TPi September 2018

The advantages of using integrated sensors in stainless steel tubes for process online monitoring By Erika Hedblom, manager – intelligent tube systems, Sandvik

New technologies and their potential use continue to amaze and impress those involved in manufacturing with the ways in which they can improve process, efficiency and safety. One of the latest techniques is the inclusion of sensors that are actually built into the wall of stainless steel tube. As such, these devices are able to monitor the process as it takes place from inside – even in the most hazardous of environments. Data can then be provided to enable manufacturing and operations personnel to record the performance and history of the process, as well as keeping track of the state of the material itself. Notifications of any problems, even before they occur, can be sent so the user can adapt, modify or replace where necessary. Erika Hedblom, manager – intelligent tube systems for Sandvik, discusses the technology involved and explores the type of applications and situations that could benefit from this technique.

Erika Hedblom

Stainless steel tubes with integrated and protected sensors are one of the latest techniques in steel manufacturing technology enabling operations and production staff to carry out monitoring where previously this would have been impossible. Tubes in a wide range of industrial processes are continuously exposed to a range of challenges. These include variations in temperature, strain on the material and vibration. Being able to keep an eye on how the material is performing throughout the process would undoubtedly prove to be an advantage for the user. Until recently, it was impossible to do this with traditional external sensors, as tough environments would result in their failure early in the process. This is particularly so in some of the harsher applications such as within a boiler. With process occurring inside and outside of the tube, input and output can be measured, but the part in between has previously been down to guesswork. It is now possible to integrate sensors and cables into the tube wall during its manufacture and this enables intelligent,

in-process online monitoring and data recording. This offers a number of benefits for production engineers. To begin with, plant integrity monitoring enables the user to assess the current state of the equipment and determine if there is any danger of failure and potentially expensive downtime. The detection and warning system will advise if the material is running close to its design limit. Production processes can also be closely monitored from within, where physical chemical reactions and thermal transfers are taking place. Importantly, real-time data from inside the process can be used to improve control, optimise the yield and increase the service life of the equipment. Abnormal temperature, strain and vibration can be quickly picked up and rectified before they become problematic. In the event of a system failure, the sensors will make it much easier to find out what caused the problem and determine how to avoid this happening in the future. Sandvik’s own version of the system, Sentusys, comprises sensor tubes with integrated and protected sensors, signal

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September 2018 TUBE PRODUCTS INTERNATIONAL