TPT January 2013

Inspection, measuring and

testing

Raising calibration standards SCAN Systems is a company that offers expertise in the areas of OCTG tubing, casing and inspection. It has pioneered numerous revolutionary products to be given when setting up the material that will ultimately become the test piece for phased array, UT or EMI inspection to be done in the future. It is these points in time that patience and attention to detail can make or break the entire NDT process.

two thousands of an inch. In addition, in certain configurations, EDM can be utilised to create flaws in the ID of tubular products such as OCTG. Years ago, a joint of tubing or casing would have to be cut in half in order to create a flaw in the ID of the pipe. With EDM technology, the tooling has advanced to allow an EDM notch to be created in the ID of the pipe up to 96" up inside the tube. Once flaws are created, a replicate of the flaw is one way to examine the true measurement. A catalyst and base material can be used to form a mould – much like a dentist would form a mould of your teeth. The mould that is created can be used to verify an ARI that was created inside a pipe. Once the replicate is made, it will be sectioned and put under an optical comparator to measure the exact depth of the flaw. The replicate material can also be used to help examine the angle and surface of a flat bottom hole. These replicates of theARIs created for that test piece can be filed with the certification paperwork for any audits that may occur in the future. The Notchmaster is applicable not only to OCTG tubular products, but to other industries as well, such as the line pipe industry, forging industry, aerospace and automotive products. The tool has been the best of its kind on the market for two decades and will prove itself valuable to any company in an industry that requires calibration standards.

designed to serve the OCTG tubing, casing and NDT inspection industries. One particular area in which it excels is in creating artificial reference indicators and precision flaws to create test standards for NDT inspection equipment. As inspection technologies have advanced the need has become greater for accuracy and precision in artificial reference indicators (ARIs). As per API specifications and the industries ever growing demands, the equipment used for testing must be calibrated against known standards. Often the very nature of the products that NDT companies are dealing with will cause great challenges in creating ARIs, whether working with the need to create a transverse flaw in between API pipe threads to simulate a fracture, or a requirement to manufacture a flaw 19ft inside a pipe. In many applications around the globe, flaws are often created by hand, utilising Dremel tools or grinding equipment. These methods lack in precision for width, depth, and geometry. In addition, ID flaws in pipe are nearly impossible without cutting the standard at the location you intend to place the flaw. The EDM process works well in applications that require ARIs to be created in larger parts. It is often used to manufacture flaws in OCTG tubing and casing. In certain configurations, an EDM machine can offer portability giving the operator the flexibility to create the test standard in the field or production facility. Great care and consideration needs

That is why Scan Systems invented the EDM NotchMaster product line offered through its EDM Specialties Division. The NotchMaster is the world’s first portable EDM unit designed to create precision flaws in both the ID and OD surfaces of pipe or any other ferrous material. The portable power supply along with specially designed tooling allows the NotchMaster, using the EDM process, to slide inside the pipe, easily creating a precision flaw at the precise location required. Through this innovative process, the EDM NotchMaster is able to create longitudinal flaws, transverse flaws, oblique angled flaws and wall reductions of nearly any geometry. The development and manufacturing of the NotchMaster was a sign of Scan Systems’ dedication to solving some of the most important problems faced by inspection companies in the field. The EDM NotchMaster can create precision flaws and control the depth of the cut within two thousandths of an inch. The width of the notch is controlled by the electrode material chosen for the application. Typically, the electrode material is available from 0.006" to 0.040" wide. A flaw created by EDM will create a width that is 0.005" wider than the selected material. The depth of the flaw is tightly controlled, often through the use of a digital micrometer. The micrometer can control the depth of the notch to

Scan Systems – USA Email: mattr@scansystems.com Website: www.scansystems.com

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J anuary 2013