Areal weight or thickness of a moving coated metal sheet along its entire cross directional width is derived by correlating thermographic image data to online, scanning basis weight measurements. Thermal imaging camera captures thermal images of a heated moving coated metal sheet material along a cross direction at a first position along the machine direction to generate sequential temperature profiles. Scanning beta gauge measures the areal weight of the moving coated metal sheet downstream at a second position. An infrared temperature sensor also measures the temperature of the moving coated metal sheet which is at a lower temperature at or near the second position. The temperature differential between the cross directional thermographic image data and the latter infrared temperature is a function of the basis weight. Basis weight measurements from the beta gauge is used to extrapolate cross directional basis weight data.

This invention utilizes two sensing technologies in combination with or in isolation of an automated inspection vehicle to conduct inspections of internal rail flaws in steel railroad track. A vehicle equipped with X-radiation sensing is used as a secondary method to assess the deviations in magnetic fields that are sensed by a primary sensor consisting of a single or multiple magnetometers. The magnetometers sense changes in magnetic field that are correlated to the flaws inside the steel rail. The combination of technologies improves the probability to detect railroad flaws and offers the ability to accurately track and monitor flaws.

A method for inspecting an object made of plastic material and including at least one layer to be inspected, comprises the following steps: positioning the object in an inspection zone (Z); irradiating the inspection zone (Z) with electromagnetic radiation emitted by an emitter (2); detecting, with a 5 sensor (3), an absorption of the electromagnetic radiation by the layer to be inspected and accordingly generating an absorption signal (301) representing the absorption of the electromagnetic radiation by the layer to be inspected; processing the absorption signal (301) in a control unit (6) and generating inspection data accordingly. The electromagnetic radiation 10 includes X-rays.

A method for inspecting an object made of plastic material and including at least one layer to be inspected, comprises the following steps: positioning the object in an inspection zone (Z); irradiating the inspection zone (Z) with electromagnetic radiation emitted by an emitter (2); detecting, with a 5 sensor (3), an absorption of the electromagnetic radiation by the layer to be inspected and accordingly generating an absorption signal (301) representing the absorption of the electromagnetic radiation by the layer to be inspected; processing the absorption signal (301) in a control unit (6) and generating inspection data accordingly. The electromagnetic radiation 10 includes X-rays.

A device adapted for examining and detecting foreign objects in a flat plate-shaped material comprises a transport device for transporting a flat plate-shaped material to be examined through the device in a transport direction. The device comprising a first X-ray source and a second X-ray source adapted for, in operation, emitting a first X-ray beam and a second X-ray beam. The device comprising a first sensor unit and a second sensor unit arranged to detect the first and second X-ray beam. The first and second sensor unit being adapted for detecting data indicative of the presence and the indirect or direct position in the transport direction of a foreign object in a flat plate-shaped material. The first and second sensor unit comprise or are connected to a data processing unit adapted for processing the detected data to determine the presence of a foreign object in the flat plate-shaped material.

An apparatus for detecting an edge crack of a metal plate being conveyed includes: a detection part including a plurality of elements configured to detect a presence or absence of the metal plate at a position of the element in the plate width direction; a plate edge position determination part configured to determine a plate edge position of the metal plate in the plate width direction on the basis of a detection result of each of a plurality of first elements positioned within a first region in the plate width direction; and an edge crack detection part configured to detect an edge crack of the metal plate on the basis of a detection result of each of a plurality of second elements selected on the basis of the plate edge position and positioned within a second region which is narrower than the first region in the plate width direction.

An apparatus for detecting an edge crack of a metal plate being conveyed includes: a detection part including a plurality of elements configured to detect a presence or absence of the metal plate at a position of the element in the plate width direction; a plate edge position determination part configured to determine a plate edge position of the metal plate in the plate width direction on the basis of a detection result of each of a plurality of first elements positioned within a first region in the plate width direction; and an edge crack detection part configured to detect an edge crack of the metal plate on the basis of a detection result of each of a plurality of second elements selected on the basis of the plate edge position and positioned within a second region which is narrower than the first region in the plate width direction.

The present invention provides a method of inspecting a surface including detecting a presence or absence of a defect derived from a surface irregularity part of a planar inspection object to be conveyed in a predetermined direction, using a change in intensity of inspection light, the inspection light including at least two inspection lights that are parallel to a surface of the inspection object in a side view of the inspection object and pass over the surface of the inspection object or through the inspection object in a direction intersecting the conveyance direction in a plan view of the inspection object, the two inspection lights being non-parallel to each other in the plan view.

The present invention provides a method of inspecting a surface including detecting a presence or absence of a defect derived from a surface irregularity part of a planar inspection object to be conveyed in a predetermined direction, using a change in intensity of inspection light, the inspection light including at least two inspection lights that are parallel to a surface of the inspection object in a side view of the inspection object and pass over the surface of the inspection object or through the inspection object in a direction intersecting the conveyance direction in a plan view of the inspection object, the two inspection lights being non-parallel to each other in the plan view.

A method of inspecting a membrane-electrode assembly includes obtaining an X-ray transmission image by applying X-rays to the membrane-electrode assembly, and determining whether a foreign matter having a size equal to or larger than a predetermined value is included in the membrane-electrode assembly, according to a brightness reduction amount in each pixel of the X-ray transmission image obtained, while referring to a correlative relationship between the size of the foreign matter measured in a planar direction of the membrane-electrode assembly, and the brightness reduction amount in the X-ray transmission image.