I want to make a thickness gauge to measure thickness of PVC pipe using ultrasonic sensor during making of pipe in a pipe making industry. I want to make a program that will detect the thickness wihtout human intervention when the pipe will come out via convayor. the programming devices I have arduino, esp32, esp8266 and stm32f411re. Please suggest which sensor and programming device to use.

 

How is an ultrasonic sensor supposed to measure pipe thickness? Can you articulate the basic principle of such a measurement?

 

How is an ultrasonic sensor supposed to measure pipe thickness? Can you articulate the basic principle of such a measurement?

I suppose it could measure the difference in arrival times of reflections from the outer and inner surfaces.

 

I want to make a thickness gauge to measure thickness of PVC pipe using ultrasonic sensor during making of pipe in a pipe making industry. I want to make a program that will detect the thickness wihtout human intervention when the pipe will come out via convayor. the programming devices I have arduino, esp32, esp8266 and stm32f411re. Please suggest which sensor and programming device to use.

If you want to measure the wall thickness of pieces, lengths of pipe, then consider measuring outside diameter and weigh the pipe. Assuming the pipe is uniform along its length, and circular cross section, you can calculate wall thickness from material density. With a precise knowledge of density, diameter and length I suspect a good accuracy could be obtained.

The equation relating these isn't hard to derive. You're going to get average thickness, if you want to measure the thicknesses at specific points, then thats a bigger challenge.

 

I suppose it could measure the difference in arrival times of reflections from the outer and inner surfaces.

Can you actually measure pipe thickness with some degree of precision using ultrasound?

 

Can you actually measure pipe thickness with some degree of precision using ultrasound?

No idea! I think that would be theoretically possible but not likely practical.

 

No idea! I think that would be theoretically possible but not likely practical.

I did look up the speed of sound in PVC. It is approximately 2.4 mm/μsec, or 420 nsec/mm
You would need some accurate time measurement devices to resolve small distances

 

Geez oh grief. There is a culture here of stomping ideas into the ground (and ridiculing posters) with ZERO FACTUAL KNOWLEDGE. Just because YOU haven't seen it doesn't make it impossible. [See also: dotard]

Ultrasonic coating thickness gauges are common and cheap. While these do have a limited thickness range, they demonstrate the technology.




But you say "That doesn't count – it doesn't have a useful range.

Well, wrong again. Ultrasonic thickness gauges are very common in industrial applications for years, such as measuring the hull thickness in ships. I'm sure that a range of over 8" will be sufficient for measuring PVC pipe wall thickness.

 

@Jon Chandler You could have passed on the information without the derogatory comments. Some of us may lack your wide-ranging store of knowledge. I'll wager a farthing or two you have your own blind spots.

 

@Papabravo your comment was the first reply. It reads as very condescending and derogative to me. The TS seems to have some knowledge that the technique is possible....

 

I stand by my remark that some members of this forum have a very large tendency to ask accusatory questions when they are not familiar with an idea.

 

Sometimes posts languish for days with no replies at all. Are you advocating for a policy more to your liking?
How about this, we can add each other to our respective ignore lists and never be bothered by each other in the future.

 

Can anyone please recommand a sensor or transducer which I can program with microcontroller and some hints about how to work with the sensor

 

Can anyone please recommand a sensor or transducer which I can program with microcontroller and some hints about how to work with the sensor

I've already suggested a way to determine thickness indirectly, why is this approach unsuitable? Is this for arbitrary pieces of pipe? is this going to measure emerging pipe from the extrusion machine? Is this going to measure thickness randomly or to continuously measure and monitor thickness during manufacture or is this some kind of assignment question connected to your studies?

 

I stand by my remark that some members of this forum have a very large tendency to ask accusatory questions when they are not familiar with an idea.

I must say that in this particular thread I see no evidence of rudeness, ridicule or condescension from anyone, people have asked reasonable questions and the OP has not answered any of them yet. The OP's second post makes no reference to any of the various questions or suggestions and is just a repetition of the original question, ignoring questions can itself be construed as rudeness.

 

I've already suggested a way to determine thickness indirectly, why is this approach unsuitable? Is this for arbitrary pieces of pipe? is this going to measure emerging pipe from the extrusion machine? Is this going to measure thickness randomly or to continuously measure and monitor thickness during manufacture or is this some kind of assignment question connected to your studies?

Your suggestion is good but I need to monitor the pipe during manufacturing, ultrasonic sensor is recommended by my boss

 

so you need a sensor suitable for automation, not for manual use. why not call your sensor supplier? that is how industrial sensors are usually introduced to integrator companies. this way is more efficient, and you can see it in action (sales guys bering their demo kits) and you get to ask questions / draw on experience of seller, rather than spending lots of time stumbling through internet on your own.

 

Your suggestion is good but I need to monitor the pipe during manufacturing, ultrasonic sensor is recommended by my boss

Ok, well I have to say your predicament raises a great many questions, I suspect we might be putting the cart before the horse here. Why not reach out to the people who made the manufacturing machines you are using? Decisions like this are best made after lots of analysis and consultation, making your own machine for doing this sounds like a poor decision, thats my gut reaction to this question.

I am now wondering why this measurement is important, if you're already making pipes then why the sudden need to measure thickness ultrasonically? what will the measurements be used for? what's the the issue today, with not measuring thickness?

 

so you need a sensor suitable for automation, not for manual use. why not call your sensor supplier? that is how industrial sensors are usually introduced to integrator companies. this way is more efficient, and you can see it in action (sales guys bering their demo kits) and you get to ask questions / draw on experience of seller, rather than spending lots of time stumbling through internet on your own.

Actually I'm most junior in the company, calling supplier is not my job, senior told me to study about it.

 

Actually I'm most junior in the company, calling supplier is not my job, senior told me to study about it.

Nothing wrong with calling suppliers, reaching out to experts, but if you're forced to do this then thats a real problem right there. Research how other companies do this, use the web, this is a question about manufacturing not electronics.