Pipe weld inspection
Pipe weld inspection
(OP)
Wondered if i could recieve some advice,
I'm attempting to re-start coding welding within the company i work for, based i the UK.
We have lost the knoweldge regarding weld inspection.
Our welders have completed the required coding for the welds they are performing.
However we are producing PED vessel and piping for operation within the UK, and so thus designing to PED requirements.
The vessels we have inspected externally, but in the case of the pipework, my understnding is that i need an inspection of 10%.
I would like to bring this in-house eventually, and was going to begin by sending someone on the required training courses.
However i'm not entrely sure of the most appropiate methods.
VT is not an issue we have experience of this, as are dye testing.
However am i required by current standard to go beyond surface checks? Ie into ultrasonics or x ray on piping?
Pipe is 1"-8" SCh 40. Butt welds and socket weld connections.
Also will ultrasnoics give good results with low diameters.
Many thanks?
I'm attempting to re-start coding welding within the company i work for, based i the UK.
We have lost the knoweldge regarding weld inspection.
Our welders have completed the required coding for the welds they are performing.
However we are producing PED vessel and piping for operation within the UK, and so thus designing to PED requirements.
The vessels we have inspected externally, but in the case of the pipework, my understnding is that i need an inspection of 10%.
I would like to bring this in-house eventually, and was going to begin by sending someone on the required training courses.
However i'm not entrely sure of the most appropiate methods.
VT is not an issue we have experience of this, as are dye testing.
However am i required by current standard to go beyond surface checks? Ie into ultrasonics or x ray on piping?
Pipe is 1"-8" SCh 40. Butt welds and socket weld connections.
Also will ultrasnoics give good results with low diameters.
Many thanks?





RE: Pipe weld inspection
RE: Pipe weld inspection
the pipe size and diameter are too small for conventional ultrasonic inspections. I am not too familiar with phased array and TOFD, but do know that the probes are bigger, and as such will cause problems as well.
It is a while since I have done PED work, but I thought the NDT needed to be done by a third-party.
You might also want to consider the economics of setting up in-house NDT. You would need a lot of work to make it a viable option
Declan
RE: Pipe weld inspection
You will also need a Visual inspector to sign off your VT of a percentage of fitups, in-process, and final welds. In some Coded, 100% VT of Final welds is required. Use 3rd-Party for now, send a couple of [willing] junior engineers or senior welders to an Am. Welding Soc. Certified Welding Inspector - CWI - prep class and then to Certification testing. Using 3rd-Party for VT gets expensive, fast. In-House is also better, because it will bring in welding expertise and should upgrade your shop's welding performance.
RE: Pipe weld inspection
RE: Pipe weld inspection
We are using appropriate precision machined radiused wedges with 5L64 (5MHz, 64 element) transducers (necessary for multi-group work). There are smaller wedges but can only be used for 1 16 element group at a time. We have such wedges down to 2" diameter. We also have a low-profile "bracelet"-type scanner for work down to 1 1/2" diameter and 5mm w.t. with restricted access, e.g. water walls.
creed12, you will need to find a reputable PAUT service company with skilled personnel to carry out such work.
Regards
Nigel
RE: Pipe weld inspection
Olympus has brought to the market a small pipe weld inspection solution using PA technology. The dedicated scanner and probes have been optimized to do the inspection of pipes from 0.84" to 4.5". I attached the brochure of the Cobra scanner. You can also find this information on our web site.
http://www.olympus-ims.com/en/scanners/
Regards,
Simon