Graviteq is proud to offer Australia's only Real Time x-ray service for the detection of CUI.

 

Real Time X-Ray is an advanced method of inspection used in the detection of CUI (corrosion under insulation) over large spans.  It’s ability to detect corrosion under insulation saves the need to completely remove the lagging to perform inspections. It feeds real time x-ray images to a camera that can also be recorded as a video for permanent records.

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Combined with rope access will literally save hundreds of thousands of dollars in inspection and maintenance campaigns

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A rope access team of 3 licensed operators would work through Isometric drawings of pressure pipework susceptible to CUI. 

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Areas identified to contain CUI would be recommended for insulation removal to identify remaining wall thickness, coating rectification and then re-instatement of insulation / cladding.

Visual inspection is one of the most common and most powerful means of non-destructive testing.
To be most effective visual inspection merits special attention because it requires training (knowledge of product and process, anticipated service conditions, acceptance criteria, record keeping ) and it has its own range of equipment and instrumentation.

 

It is also a fact that all defects found by other NDT methods ultimately must be substantiated by visual inspection. Visual Inspection can be classified as Close Visual Inspection(CVI) and General Visual Inspection(GVI). The most common NDT methods MPI and DPI are indeed simply scientific ways of enhancing the indication to make it more visible.

Magnetic particle testing is a method for detecting cracks and other discontinuities on surface and subsurface of ferro-magnetic materials. Sensitivity of detection is maximum at the surface and diminishes rapidly with increasing depth of sub-surface defects. Detection of defects depend on the fact that when a material is magnetized, discontinuities which lie transverse to the direction of magnetization cause distortion of the magnetic lines of flux and a leakage field is formed at or above the surface, some of these particles are held by the leakage flux.

 

These magnetically held collection of particles form outline of effects and show location, shape and extent of the discontinuities. A number of factors such as direction and strength of the magnetic field, magnetic character of the part, location and orientation of discontinuities and type of the magnetic powder applied, affect the formation of the powder pattern, and therefore exact location of the flaw is indicated by the method.

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Graviteq are one of the 3 IRATA member companies in Qld, Australia. We continue to offer IRATA Training, our rope access courses are held frequently across our two venues in Perth and Brisbane.

Ultrasonic Testing is an NDT method applied to detect internal flaws in materials, components and structures.

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The ultrasonic waves travel through the material with some loss of energy (attenuation) due to material characteristics. The intensity of ultrasonic waves is measured, after reflection at interfaces (or flaw) or is measured at the opposite surface of the specimen (through transmission).

The reflected beam is detected and analysed to define the presence and location of flaws. The degree of reflection depends largely on the physical state of matter on the opposite side of the interface, and to a lesser extent on specific physical properties of that matter. For instance, ultrasonic waves are almost completely reflected at metal-gas interfaces, partial reflection occurs at metal-liquid or metal-solid interfaces.

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Dye penetrant testing / Liquid penetrant inspection is the most reliable method of finding defects and discontinuities opened on the surface especially in all non-porous materials. This method is widely used for testing of non-magnetic materials.

In PT method, a liquid/dye penetrant is applied to the surface of the product for a certain predetermined time specified by codes, standards or specifications, after which the excess penetrant is removed from the surface. The surface is then dried and a developer is applied to it.

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The penetrant which remains in the discontinuity is absorbed by the developer to indicate the presence as well as the location, size and nature of the discontinuity. Penetrants used are either visible dye penetrant or fluorescent dye penetrant. The inspection for the presence of visible dye indications is made under white light while inspection of presence of indications by fluorescent dye penetrant is made under high intensity ultraviolet (or black) light under darkened conditions.

An electrical technique detecting surface breaking defects in all electrically conducting materials through paint and surface coatings. All electrical methods are indirect; a material property is measured as an electrical property variation. A coil carrying an AC current is placed on the specimen surface.

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This generates circulating eddy currents in the specimen close to the surface and these in turn affect the current in the coil by mutual induction. Flaws and material variations affect the strength of the eddy currents. The presence of flaws is therefore measured by electrical changes in the excitation coil. Applications range from crack detection including weld inspections.

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The benefits of eddy current inspection over MPI is that it can detect through surface coatings.  It's able to detect defects through non-conductive surface coatings in excess of 5mm thickness.

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Also there's little pre-cleaning required. Only major soils and loose or uneven surface coatings need to be removed, reducing preparation time.

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Combined with rope access techniques eddy current has proven itself to be a very efficient inspection method.