AUTOMATIC BRAKING DISC ANALYSIS SYSTEM

Abstract: Volvo Group Truck Technology has the ambition to automate parts of their routine service. Therefore a project was launched to investigate which parts of the routine that could be automated. The idea of this project is to lower the time spent on the service and also improve the working environment for the personnel. The purpose of this thesis is to develop and build a conceptional prototype for a low-cost crack detecting sensor. This thesis is a part of a larger proof of concept project which Volvo GTT runs in cooperation with Robotdalen and Robot Application Center (RAC). The work done in this thesis has been based on literature studies, interviews and company visits. The gathered knowledge and observations was translated into what would be required to fit the needs. This thesis covers different techniques that could be used to detect flaws in braking discs. However, this thesis is mostly focused on one non-destructive method technique based on induced eddy currents. Several non-destructive techniques and conceptual designs has been tested and evaluated with varying results during this project. The result of this thesis was a design that reacts to discontinuities in conductive materials, such as the grey cast iron material used in the Volvo trucks braking discs. The results are represented as a voltage drop change and can be visualized by an oscilloscope. This study shows that the method of choice has the potential to be used as a crack detecting system and that the system can be built reliable with rather cheap components. Further development should aim towards making the design even cheaper and the components should be assembled on a PCB instead of a breadboard in order to make the system less sensitive to noise and easier to assemble alongside the trucks braking discs.