Edge detection in x-ray images of drill mast welds based on an improved Scharr operator

Abstract

Rotary drilling rigs are extensively used in foundational construction, with main components including the mast, drill rods, drill bits, power head, and cockpit. The mast, a critical component, must be of high quality to ensure operational reliability. To ensure the reliability of the mast during operation, it is necessary to detect defects in the most stress-prone areas. Based on finite element analysis and practical engineering experience, the welds on the large circular disc of the drill mast are identified as the most vulnerable to damage. Accordingly, this paper prepared test specimens specifically from these weld locations and conducted X-ray inspections, obtaining images for analysis. Given the inevitable presence of noise due to objective conditions, the images first underwent median filtering. For effective subsequent defect detection, edge detection was performed on the images. Among various edge detection operators, the Scharr operator was found to be highly effective. To further enhance the edge detection performance, this paper introduces an improved Scharr edge detection algorithm that incorporates dynamic thresholds and Markov Random Field (MRF) techniques. The enhanced algorithm was evaluated using signal-to-noise ratio and edge localization accuracy as metrics, and it was found to significantly improve performance.