1981 - a wheel integrity testing system.
On the left, B. Rojek, the author of the work behind the system; on the right - R. Bawolski, an expert on ultrasonic testing
ABOUT OUR COMPANY
Eleven years after its creation in 1993, ULTRAMET
continues to be led by its original founders:
ANDRZEJ KORNETA, Ph.D. ( Chair ) and BOGDAN ROJEK ,
M.Sc. ( Chief Designer ) . The partnership was established in the merge of two
smaller companies, which in the years 1988-1992 effected the construction of a
range of unique testing equipment for different institutions.
The relationship of the company's founders
with ultrasonics dates back to the early 1980s, when Bogdan Rojek participated
in the construction and implementation of a multichannel testing system,
which employed analogue ultrasonic flaw detectors of another company, UNIPAN.
The system was used to test the integrity of train wheels.
1981 - a wheel integrity testing system.
On the left, B. Rojek, the author of the work behind the system;
on the right - R. Bawolski, an expert on ultrasonic testing
In 1989, Bogdan Rojek and Andrzej Korneta constructed a
12-channel ultrasonic flaw detector, which was mounted on a train
carriage designed for the testing of the integrity of rails.
1989 - A multi-channel testing system for the diagnosis of the integrity of rails.
On the left, Andrzej Korneta; on the right, Bogdan Rojek
The measurement channels of the flaw detectors were
analogue, while the measurements' results were shown on an oscilloscope.
The digital output signals from the channels were sent to an industrial computer,
and therein analysed in real time; based upon the result of the analysis, the
integrity of the rail was decided.
Since the two companies merged, forming ULTRAMET ,
our research has been focused on state-of-the-art ultrasonic apparatus equipped
with digital processing and dedicated software. The year 1993 witnessed the
construction of UMT-10 , a complete ultrasonic flaw
detector in the form of an IBM PC-compatible ISA card.
1993 - UMT-10 board
UMT-10 was the first Polish digital ultrasonic
apparatus, exploiting the benefit of digital signal processing. Following a
brief spell of further research and development, in 1994 it was replaced with a
newer version, UMT-12 , which even today continues to be employed
in numerous laboratories, classrooms and in the industry. The software
accompanying the card contained multiple options which had before been offered
only by the most expensive equipment ( e.g. spectral analysis and correlative
measurements ).
1994 - UMT-12 board
In 1995 , as the only company from Poland, we exhibited out products on the 1995
World Congress on Ultrasonics in Berlin.
1995 - The employees of ULTRAMET on the 1995 World Congress on Ultrasonics Berlin.
Since 1994, our main focus has been the
construction of multichannel testing equipment for industrial applications. In
1995, UMT-30 was designed specifically for the
testing of wheel sets; it found use in diagnostic platforms created for two
companies, ZNTK Pruszków and ZTK Szczecin.
While conducting the measurement, the testing transducers, mounted in special holders,
were manually guided across the surface of the rotating axle of the set;
meanwhile, the automated testing system determined whether a flaw was detected
in the area of the axle under consideration.
1995 - Wheel set testing platform in ZNTK Pruszków
At the end of 1996, similar platforms used for the testing of the rims of
trains' wheels in the assembly line were installed in Huta Bankowa and Huta
Gliwice, Polish steelworks' companies. In these, UMT-40 ,
a new model, was used, designed expressly for automated multichannel ultrasonic
testing in immersion. Unlike UMT-30, UMT-40 fully controls the process of
measurement; moreover, after the measurements are finished, the data transmitted
to the computer undergoes instantaneous analysis, allowing to classify the rims
immediately.
1996 - An UMT-40 platform for the testing of wheel rims - the operator's box.
In 1999, we have created
UMT-20 , a multichannel flaw detector employed in
the construction of an enhanced diagnostic carriage, capable of detecting rail
incongruities while in motion. The measurements may be taken by a set of as many
as eight ultrasonic transducers per rail, while the carriage moves up to 60
km/h. The results are immediately analysed by the computers, and the spots
judged to be dangerous are marked as soon as they are found.
The carriage entered into operation in 2000.
1999 - A diagnostic carriage in the service of PKP ( Polish State Railways )
In 2002 and 2003, we designed UMT-31 ,
a next-generation flaw detector based on the programmable FPGA circuits. In
UMT-31, the assessment modules are contained in a EURO case, which communicates
with the computer running the test through a dedicated communications module.
The detector was employed in 2003 in a platform for the automated investigation
of the welds in train shock-absorbers in the company KAMAX's Kanczuga plant.
2003 - A platform for the testing of the welds in train shock-absorbers.
As of now, we continue our research on the new models of
electronic ultrasonic equipment, and their possible industrial applications.
Since the end of 2003, our offer includes systems for the determination of the
level of liquids in closed containers, which cooperate with the common
industrial PLC drivers. Finally, apart from the above
models, ULTRAMET designed and entered into operation numerous small automated
testing platforms, based on the UMT-12 board and used to assess the adhesion
between layers of materials, resistance to bending, and the change of properties
of materials with temperature.
