning Method for Detecting Automotive Steering Knuckles Based on Phased Array Ultrasound...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Non-destructive Testing
• Mechanical Engineering

Background:

• Automotive steering knuckles present detection challenges due to varying surface normal vectors.
• Traditional non-destructive testing methods struggle with complex geometries and surface variations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an automated detection method for steering knuckle defects using ultrasonic phased array technology.
• To enhance the accuracy and reliability of crack detection in automotive components.

Main Methods:

• Constructed a point cloud model using ultrasonic distance measurement.
• Estimated surface normal vectors via Gaussian-weighted principal component analysis.
• Calculated precise probe pose information and optimized probe trajectories using piecewise cubic Hermite interpolation.

Main Results:

• Achieved relative measurement error within 1.4% for point cloud data.
• Ensured probe angle calculation error did not exceed 0.5° compared to theoretical values.
• Improved B-scan image quality and increased defect signal amplitude by 5.6 dB.

Conclusions:

• The proposed ultrasonic phased array method effectively addresses challenges in automatic steering knuckle inspection.
• The optimized probe trajectory and precise angle calculations enhance defect detection capabilities.
• This technology offers a reliable solution for quality control in automotive manufacturing.