Non Destructive Testing Equipment Uk

Arc Machines in new venture with GrowHow UK

Arc Machines has supplied an automated orbital welding system for a unique project at chemicals company GrowHow's plant near Chester. GrowHow produces millions of tonnes of fertiliser a year for the global market.

The site in Ince makes a million tonnes of fertiliser each year. GrowHow needed to install a new converter vessel in its ammonia synthesis gas loop, but when faced with the welding of the large stainless steel pipes, the contractors Fabricom got in touch with Arc Machines Inc (AMI) with a view to use its expertise in the field.

AMI provided an automated welding system that could guarantee weld quality and speed unachievable by a manual process. AMI provided full training to the Fabricom engineers and supplied three M415 power source and M15 torch systems to enable the welders to work 24 hours a day, and complete the project with minimum loss of production time.

GrowHow said in a statement that it used AMI because of its established reputation for excellence in automated orbital welding. The company selected the AMI system for the guarantee it provides of repeatable high quality across all welds. The ability of AMI's equipment to cope with the thickness of the pipe wall and maintain weld integrity under extremely high gas pressure and temperature has arguably given the company significant advantages.

AMI's regional director, Michael Allman emphasised that the new venture with GrowHow demonstrated the continued relevance of automated orbital welding to a variety of industries ranging from oil and gas, petrochemicals and nuclear power generation to food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, and semi-conductors.

“GrowHow is the UK's largest manufacturer of ammonia and nitric acid and prides itself on technical excellence, so our system had to match up to very high specifications. Not only did the automated orbital welding complete the job faster and more accurately than a manual system but it also provided a clean, high quality surface finish which is invaluable to accurate non-destructive testing,” he said.

AMI was established in 1976. The company now has one of the largest product ranges on the market, with a reputation for some of the highest manufacturing standards, technical strength, customer service and quality of materials.

NETWORK RAIL APPROVAL MAKES IT EASY TO LOCATE UNDERGROUND SERVICES ...

A leading provider of cutting-edge underground utilities detectors is on the right track after its technology was given the thumbs up by Network Rail.

Network Rail has eliminated the risk of hitting buried utilities such as power lines, gas and water pipes – traditionally an occupational hazard for rail workers – by approving LTU’s Easy Locator for use across its rail network.

Using non-destructive technology (NDT), the Easy Locator has been approved specifically for surveyors and contractors who work ‘trackside’ on the UK rail network, which is fraught with challenges caused by electromagnetic interference from tracks and overhead power cables.

Easy Locator’s radar-based technology allows users to begin scanning for concealed underground works at full walking speed in a matter of seconds and can detect a range of materials including metallic, plastic, concrete or ceramic.

Pete Bevils, Managing Director of LTU, the sole distributor of the Easy Locator in the UK, said Easy Locator was a cost-effective solution to the detection and positioning of underground utilities and other buried objects.

The Easy Locator’s components are extensively tested by SAAB Aerospace – it is the world’s biggest-selling utility detector with around 85 per cent of the market share.

“The Easy Locator’s ground penetrating radar technology complements standard electromagnetic pipe and cable locating equipment. Rail environments have traditionally posed unique challenges for utility surveyors, with electromagnetic interference from the tracks themselves and overhead power cables often affecting the performance of electromagnetic locators. Used in conjunction with the Easy Locator, many of these drawbacks can now be eliminated,” he added.

The unit’s controls support two antennas, giving it the ability to detect what’s under the ground at various depths. The system can also be set to operate in different soil conditions for maximum performance and has a unique backup cursor for precise location of an object. It operates with a dedicated rugged monitor with a transreflective screen and can maintain performance within external temperatures that range from -20oC to +50oC.

Bevils added: “The data obtained on site provides the user, prior to excavation, with the location and depth of almost everything that is buried beneath the track; from cables, pipes and duct banks to conduits, ballast and bedrock.

Materials evaluation

Non-destructive testing in civil engineering 2000, (Seiken Symposium #26) : Tokyo, Japan, 25-27 April, 2000

Insight, non-destructive testing and condition monitoring

Nondestructive testing of materials

Nondestructive Testing Standards, A Review