The inner surface of the large objects is subject to wear during operation. To prevent accidents, periodic monitoring of the degree of wear is necessary. Until now, this kind of control is carried out with manual measuring instruments, but such measurements are very time-consuming, not technologically advanced and do not provide the required amount of reliable information.
An automated laser system is designed for obtaining a complete 3D model of the inner surface large objects and wear calculation with high resolution and accuracy.
RF096-440/1440-2000 Series
Large objects inner surface inspection machine. Specification
| Parameter | Value | |
| Inner diameter measurement range, mm | 440...1440 | |
| Inner diameter measurement error, mm | ±0.5 | |
| Scan resolution, points/turnover | 2008 | |
| Scanning depth range, mm |
0...2000 (programmable parameter) |
|
| Minimum distance between measured sections, mm |
1 (programmable parameter) |
|
| Linear displacement error, mm | ±0.1 | |
| Maximum sampling frequency, Hz | 9400 | |
| Light source |
red semiconductor laser, 660 nm wavelength |
|
| Output power, mW | <1 | |
| Laser safety class | 2 (IEC60825-1) | |
| Interface | Wi-Fi | |
| Power supply, V | Batteries 12V | |
| Weight, kg | 77 | |
Main functions of the software
The software is intended for:
- parameterization of the system and control of the scanning process,
- system calibration,
- formation of a 3D model of an object based on the data obtained during scanning,
- viewing a 3D model,
- comparison of models obtained at different points in time,
- comparison of the obtained model with the reference,
- calculation of shape deviation values (surface wear) of selected models,
- calculation of the circle parameters in any cross section of the object, namely the diameter (average, maximum, minimum), ovality, roundness,
- saving, reading and exporting data.
The operation of the machine is based on the principle of scanning the inner surface of the product by a rotating triangulation laser sensor.
The main components of the machine are shown in the figure, where 1 - installation frame, 2 - guide, 3 - centralizer, 4 - laser scanning module, 5 - burner surface; the tablet is not shown.
The frame (1) is attached to the end of the burner (5). The guide (2) is located along the axis of the burner and rests on the frame (1) on one side and on the centralizer (3) on the other. The centralizer is installed on the conical surface of the burner. The laser scanning module (4) is installed on the guide (2).
The machine operates as follows.
On command from the tablet, the laser sensor starts to rotate and the scanning module (4) moves along the guide (2). The laser sensor measures the distance to the burner surface. The polar coordinates of the burner surface points (distance to the surface measured by the laser sensor and the sensor rotation angle measured by the built-in encoder), synchronized with the linear position of the module, are transmitted to the computer. The program builds a 3D model of the inner surface, according to which the required geometric parameters and the wear are calculated.
Laser scanning module
The main components of the laser scanning module and its overall dimensions are shown in the figures below.
Designations:
1 - Sleeve. 2,3 - Wheel systems mounted on the sleeve (1). One of the wheels is equipped with an encoder (not shown) to control the linear position of the module.4 - Linear motion module.
5 - Rotation module.
6 - Laser sensor (installed on the rotation module).
7,8 - Batteries of modules 4 and 5, respectively.
9,10 - Battery charge indicators.
11,12 - Battery indicator control buttons.
13,14 - Power buttons.
15,16 - Wi-Fi antennas.
17,18 - End sensors.
19,20 - Carrying handles.
Installation frame
The main components of the installation frame are shown in the figure below
Designations:
1 - Folding legs. 2 - Screws for fastening to the end of the burner.3 - Screw for adjusting the upper part of the split prism for installing the guide.
4 - Four screws for fixing the scanning module.
5, 6 - Calibration blocks.
7 - Removable slipway.
8 - Slipway fixing screw.
Guide and centralizer
The guide is assembled from three elements. The centralizer is installed at the end of the guide.The assembly principle is illustrated in the figure:
RF096.Burner-IDmin/IDmax-L
| Symbol | Description |
| IDmin/IDmax | Measurement range (inner diameter), mm |
| L | Scanning depth, mm. |
Manual measurement typically means checking a handful of points with calipers or probes reachable from the access opening, which misses wear that's uneven around the circumference or concentrated in a section the tool can't reach easily. It's also slow enough that operators often check less frequently than they should, and the readings depend on where exactly the tool was placed, which makes it hard to compare results reliably from one inspection to the next. A dedicated large surface inspection system removes that dependency on manual point-checking entirely.
The software builds a full 3D model from the current scan and compares it against either a reference model or a previous scan of the same object taken at an earlier point in time. Comparing two models directly shows exactly how much material has been lost and where, rather than relying on a single nominal dimension that may not reflect the object's actual as-built geometry.
The software is built specifically to compare models captured at different points in time, overlaying one scan onto another to show how the surface has changed between inspections. This turns periodic inspection into a wear trend rather than a single pass/fail snapshot, which matters for deciding how much service life a component has left before it needs replacement.
Rather than bringing the object to a machine, the system is installed directly on the object itself: a frame attaches to the end opening, a guide runs along the object's axis, and the laser scanning module travels along that guide while rotating to scan the surface. As a laser surface inspection tool, this design lets it inspect objects that are effectively immovable, like installed burners or large vessels, without needing to disassemble or transport them.
No. Both the linear motion and rotation modules run on their own batteries, and data is transmitted to the control tablet over Wi-Fi rather than a wired connection. This matters for large industrial equipment where the inspection point may be far from a power outlet or network drop, and running cables to the object isn't practical.
Beyond the 3D wear model itself, the software calculates diameter (average, maximum, minimum), ovality, and roundness at any cross-section along the object's length, not just at fixed inspection points. This gives an inspector the ability to check the object's condition at a specific location of concern, rather than relying only on an overall wear summary.
Large industrial components like burners or process vessels have inner diameters far beyond what a handheld or benchtop gauge is built to measure, which is why this system covers 440–1440 mm in diameter and up to 2000 mm of scanning depth. The measurement principle, rotating laser triangulation, is the same used in smaller-diameter systems, but the mechanical structure and scan range are sized specifically for large-bore industrial equipment.