TPT March 2018

New generation of flux-leakage testing systems RISING quality demands for tubes used in the OCTG market as well as increasing reclamation costs due to certain natural defects that are difficult or even impossible to detect by conventional electro magnetic inspection (EMI) systems are challenging tube manufacturers. Tube producers are also required to optimise availability and maintenance costs of their inspection lines, and to minimise economic losses due to uninspected areas at both ends of the tube. To meet these challenges, Foerster developed the new Rotomat DA and Transomat DA testing systems. Testing with flux-leakage is especially suited to the inspection of steel tubes with a high ferromagnetic permeability used in the oil and gas industries. Compared to currently available systems for flux leakage testing, Foerster claims to have significantly improved defect detection with its new generation of testing systems, which allow the detection of natural and standard defects regardless of their angle or length. The Rotomat DA and Transomat DA sensor systems cover a tube diameter range of 20 to 520mm. The testing instruments offer a fully digitised solution. The complete system is highly resistant to any kind of electromagnetic interference. The test signals are transmitted wirelessly without contact to the test electronics, making slip rings unnecessary. The increased availability and reliability of the systems leads to higher productivity. Digitisation takes place directly at the sensor arrays, and digital rotating transformers increase reliability and reduce disturbance signals. The test signals are transmitted to the test electronics without contact, where processing, analysing and documentation of the data takes place. The digitisation of the system makes it possible to increase the number of testing channels to 192 for Rotomat DA (longitudinal) and 768 for Transomat DA (transverse). This builds the prerequisite for high-resolution C-scan images. Foerster’s new high-resolution sensor technology for the Rotomat DA and Transomat DA can detect the finest changes in both the OD and ID material surface. Small stray flux variations can be detected by the highly sensitive sensors. Special algorithms working on the high-resolution C-scan enable the detection of defects on the outer and inner tube surface in all directions, making it possible to find oblique flaws of all angles as well as short length defects. Natural defects of all angles and lengths can also be detected. High reproducibility for any defect length down to ¼" is achieved. The defects can be visualised in HD quality on the C-scan, so that all defects can be seen in real-time on the screen. Untested ends are minimised to zero for longitudinal testing and a few millimetres for transverse testing. This reduces wasted material and time-consuming manual or visual inspections of the untested ends.

join the best: worldwide

Tube & Pipe Producers and Suppliers Pavilion

International Tube and Pipe Trade Fair

Internationale Rohr-Fachmesse

www.tube.de

Messe Düsseldorf GmbH P.O. Box 101006 – 40001 Düsseldorf – Germany Tel. +49(0)211/4560-01 – Fax +49(0)211/4560-668 www.messe-duesseldorf.de

Institut Dr Foerster GmbH & Co KG – Germany Email: info@foerstergroup.de Website: www.foerstergroup.de

9C25

153 18.09.17 09:30

www.read-tpt.com

MARCH 2018

tub1802_WW_87x260.indd 1