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Tube Products International July 2014
Inspect ion and corrosion protect ion
Hi-lo gap measurement tools
Two hand tools for measuring hi-lo gaps
in steel catenary risers (SCRs) and other
fatigue-sensitive pipes are now available
from oil and gas pipe measurement
specialist Optical Metrology Services
(OMS). The tools are easy to use and are
claimed to provide greater accuracy and
repeatability than traditional hi-lo gap
measuring methods.
Every weld is critical to the successful
creation of a pipeline. When welded,
SCR pipes are required to have a very
small (typically less than 0.5mm) internal
mismatch in geometry or hi-lo gap.
In the past, a variety of inaccurate
and poorly repeatable methods have
been used to measure the hi-lo gap,
which also normally require a two-step
process.
To solve these inaccuracy problems,
OMS has designed and manufactured
two new hand tools – the Pipe Checker
‘open gap’ hi-lo tool and the Pipe
Checker ‘closed gap’ hi-lo tool. These
tools are accurate, repeatable and fast
to use, with a digital gauge to measure
the hi-lo mismatch in a single operation.
The open gap tool is designed to
measure the internal hi-lo of an open
gap bevelled pipe joint. The closed
gap tool is developed for use with
automatically welded pipe. Both tools
are part of a range of Pipe Checker
devices from OMS that offer accuracy
and repeatability to quality assurance in
pipeline welding.
The Pipe Checker closed gap hi-lo
tool is used to measure the hi-lo at the
bottom of the J prepped pipes. The
measurement is taken in one step that is
both accurate and repeatable, avoiding
any human errors.
The use of standard digital gauges
means that the tool is simple to use and
familiar to inspectors.
Optical Metrology Services Ltd
– UK
OMS’s Pipe
Checker closed
gap hi-lo tool
In-line measurement solutions for
dimensions and shape
Makers of seamless pipe, tube, profiles
and bars now have access to Zumbach
gauges, which have been enhanced to
offer significant advantages.
A new large Profilemaster
®
model – SPS
800-S8 – completes the line of hot and
cold in-process gauges for rounds up
to diameter 600mm (23.62") or profiles
of up to 550mm (21.65") edge lengths.
Profilemaster gauges are based on the
principle of light-section technology and
machine vision, and can handle any
shape or profile.
Relevant dimensions entered into the
program are monitored during the
production run at all times. Typical
applications are hot seamless pipe and
profiles of any kind, cold rolled/welded
tubes and pipes (ERW) and inspection
stations for tube, pipe, profiles and bar.
Profilemaster systems are available
in multiple designs, depending on the
requirements of the customer and
product. The systems are suited to
the continuous measurement and
monitoring of dimensions and the
complete cross-section of profiles made
of steel, metal, plastics or rubber.
The new series of Steelmaster hot and
cold gauges, based on high-speed
laser scanning, offers up to 12,000
measurements per second, with new
calibrated single scan (CSS) technology.
This results in a highly accurate and fast
non-contact measurement of diameter,
ovality and width/height at production
speeds of 100m/s (19,685ft/min) and
beyond.
Steelmaster gauges are available in
static (SMS models), oscillating (SMO
models) or rotating (SMR models)
configurations, and for diameters of up
to 500mm (20").
Zumbach Electronic AG
– Switzerland
(from left) Zumbach’s Profilemaster
SPS 800-S8, Profilemaster SPS 140-N4
and Steelmaster SMR gauges
