3D Measurement and Inspection of Large Oil Equipment

In the oil equipment manufacturing industry, the manufacturing precision and quality control of large equipment are crucial, directly affecting the safety and efficiency of oil extraction, transportation, and processing. Traditional inspection methods often fail to meet the high-precision detection requirements for large-sized complex structures, leading to difficulties in ensuring measurement accuracy, poor measurement repeatability, and relatively low efficiency, which can impact normal construction or operational progress.

Application of API Radian Laser Tracker

The laser tracker, as a representative instrument for large-sized precision 3D measurement, has been widely used in various high-end manufacturing industries around the world for research and development, design, production, quality inspection, and other processes. In the field of 3D detection for oil equipment, it can fully meet the requirements for detecting and confirming the positional accuracy of various holes, grooves, or components of large equipment, as well as for coaxiality detection analysis and adjustment guidance, and rapid evaluation of flatness, representing various geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T) detection analysis.

The Radian series laser trackers are representative products of the API brand. They have powerful performance and numerous advantages for large-sized precision measurement, featuring micrometer-level (μm, 1/1000mm) measurement accuracy, a measurement range exceeding 160m, and a data acquisition rate of 1000Hz (1000 points/second). The Pro model also integrates traceable IFM interferometric laser, while the Plus and Core models enable fully wireless measurement operations, thus meeting the high-precision 3D detection requirements for oil equipment in various measurement environments and requirements.

Figure 1: Radian Series Laser Tracker

Background and Measurement Requirements of the Application Case

The background of this project involves an oil company in South America that needs to calibrate and level its facility components. Due to prolonged use, the components of the facility have shifted. The facility uses a motor driven by a pulley system, requiring precise 3D measurement to determine the parallelism of the center clicks, ensuring the parallelism between the pulleys and the alignment of the motor shaft. This is to avoid instability, vibration, accelerated wear, and subsequent time and economic losses caused by deviations in component positions. The required measurement accuracy for this inspection is 0.1mm.

Figure 2: Oil Equipment to be Inspected in This Case

Measurement Implementation

The measurement engineer first sets up the Radian laser tracker around the petroleum machinery facility to be measured, then powers it on to begin measurement. The operator holds a high-precision SMR target ball with a built-in prism, and the Radian laser tracker emits a laser to the center of the target ball and locks onto it for tracking. The operator then touches the area to be measured with the target ball, and the laser tracker will collect three-dimensional data in real-time at a sampling rate of 1000Hz, transmitting the data to the measurement software on a laptop for subsequent analysis.

Data Analysis

In the measurement software, the data exists in the form of points and point clouds. By selecting the corresponding point group and constructing the relevant lines, surfaces, and volumes, various analysis functions in the software can be used to analyze items such as distance, verticality, parallelism, flatness, roundness, and center of sphere, among others. It is also possible to import a numerical model to compare the measured data with the theoretical numerical model for error analysis, achieving the goal of three-dimensional inspection. Subsequently, a corresponding report can be automatically generated based on the set format.

Figure 3: Measurement Site of This Case

Other Highlights of Use

Based on the powerful dynamic measurement capabilities of the Radian series laser trackers, the "Adjustment" function can be used to guide the adjustment of component positioning. The operator attaches the target ball to the workpiece, and through real-time tracking measurement, the three-dimensional coordinates of this fixed point can be displayed on the screen in real-time. Depending on the settings, the operator is prompted with the direction and amount of deviation, guiding real-time adjustments of the workpiece position until it is adjusted to the appropriate location.

In addition, apart from using high-precision target balls for measurement, API has also developed a series of functional expansion accessories based on the measurement application needs of various industries, which can be used with the Radian laser tracker to achieve functions such as hidden point measurement, deep hole measurement, scanning measurement, trajectory measurement, and 6 degrees of freedom (6DoF) measurement, among others.

Figure 4: Functional Expansion Accessories for Radian Laser Tracker

Conclusion

The Radian series laser tracker from the API brand, with its high precision, integrated portability, ease of operation, and rich functionality, fully meets the various needs of three-dimensional inspection in the petroleum equipment sector, providing excellent three-dimensional measurement and inspection solutions for all aspects of petroleum equipment production, inspection, and maintenance.

Figure 5: API Headquarters Building

About API

The API brand was founded by Dr. Kam Lau in 1987 in Rockville, Maryland, USA. He is the inventor of the laser tracker and holds multiple patents for globally leading measurement technologies, making him a leader in the field of precision measurement technology. Since its establishment, API has been dedicated to the research and production of precision measuring instruments and high-performance sensors in the mechanical manufacturing sector. Its products are widely used in advanced manufacturing fields around the world and are at the forefront of high-precision standards in coordinate measurement and machine tool performance testing.