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(515) 294-3045
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Institute for Physical
Research and Technology

Iowa State University
2156 Gilman Hall
Ames, IA 50011-3110

IPRT Company Assistance Success Story

Quick Action Solves Quality Challenge

Sauer-Danfoss is a worldwide leader in the design, manufacture and sale of engineered hydraulic, electric and electronic systems and components. Its Ames, Iowa, plant recently turned to IPRT Company Assistance when it needed fast help with a quality issue in a product being made for a key customer.

Sauer-Danfoss was machining parts using castings from an outside supplier. The parts were to be used in hydrostatic transmissions. Some of the castings had flaws that weren’t externally visible, so the company needed a way to separate good castings from bad ones. Rick Lopez of the IPRT Company Assistance nondestructive evaluation group and Dan Barnard from IPRT’s Center for Nondestructive Evaluation worked quickly to develop a manual ultrasonic inspection technique to do the sorting.

This method passes sound energy through the part while monitoring for unexpected echoes, such as voids or defects. The accuracy of the nondestructive evaluation was confirmed by destructive testing of sample parts. The technique was used to sort castings before machining as well as to evaluate products awaiting shipping.

Jake Auliff, a senior engineer and metallurgist at Sauer-Danfoss, cites the work of Lopez and Barnard. “Due to their help, Sauer-Danfoss was able to keep a very key customer’s production line running smoothly and on-time,” he says. “The NDE test plan that followed resulted in not only reduced labor costs associated with the disassembly of suspect units but also helped us to maintain a positive quality image in the eyes of our customers.”

Quick Look

Experts from IPRT Company Assistance's nondestructive evaluation group developed an ultrasonic inspection technique to find flaws in transmission castings.

Sauer-Danfoss came to IPRT
nondestructive evaluation experts to help it find flaws in castings to assure product quality.

"Due to IPRT's help,
Sauer-Danfoss was able to keep a very key
customer’s production line running smoothly
and on-time."

Jake Auliff, senior engineer and metallurgist,
Sauer-Danfoss

Contact Us

For more information on how IPRT can help your company with NDE issues, please contact:

Dave Utrata
Program Manager
Nondestructive Evaluation
heydave@cnde.iastate.edu
515-294-6095
(see bio)

 

Institute for Physical
Research and Technology
NDE Group
177 Applied Sciences
Complex II
1915 Scholl Road
Ames, IA 50011