Patent ID: 7308068

Claim:
Device ( 1 ) for automatically controlling an exterior aspect of a plurality of fuel rods ( 2 ) for nuclear reactors, characterised in that it comprises optical means ( 40 ) comprising a plurality of primary cameras ( 42 ) and a plurality of secondary cameras ( 42 ′), said secondary cameras being inclined with respect to said primary cameras in order to be able to scan a truncated surface ( 68 ) of an end cap ( 6 ) of each of the fuel rods ( 2 ) to be controlled, and further comprises an electronic and computer assembly ( 30 ) comprising means for acquiring an image and processing ( 48 ) the image and linking the plurality of primary cameras ( 42 ) and the plurality of secondary cameras ( 42 ′) to the electronic and computer assembly ( 30 ) and delivering the images of the plurality of fuel rods ( 2 ) to the electronic and computer assembly ( 30 ) and detecting geometric defects present on each rod ( 2 ) to be controlled, and in that the device ( 1 ) further comprises a roughness tester ( 50 ) and means for automatically controlling the roughness tester ( 50 ), the roughness tester ( 50 ) further comprising means for automatically measuring a depth of each geometric defect detected by the electronic and computer assembly ( 30 ).