Applus RTD will demonstrate two of its latest technology developments at the Pipeline Research Council International’s (PRCI) Technology Development Center Grand Opening event in Houston, Texas on 15 July 2015.

RTD IWEX and RTD Trekscan redefine NDT practices, engineering out many of the risks of human interpretation while increasing the quality and consistency of weld and pipeline inspection. Perhaps more important is that the path to key data necessary for pipeline assessments is coming available via these technologies.

The IWEX seam weld system – part of the company’s NDT3D technology range –provides a comprehensive visual representation of pipeline seam welds, specifically electric resistance welded seams, using full matrix capture (FMC) arrays.

Based on capturing the full waveform of data received at the individual array elements and providing detailed 2D and 3D images, the RTD IWEX can be used for accurate characterization of anomalies in terms of their size, position, orientation and type.

Ultrasonic imaging enables visualization and classification of anomalies, eliminates ambiguity in the evaluation of anomalies and provides the ability to differentiate between the anomalies that are a possible threat to the reliability of the pipeline and those that are benign.

The RTD DTI Trekscan technology is the first free-floating pipeline inspection tool designed to traverse back-to-back 1D bends, with an optimum speed of one-meter-per-second (2.2 mph). It can run in pipelines previously considered to be “unpiggable”. Examination and assessment of pipelines using In-Line-Inspection technologies is significantly more cost effective than hydrostatic testing, and more reliable than Direct Assessment practices.

Martin Fingerhut from Applus RTD commented: “To demonstrate our IWEX seam weld and DTI Trekscan technological systems at the PRCI TDC grand opening is a fantastic opportunity to share our developments and our commitment to innovation within the pipeline industry. We share the promise of safeguarding the pipeline industry’s operations and through our technical developments; we seek to deliver enhanced integrity solutions that allow operations to make more informed decisions about their operations.

Tags: Applus RTD