CANTON, Ohio, April 10 -- The Timken Co. said it will make laser ultrasonic technology commercially available to steel manufacturers. The technology, a gauging system for manufacturing seamless steel tubing, completed a testing period at the company's Gambrinus steel plant. "The capabilities of this laser ultrasonic system extend far beyond those of previous radiation gauging techniques," said Raymond V. Fryan, director of process improvement/alloy steel. "Most importantly, measuring the full length of the tube during manufacturing not only verifies quality of the entire tube, it also reduces mill downtime by significantly reducing the need for sampling."
The company was awarded a $1.4 million grant in June 1999 from the US Department of Energy for development of laser ultrasonic technology. The department has funded 60 percent of the total project cost, now projected at $3.1 million. Timken, in cooperation with the National Research Council of Canada and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, began developing the system in March 1999.