Waygate Krautkramer CHAT Compact Hollow Axle Tester

The Waygate Technologies Krautkramer CHAT: Compact Hollow Axle Tester, a Baker Hughes business product (formerly GE Inspection Technologies), is designed to test hollow rail axles for railway systems frequently used in the transportation industry today.  GE's CHAT combines its proven HW probes with GE's high-quality USIP 40 ultrasonic instrument that is designed to replace manual inspections that take much longer to perform. 

Faster & Higher Quality Inspections

This new, integrated system provides higher quality inspections and performance in an industry that has higher levels of stress on railway axles due to faster transportation speeds and increased traffic schedules. A typical inspection with CHAT takes about 15 minutes for an entire axle.

Product Configuration

GE's CHAT can be configured with up to eight probes in a customizable probe set covering diameters ranging from 30 to 90 millimeters (with a ±0.5 mm tolerance from a nominal diameter). The system also includes full A-scan data recording, C-scan displays (separate or merged with TOF correction) and two motorized scanning axes. CHAT guarantees complete coverage of the text axle through its spiral scan pattern.

One Person, Safe Inspections

GE's CHAT is built with a light-weight plastic trolley ensuring fast and reliable one-person inspection of hollow rail axles. The electronics and mechanics stored this way provide protection again electrocution in areas such as subways where electrified rails are present.

Brochure

• Electronics and mechanics designed to cover the entire diameter range
• Rapid adaption to new diameters just by exchanging centering devices (3 parts in total)
• Motorized motion (closed control circuits) in linear direction and for probe holder rotation
• Signal connection through slip ring to allow continuous rotation of the probe holder and to reduce the inspection time
• Quick pluggable cable connections between trolley and inspection mechanics
• Light design of inspection mechanics that can be handled “just by one person” with no need for lifting
• Closed loop for oil coupling to minimize oil loss during the inspection
• Full post-processing possibilities and signal display: A-scan and of
• Endless rotation of the probe holder, oil coupling closed loop system, modular push/pull U-profile to inspect the whole axle length just from one side
• Speed - Rotation: 35 RPM; Linear: 30mm/s max
• Inspection length - 2.4 m typical with connectable U-profiles, extensions available
• Inspection time - 15 min typical, depending on UT setup
• Trolley - Moveable trolley carrying PC (notebook equipped with own battery), UT-Instrument, PLC, oil tank with pumps and storage space for inspection mechanics and U-profiles
• Weight - Inspection mechanics approx. 10 kg plus trolley approx. 90kg (without Oil, UPS, main power cable)
• Electric - 220-240V ~50Hz, 15 m mains cable at trolley