MISTRAS supplies certified technicians to execute advanced non-destructive testing (ANDT) inspection solutions, which offer high levels of accuracy, repeatability, and insight into asset damages, including for those that are impossible to detect with traditional methods.
ANDT inspection methods utilize state-of-the-art equipment and technology to provide quick, precise, and detailed asset integrity data. Using ANDT, there’s a higher probability of flaw detection than with traditional inspection methods.
MISTRAS’ advanced non-destructive testing (ANDT) inspections services are performed by trained experts who are well-versed in their correct application and operation.
MISTRAS’ advanced NDT services use the latest inspection technologies to identify anomalies, analyze their characteristics, and aid plant personnel in making run-repair-replace decisions on potentially-damaged assets.
Some common uses of ANDT techniques include the inspection and detection of:
As a world leader in non-destructive technologies, MISTRAS’ ANDT technique portfolio is expansive. Below is a portion of the ANDT inspection solutions that our expert technicians provide:
Alternating Current Field Measurement (ACFM) Inspection Services
An Alternating Current Field Measurement (ACFM) probe emits an electric current into a component to measure the electromagnetic fields that are close to the surface within the material in order to scan for disturbances caused by defects. It is often used to identify and size surface breaking-cracks in metal components.
MISTRAS utilizes ACFM on a variety of surfaces, including strictly-adhered coatings and surfaces containing minor scaling and debris. Its versatility eliminates the need for pre-cleaning prior to inspection, and test indications can be sized to show depth and length of indications. The test can also be performed at elevated temperatures as high as 900° Fahrenheit.
MISTRAS uses ACFM extensively for offshore platform applications on piping and structural supports, in addition to process piping in oil and gas facilities. MISTRAS’ clients in the infrastructure and transportation sectors have also benefited from ACFM's rapid inspection and defect analysis capabilities.
MISTRAS’ Automated Ultrasonic (AUT) inspection services are advanced, accurate, and effective techniques to monitor discontinuities over successive inspection intervals, calculate growth rates of discontinuities, and plan repair or replacement activities.
Learn more about our automated ultrasonic (AUT) inspection services, including more information on our individual AUT techniques.
The digital radiography (DR) technique encompasses multiple advanced forms of radiography, including:
- Computed Radiography (CR)
- Direct Radiography (DR)
- Computed Tomography (CT)
- Fluoroscopy/Real-Time Radiography (RTR)
These inspection techniques deliver timelier, safer, and more detailed inspection data than traditional radiography, in addition to improved discontinuity evaluation, enhanced image storage and archiving, smaller exclusion zones, increased productivity, and reduced safety hazards.
Learn more about our digital radiography (DR) inspection services, including more information on our individual DR techniques.
Electro-Magnetic Acoustic Transducer (EMAT) Inspection Services
A versatile inspection method that can be configured to perform high-speed volumetric testing, isolated interrogation, and sizing of defects on a variety of assets. EMAT can test structures through multiple methods, including thickness, angle beam, guided wave, and phased array, while supporting configurations for rapid, high-speed screening or precise sizing. EMAT inspections can be conducted in temps up to 700 ° F.
When visual and conventional methods of corrosion and fault detection prove too expensive or impractical, MISTRAS offers Electro-Magnetic Acoustic Transducer (EMAT) inspection services.
EMAT inspections are an extremely versatile and cost-effective NDT technique that can be utilized for pipelines (buried, hidden or easily-accessible), vessels, tanks, flat plates, and other components. It can scan up several hundred meters of pipe per day, with the ability to find very small defects.
EMAT requires no couplant, transmits through most standard coatings, and performs 100% volumetric inspection.
Internal Rotary Inspection System (IRIS) Services
Internal Rotating Inspection Systems (IRIS) are a type of ultrasonic inspection that uses a water-driven rotating mirror to direct an ultrasonic beam at the material, generating a water column that emits measurable sound waves. Primarily used to inspect heat exchanger tubes, IRIS testing provides accurate wall thickness readings, can distinguish between I.D. and O.D. defect orientation, and allows detection and sizing of corrosion, pitting, erosion and baffle wear.
Often used to inspect heat exchanger tubes and air cooler exchangers, IRIS uses ultrasonic technology with a rotating transducer to deliver quantifiable data on damage to the inner or outer diameters (I.D. or O.D.) of tubes.
Primarily used as a prove-up tool, IRIS requires tubes to be cleaner than other tube inspection techniques and scan speeds to be slightly slower, but its quantifiable data make this an important technique. Also available in our ET equipment platform, all IRIS tube data is presented in a C-Scan and B-Scan profile and is archived for playback.
During pulsed eddy current (PEC) inspection, a probe induces eddy currents in a component, and the probe measures wall thickness by tracking the amount of time it takes the eddy currents to decay. The thicker the wall, the longer it takes for the eddy currents to decay to zero. PEC can be applied to in-service assets, and can detect damages through insulation and fireproofing, so it is an effective tool for corrosion-under-insulation (CUI) and flow-accelerated corrosion (FAC) assessments.
Pulsed eddy current (PEC) and PEC Array services are performed to detect and locate corrosion under insulation and fireproofing. The versatility of the solution allows it to be performed in petrochemical plants, refineries, and on marine applications where CUI can be a common defect.
Learn more about our Pulsed Eddy Current (PEC) and PEC Array services.
GPR uses radar technology to locate buried obstructions in concrete, soil and other substrates. It is also utilized extensively during construction projects in advance of setting large cranes.
Ground penetrating radar (GPR) inspection services are a method for analyzing the contents of materials before penetrating them in construction work. This method uses electromagnetic radiation to image the subsurface and detects reflected signals from subsurface structures. GPR ensures work is safe and hazards are avoided before ground is broken.
Learn more about our Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) solutions to properly analyze materials.
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