Prevent the Next Failure! Act Now!

Modern industries are fully automated and these perform without too much of human intervention. This is true for the Automotive or the Aerospace Industries as it is for the Pharmaceutical or Pulp and Paper. Most of the processes are now under robotic controls that are studied from inside glass consoles that display instrumented gauges and dials. There is redundancy in case of failure of primary systems and adequate audio as well as visual warnings. However, failures will take place. Failure analysis is mandatory to find the cause of the failure, analyze and take corrective measures to prevent the next one from happening.

In the engineering industry failure analysis could reveal the cause to be either due to a material defect, design failure, human error or an external cause such as a bird hit in mid-air resulting in an engine failure. The analysis is carried out mainly in materials testing laboratories to rule out the cause to be due to a material defect.

The various facilities of materials testing could include laboratories to assess various compositions or the several properties of the sample that is under investigation. Chemical testing and analysis at the macro level and under a scanning electron microscope, gas chromatography or simple metallography at the micro level could assess the compositions. The properties of materials that are assessed could be the UTS or the yield strength, torsional strength, elasticity, bendability, creep or fatigue. In complicated cases help is often taken of mathematical or computer modeling and simulation studies.

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How One Failure Can Prevent Many

It’s absolutely true that a failure in the industry, unfortunate though it maybe, can actually prevent other failures. Imagine what would happen in a combat aircraft production industry. Supposing one of the turbine blades fractures and the broken pieces of the blade bring the engine to a deafening halt. The shattered blade pieces are analyzed in a materials testing laboratory for its contents. Another blade from the same batch is tested for creep and thermal stresses. A series of tests is run as a part of failure analysis to determine whether the failure was due to poor material, damage due to a foreign object or some extraneous causes. Here the facilities provided by materials testing laboratories could cover mechanical properties such as hardness, impact strength, UTS and bendability or creep resistance and metallurgical properties concerning the internal structure at the micro level.

Analytical equipment such as a Scanning Electron Microscope and Gas Chromatography could also be used in isolated cases while carrying out failure analysis of a failed component or part. Finally, the result of such analysis is expected to conclusively determine the actual cause of the failure. Failures are caused due to poor material, workmanship, design, maintenance or human error and in some cases due to an extraneous cause such as a foreign object. The result of the analysis will define how subsequent failures could be prevented. These measures could involve a change in material used or the design of the failed component among other options that may introduce special maintenance checks.

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The Intricacies of Pipeline Testing

Pipelines form the core part of some industries such as Refining and Petrochemical. Because of the likelihood of huge losses if pipeline defects are not detected in time pipeline inspection assumes significance in terms of the need for it to be carried out on a regular basis. In certain cases, such as offshore drilling the likelihood of corrosion in pipelines makes this need that much more acute. It’s also likely that minor leakage that may be draining out tens of thousands of dollars worth of oil every day may go undetected because of the pipelines being submerged. Then there is the problem of pipelines being hundreds of miles long and passing through almost inaccessible places. This too makes pipeline inspection a nightmare for all concerned, those who run the industry and those who are in charge of executing the inspection.

Typically the inspection of pipelines is carried out by visual means, Magnetic Testing, Radiographic Testing, Specialized Testing and Ultrasonic Testing. While the Magnetic Testing may use the Magnetic Flux Leakage Induction (MFL) or the modified method using the inline inspection tool (MFL-ILI) the Radiographic Testing could use the services such as Gamma Radiography, X-ray and DR or Digital Radiography. The Ultrasonic Testing services include Acoustic Ranger, Accuscan, Advanced Flaw Sizing, Corrosion Sizing and Electromagnetic Acoustic Transmission or EMAT and the Phased Array (PA). The Phased Array method uses the principle of deploying a number of probes that sweep a high-resolution beam to reveal the internal imagery of the object and hence its defects.

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Industrial Inspections – a brief discussion

Industrial inspections are unavoidable and may be difficult to perform. The bulk of industrial inspections are non-destructive in nature such as Eddy Current and Magnetic Testing or Ultrasonic Testing and Radiographic Testing besides Visual Testing. Turbine inspection is common in industries such as Power Generation, Nuclear and Aerospace. This is a very important inspection in these industries that depend on turbines. Turbine inspection could be conducted by one or more methods such as with the help of bore scopes that could be used to locate cracks or imperfections in blades. This is a tedious process since turbine blades are not accessible unless you strip them from the turbine. More often, this inspection is carried out in situ.

Another method of inspecting turbines is a modified visual method that involves the use of a special dye to highlight the location of cracks and other imperfections in blades. The kit consists of a cleaner for surface preparation, a penetrant for highlighting the crack and a developer to increase the resolution. Bore Sonics consisting of ultrasonic transducers is also used for locating flaws inside the rotor forging. Another difficult task is the carrying out of pipeline inspection.

The relative inaccessibility in cases and the interminably long pipelines make pipeline inspection a difficult task. Generally the Magnetic Flux Leakage In Line Inspection (MFL-ILI) tool is used to carry out this inspection. A strong magnetic field is created around the pipeline through which the tool travels and both cleans and detects the flaws in the process.

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Why Industrial Inspection Can Be Difficult

Industrial inspection is mandatory. These inspections are invariably non-destructive in nature involving services such as Ultrasonic Testing, Magnetic Testing, Eddy Current, Visual and Radiography. The important requirements should be that the services should not be intrusive in nature and there should be no stoppage of work. At times Industrial Inspection is required to be conducted in relatively inaccessible areas. This would require some specialized servicing as provided by the Rope Access Inspection Services. Earlier scaffolding was used for the kind of inspection that was to be conducted in difficult to reach areas. Scaffolding was most intrusive and generally created obstruction to the movement of men and material. Besides this scaffolding had to be erected and dismantled repeatedly and above all there was an element of risk however small. It was also more expensive when compared to the rope access.

Besides the rope access that has succeeded in reducing the difficulty faced in inspecting in remote areas of the industry the other problem faced is in conducting pipeline inspection. The inspection of pipelines is laborious and lengthy due to the miles of pipelines that have to be inspected in some typical industries such as the Petrochemical and Power Generation. Pipeline inspection is often carried out by the Magnetic Flux Leakage (MFL) method that uses an inline inspection (MFL-ILI) tool. This tool travels inside the pipeline while detecting the flaws and simultaneously cleaning the inside walls as well. In an advanced method involving large lengths of pipeline GPS is sometimes used for pinpointing the exact location of the defect.

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Difficulties You Can Face In Industrial Testing

Carrying out industrial testing may not be a cakewalk each time. To begin with industrial testing requires a team of dedicated professionals who are certified and are mission oriented. Imagine carrying out pipeline inspection in the middle of a desert like location where we are talking of hundreds of miles of pipelines. Imagine carrying out ultrasonic testing of the pipeline in an almost inaccessible location. You may need to carry equipment such as the Electromagnetic Acoustic Transmission or EMAT that radiates an ultrasonic wave. The ultrasonic testing may involve the Guided Ultrasonic Wave equipment. Whatever be the method of testing how do you get the technicians and the equipment to the location safely, carry out the testing and then bring them down without an accident and also importantly without shutting down the industrial machinery?

Earlier days such inspections used to be carried out by the help of scaffolding. Scaffolding was repetitive and you had to spend money raising the scaffolding and bring it down each time the inspection was completed. It was also obstructive and impeded the smooth flow of men and materials in an industry. Today the rope access is a more acceptable method compared to scaffolding. Rope access is cheaper. It’s non obstructive and much safer than scaffolding. More than 100,000 hours of accident free rope access time has in fact brought about an increase in cost benefits by 75%. The industry therefore prefers this method while carrying out inspections in hard to reach places on account of safety and lower costs.

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Can Inspecting Pipelines Be Risky?

Pipelines are fairly common in industries. The industries could be either Petrochemical or Power Generation and Nuclear or Pharmaceutical besides Pulp and Paper Industries. These pipelines run in miles sometimes in hundreds of miles in large installations. These pipelines have to be inspected on a periodic basis to ensure that these are free from cracks; fissures and bulges and also that they are not choked. In all industries pipeline inspection is given the highest importance next only to running machinery. At times these pipelines run in remote and difficult-to-access places. Sometimes, it may even be risky to carry out inspection of such pipelines. Rope access is of course one way out of this situation when pipelines at heights can be safely inspected.

Isolation of a fault in miles of pipelines is not an easy operation at all. It requires the involved professionals to be well trained, experienced, and dedicated as well. The equipment that’s used has to be the latest in technology and duly calibrated. Non-destructive testing methods are invariably used for obvious reasons. The various options for pipeline inspection could be by the use of Magnetic Testing, Radiographic Techniques or Ultrasonic Testing methods. The Magnetic Flux Leakage In Line Inspection tool is one of the popular options wherein a tool called “PIG” travels inside the pipeline. The tool is smart and it collects the data of the inner wall in real time while assessing it as it runs inside. The use of GPS can help pinpoint the defect location.

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The Complexities involved with Pipelines Inspection

A large number of industries have pipelines that in cases can run for hundreds of miles. These could be the Nuclear, Petrochemical, Pharmaceutical, Power Generation or Pulp & Paper Industries. These pipelines are to be inspected regularly to ensure that there is no blockage or corrosion since such blockages or corrosion could ultimately result in the industry coming to a grinding halt. Pipeline inspection therefore assumes the greatest of significance in any industry. The large length of the pipeline isn’t the only problem associated with its inspection. At times the pipeline could be in a relatively inaccessible location making the task of its inspection that much tougher. The team of inspectors has to be qualified and experienced besides being dedicated and true professionals duly certified and possessing modern equipment that has been periodically calibrated.

Pipeline inspection involves a complex form of non-destructive testing such as magnetic, radiographic or ultrasonic testing. In a magnetic form of testing use is made of Magnetic Flux Leakage (MFL) equipment. The MFL is used in the case of steel pipelines and consists of generating a strong magnetic field around the pipeline. The resultant flux lines reveal the existence of cracks and other defects in the pipeline. Advanced systems use multiple sensors to improve the resolution. In the In Line Inspection Tool method (MFL-ILI) the tool or “Pig” travels inside the pipeline while relaying real time data. In yet more advanced methods GPS is used to pinpoint the exact location of the fault in the pipeline.

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An Overview of failure analysis and material analysis

Industries of modern times are a tough place to be in. Operations, processes, manufacturing, distillation, etc. constantly go on, throughout days, weeks, months and even for years at a stretch. In such circumstances, even little failures and defects can result in tragedies of catastrophic proportions. While we cannot dissuade failures completely, it is imperative that we learn from the mistakes and try to avoid them in future.

Failure analysis refers to the comprehensive study of different aspects related to an event of failure to determine the causes behind it. It is important to know whether the mishaps happened due to careless and negligent human behavior, poor maintenance or simply due to presence of defects in the material being used (using materials analysis). This is done so that the processes can be rectified and future occurrence can be averted.

How failure analysis is done?

Have you ever seen the investigation of a crime by forensic experts on TV? Well, failure analysis is done much on the same lines, albeit without oodles of glamour. The experts doing failure analysis use techniques of forensic science to reconstruct the incident and gauge the cause of the event. They use several scientific techniques like destructive and non-destructive methods to complete their analysis.

How material analysis is done?

Material analysis involves subjecting a sample of the material under close microscopic observation. The grain of the material is analyzed to determine its structure, heat tolerance and other physical and chemical properties to determine the real cause of the failure.

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Magnetic testing: the effective approach to materials testing

What is magnetic testing?
Magnetic testing is a form of material testing that utilizes the magnetic properties and their differences to figure out the faults and defects in the material. In heavy industries where work cannot be stopped even for a short period; experts have to figure out various non-destructive methods of finding out defects and faults. This is important because it is not possible or feasible to bring the work to a grinding halt while the experts dismantle equipments, pipelines, etc. and try to analyze faults in them. Then again, it is of paramount importance that such faults and defects are identified, located and rectified at the earliest otherwise the losses will keep compounding and may at times result in severe devastation (for instance, in nuclear plants and oil pipelines). Magnetic testing is an appropriate technique, as magnetic fields are often non-interfering and does not cause any major disruption in the processes.

Finding magnetic testing experts
Maintaining a fleet of experts for material testing can prove to be quite a costly exercise. Even big industries may find it taxing. Then again updating technology and equipments every now and then can also be resource-intensive. Fortunately, there are service providers that offer their expertise, equipments, knowledge and experience in lieu of consultation fees.
Things to be kept in mind while choosing service providers for material testing
It will be better to approach service providers who have experience in catering to the testing needs of various industries so that they can utilize their core competency. Make sure that they use standardized procedure, calibrated instruments and certified and professional technicians.

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Understanding Materials Testing and Magnetic Testing

Materials testing has assumed a lot of significance with the advent of new and better technologies in recent years. Earlier manufacturer used to suffer a lot of losses due to non availability of material testing techniques. Often this loss resulted in sufferings for the mankind. However, now with rapid advancements in technology the materials testing techniques are available freely. This testing is used to detect any microscopic and hidden defects or faults which are often inherent in a material and causes the whole process to fail. Some of the popular techniques of material testing are magnetic testing, metallography, liquid penetrent test, heat resistance test, Charpy Impact Testing, Visual testing, Bend Testing, Tensile Testing, Radiographic testing, Hardness Testing, Positive material identification, Salt Spray Testing, magnetic particle testing and ultrasonic testing etc.

Magnetic testing is a technique of material testing used to detect sub-surface defects in a material. Magnetic testing methods are frequently used to detect corrosion and pitting in steel structures. As this method requires no direct contact with the material to be tested therefore, these methods are much preferred. The material to be tested has to be magnetized and then those areas are detected which do not show flux lines indicating corrosion. Another magnetic test method is the In-line Inspection Tool or ILI which causes the magnetic probe to travel inside a pipeline. The ILI detects corrosion and pitting making use of the magnetic field. Alternating Current Field Measurement or the ACFM can be used on ferrous as well as non-ferrous materials.

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Effectiveness of Ultrasonic testing and rope access

Industrial units have to deploy a variety of techniques to inspect and counter corrosion and other flaws that might crop up in components of strategic importance. This is done with the purpose of maintenance and for averting accidents. Ultrasonic testing and rope access are two such methods that enhance the efficiency of inspection mechanism.

Ultrasonic testing

This technique utilizes ultrasonic pulses with short frequencies to chart out the internal flaws and characteristics of the material. The pulses can determine the thickness of the object and such a pattern can be used to figure out the corrosion in inside surfaces of the pipelines. The ultrasonic testing is characterized by its high sensitivity and high penetrating power which can expose minor flaws as well as those that are seated deep inside. It is one of the most accurate of all nondestructive methods of testing and can determine the dimensions of flaw very closely. The best part is that this method is completely non-polluting and does not affect personnel or environment in any way.

There are, however, few off-sides. The surface has to be regular and even otherwise it becomes quite difficult to administer the test. It requires heavy technical preparation and paint, scale, etc. on the surface needs to be removed.

Rope Access

There are places, requiring inspection, that are not accessible from bottom but from the top, for instance the top of a chimney or the building. In such cases, rope access comes in handy. The allow workers to reach such places using scaffolding, cradles and work platforms. The rope access finds great application in oil platforms, telecommunication towers, etc.

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How to Carry Out a Risk Free Inspection

It’s essential to carry out industrial inspection on a regular basis. Such inspections are non destructive in nature in order that the industry runs without hindrance. Such non-destructive testing or NDT can employ tools depending on the type of industry. These tools could be Ultrasound, Magnetic, Eddy Current or Penetrant Testing. Certain industries have sections located in remote spots. These relatively inaccessible areas are inspected using scaffolding or more recently Rope Access Inspection Services.

Scaffolding as a means of access has several drawbacks such as being obstructive and the fact that you have to keep erecting and taking down the scaffolding at regular intervals resulting in greater expenditure. The rope access on the other hand is a safer and risk free option. On an estimate, some 100,000 hours of accident free rope access time has resulted in approximately 75% increase in cost benefits. Its onsite applications may include the inspection of pipelines, the integrity of welded joints and turbine inspection.

Turbine inspection is a specialist task that’s taken on by qualified and experienced technicians who are so certified. The significance of the inspection of turbines and blades may be appreciated by imagining the damage that may result from one fractured blade that might fail and result in the entire turbine shutting down setting up a domino effect that might in turn result in the failure of the entire industry costing enormous sums in costly repairs. Bore scopes and ultrasonic transducers are used besides the dye penetrant method for the inspection of turbines.

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How to Analyze Failures without committing an Error

The only way to analyze failures without an error is by having an excellent Materials Testing & Analysis Laboratory. Failure analysis involves routine destructive testing facilities such as for hardness, stresses, UTS, impact, bendability, creep and fatigue among others. These tests could be analytical in nature as well such as in a Metallurgical Chemistry Laboratory where the failed material is analyzed. The failure analysis could also involve more sophisticated techniques such as those involving Electron Microscope, Gas Chromatography, and tests for inter crystalline corrosion and resistance to hydrogen embrittlement besides various forms of spectroscopy. In difficult cases you may have to seek the help of Computer Modeling & Simulation techniques when the routine methods are inadequate in yielding satisfactory results pinpointing the cause of failure. To give an example in case while carrying out pipeline inspection a failure of the welded joint is encountered a thorough analysis would establish whether the failure was due to material defect, the quality of welding or higher pressure within the pipeline due to obstruction or some other reasons.

Pipeline inspection is a very painstaking job that requires qualified technicians with great patience and skill. A number of methods of non-destructive testing are used to carry out the inspection of pipelines. These may include Radiographic, Magnetic or Ultrasonic Testing. A common tool is the Magnetic Flux Leakage (MFL) method used for steel pipelines. In this method, a powerful magnetic field is created. The flux lines are then analyzed to yield the areas having flaws in the pipeline.

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The Importance of Magnetic and Ultrasonic Testing for Industries

Various techniques used in Non Destructive Testing or NDT in the industry include visual and radiography, ultrasonic testing, and eddy current or magnetic testing. Depending on the industry, different services are used in the magnetic testing field. Therefore, in the pipeline sector the use is made of the Magnetic Flux Leakage or MFL as well as the Portable Yoke. The MFL method utilizes the principle of generation of flux lines around the steel pipeline by using a powerful magnetic field. Corrosion is detected as well as pitting in storage tanks or pipelines or other steel structures by estimating the missing areas of flux lines. In an advanced version of the MFL method of magnetic testing, an inline tool is used that both cleans and scans the wall of the pipeline as it travels through it.

Ultrasonic testing methods are used in the industry to measure the build-up of oxide and the thickness of samples besides monitoring of corrosion. Electromagnetic Acoustic Transmission or EMAT, PA or Phased Array, and TOFD (Time of Flight Diffraction) are some of the services that are used. The TOFD method is normally used for the accurate estimation of cracks in welded joints. In this, a set of probes is mounted on a buggy that travels along the welded section while inspecting and transmitting the recordings. The PA method uses a principle by which a high-resolution beam reveals the internal image of the object. Acoustic Ranger, Automated Ultrasonic Testing or AUT are some of the other methods under this form of testing.

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An Overview of the Methods of Nondestructive Testing

Nondestructive testing methods are periodically used by the industry as a means of ensuring the health of all the individual units comprising it. Thus, pipelines are regularly cleaned and tested for cracks. Turbines are similarly periodically checked for cracks and imperfections in either the blades or in the turbine itself. Units, due to being subjected to a combination of high temperature and stresses or high thermal stresses, also need to be checked using the appropriate tool in nondestructive testing. These tools and corresponding procedures include, are Eddy Current, Dye Penetrative agent, Radiography, Ultrasonic Testing and Magnetic Testing.

The Ultrasonic Testing applications include the measurement of thickness, the monitoring of corrosion as well as the build up of oxides, near drum boiler tools, and hydrogen induced cracking among others. The techniques used include the Acoustic Ranger, Advanced Flaw Sizing, EMAT or electromagnetic acoustic transmission, TOFD or time of flight diffraction and PA or Phased Array. In the TOFD method, a set of probes is used for the accurate estimation of cracks in welds. The probes are mounted on a buggy that travels along the weld being inspected. The data generated during travel is analyzed to reveal cracks.

Magnetic Testing methods are used for the examination of turbine blades, welds and pipelines. The Alternating Current Field Measurement (ACFM), Magnetic Flux Leakage (MFL) and the Portable Yoke are some of the methods in use. The ACFM can be used for metals, non-metals and their alloys and through coatings as well. The MFL is used for steel structures only.

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Laboratory for Materials Testing and Materials Analysis

Industries cannot run efficiently and safely unless there is a constant improvement in technology and materials. These improvements are essential for the modernization process that ushers in higher quality of output while increasing cost effectiveness. This is true for the Power Production and Paper & Pulp industries as much as it is for Nuclear or Aerospace industries. Quite frequently improvements in technology need an improvement in material specification as well. This is borne out in the manufacture of higher performance fighter aircraft, nuclear submarines and power turbines among others. The introduction of newer materials accentuates the requirement of materials testing laboratories that need to be fully equipped with test equipment for the testing of the wide range of properties of materials. Such tests could be for physical properties as in stress, fatigue, creep, impact and hardness or chemical properties as in the composition, alloying and microstructure. A modern laboratory that is equipped to conduct materials analysis best establishes chemical properties as well as tests for corrosion and the effects of heat treatment.

Materials testing laboratories are equipped with modern machines to perform tests to establish tensile strength, compressive strength, flexural strength and tear or peel strength. However, materials analysis laboratories could be used as a tool for failure analysis besides the identification of materials, their structural analysis, characterization or the level of contamination. The health and the well being of the industry is dependant on its monitoring or diagnostic laboratory of which the testing and analysis of materials are key ingredients.

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An Introduction to Failure Analysis

When we discuss industries such as the Petrochemical or Power and Automotive or Nuclear and Paper or Pharmaceutical failures are not acceptable but still they do occur. A turbine blade could fail in an aircraft engine due to thermal fatigue or creep. An important pipeline in the Chemical industry could fail due to corrosion. These failures need to be investigated in order to establish the actual cause. This investigation is necessary in order to prevent a recurrence and initiate changes in design or material as warranted. Thus it’s a disciplined failure analysis carried out in a modern laboratory that will confirm whether the failure has occurred due to fatigue, creep or stress corrosion cracking, operator’s error or a faulty design.

Failure analysis is a painstaking scientific process more akin to forensic science. It could involve metallography or chemical analysis and destructive or non-destructive testing techniques. In complex cases where, for example, aircraft debris may have to be sifted for clues accident reconstruction involving computer modeling and simulation techniques could be necessary. In the simpler cases a good metallography laboratory will establish whether the heat treatment had been adequate or not. To establish tensile strength and capacity to withstand impact loads, there are facilities for testing for tensile strength at 1000 c and impact testing using the notched bar at temperatures as low as –196 c. Hardness values can be checked using various standards such as Brinell, Rockwell and Vickers.

A combination of failure analysis techniques such as metallography, fracture mechanics, mechanical testing, SEM analysis etc. can be used to determine the cause of failure of components in industries spanning pulp and paper, pipeline, civil industries, and petrochemical.

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Important Information about Ultrasonic Testing

The health of any industry can be ascertained by routine inspection and testing. The industry could be Nuclear, Power, Paper or Petrochemical. Every industry has to be maintained periodically in order to prevent costly breakdowns that could spell financial disaster. Nondestructive testing or NDT is the predominant method of conducting such maintenance work or inspection. NDT prevents the degradation of the article under inspection and is carried out by various types of equipment such as Eddy Current, Magnetic, Radiographic and Ultrasonic Testing.

With the help of this testing you can not only evaluate flaws, cracks and areas under corrosion but can also measure sample thickness. This form of NDT is routinely used in the examination of welded areas in vessels, plates and piping. Therefore, in the aerospace industry use is made of services such as the Automated Ultrasonic Testing or AUT and the Electromagnetic Acoustic Transmission or EMAT besides Shear Wave and Time of Flight Diffraction or TOFD.

The EMAT generates an ultrasonic wave within the sample. The reflected wave creates a small electrical pulse that is analyzed by software to form a picture of the sample’s internal structure. The EMAT can detect flaws and cracks and calculate their dimensions. It can also be used for calculating the sample thickness.

The TOFD utilizes probes that are placed on a buggy that runs along the weld to be examined. The software makes accurate assessment of the dimensions of the crack. The accuracy of ultrasonic testing makes it a handy tool for engineers engaged in NDT.

Rope Access – Saving on the Production Time

Materials testing has to fall back on Non-destructive Testing when the sample being checked cannot be damaged or rendered dysfunctional. These tests are non-invasive and include Ultrasound, Endoscopy, Radiography, Visual Testing, Magnetic Testing, Eddy Current and some Specialized Testing Methods. Among the services for Specialized Testing are included Hardness, Laser Examination, Soil Testing and rope access Inspection Services.

One of the biggest problems in a large industry such as the Aerospace, Pulp & Paper or Pipeline and Refining & Petrochemical is how to conduct a routine inspection or investigate a costly breakdown quickly and safely without interfering with the ongoing production process. The earlier process of scaffolding firstly brought in too many hindrances in production on account of the space scaffolding took up. Secondly, large amount of time and money was spent in putting up the scaffolding each time and tearing it down again. The rope access Inspection Services solved this problem by placing skilled and certified technicians along with their test equipment by rope access in seemingly inaccessible areas of the industry in order to carry out either routine inspection or a Non Destructive Testing to diagnose the actual cause of the breakdown in the plant. The testing could be in Radiography, Magnetic Testing or Ultrasound Testing among others.

The use of this Specialized Testing service avoids needless hazard zones thereby increasing productivity and cost effectiveness while drastically reducing risk factor. Cost benefits accruing more than 75% have resulted from logging more than 100,000 hours of rope access time without a single injury.

Material Testing is Both Efficient and on Time with Material Testing Laboratories

There are modern laboratories available for materials testing. These facilities are equipped to service projects of all sizes in an efficient time frame. These have the state-of-the-art equipment in this field and skilled personnel to execute the task. The facilities cover all forms of metallurgical, chemical, mechanical and plastics testing. In order to discharge the task quickly the results of the test can be electronically transmitted thereby eliminating paperwork.

These materials testing laboratories can test the tubular goods for the oil fields. They can also carry out fatigue tests over the prescribed long-term leading to failure. Accelerated tests to assess the impact of aging can be carried out on plastic components from the automotive sector as well.

Furthermore, there is in-house capability for the fabrication of all types of specimen required for the tests. The laboratory will have a well- stocked technical library with the various standards both modern and old in order to assess the results from the tests that were conducted. The occasional doubts that might arise due to the unexpected test results can also be resolved with the experience of the in-house engineers. These laboratories are adequate to meet your needs of testing right from the drawing of samples till their analysis.