Abstract: There is provided a filling method which is capable of suppressing uneven distribution of particle diameter and suppressing property decrease of the particulate water-absorbing agent. The method for filling the particulate water-absorbing agent according to the present invention includes a abutting step for making a member for filling the particulate water-absorbing agent abutted on a vibrator; a supplying step for supplying the particulate water-absorbing agent to the member for filling; and a vibration step for vibrating the particulate water-absorbing agent present in the member for filling by vibrating the vibrator. Preferably, the supplying step is performed by dividing into a plurality of times. Preferably, the vibration step includes an intermediate vibration step performed at a stage where a part of a plurality of times of the supplying steps is completed, and a final vibration step performed at a stage where all of a plurality of times of the supplying steps is completed.

Abstract: There is provided a filling method which is capable of suppressing uneven distribution of particle diameter and suppressing property decrease of the particulate water-absorbing agent. The method for filling the particulate water-absorbing agent according to the present invention includes a abutting step for making a member for filling the particulate water-absorbing agent abutted on a vibrator; a supplying step for supplying the particulate water-absorbing agent to the member for filling; and a vibration step for vibrating the particulate water-absorbing agent present in the member for filling by vibrating the vibrator. Preferably, the supplying step is performed by dividing into a plurality of times. Preferably, the vibration step includes an intermediate vibration step performed at a stage where a part of a plurality of times of the supplying steps is completed, and a final vibration step performed at a stage where all of a plurality of times of the supplying steps is completed.

Abstract: An apparatus which measures a thickness of a layer using transverse waves of ultrasonic waves, and includes: a sensor unit having a probe for obliquely transmitting and receiving to and from the surface of a material to be measured having first and second layers with different acoustic impedances in a depth direction: an extractor for extracting, from a wave reception signal representing waves received by the probe, reflected waves from a boundary between the first and the second layers of the material; and a calculator for calculating a distance between the surface of the material and the boundary.

Abstract: For the inspection of a square billet, an ultrasonic testing technique using an angle beam is performed using a phased array system. The phased array probe is disposed in a plane perpendicular to the axial direction of a square billet, at a prescribed distance from the surface of the billet and set at a prescribed angle with respect to the billet surface. The billet is inspected both inside and at the surface layer when the ultrasonic beam is electronically scanned. Inspection of the surface layer only is also performed using a surface defect inspection apparatus. Determination of internal defects (including subsurface defects) is performed based on the subtraction of information from the surface defect inspection from the information from the ultrasonic inspection.