This presentation will introduce a new platform for pipeline girth weld inspection taking advantage of cutting-edge software optimised for high productivity and reliability. Tools aiding in successful inspection workflow including setup, calibration, acquisition, analysis, and reporting will be discussed. Concepts of the inspection requirement will be covered, including detail and examples of the typical workflow to create code compliant inspections. Methods will be discussed including Zonal Discrimination and advanced focussing techniques such as Full Matrix Capture (FMC), Total Focussing Method (TFM) and Plane Wave Imaging (PWI).
Pipeline girth weld inspection is a time and quality critical operation, requiring highly trained operators and reliable equipment. Several different code cases are prevalent for sizing, classification and sentencing of indications, and the resulting report must be available a very short time after data acquisition. This presentation will discuss how advanced software can assist the operator and analysist to ensure accurate compliance to the required code and to progress from calibration to weld reporting in the shortest possible time frame, increasing the operational efficiency whilst maintaining the highest standard of quality control.
Automated weld inspection has been performed for many years utilising the Zonal Discrimination technique with phased array probes and hardware. Setups being created using self-tandem channels for each zone of the weld, fired in sequence, creating strip chart views for rapid indication identification and positioning. This is typically carried out in combination with Phased Array and Time of Flight Diffraction (ToFD) channels. Newly industrialised advanced focussing techniques can also be utilised bringing benefits of highly focussed volumetric views for improved flaw characterisation. PWI brings great efficiency advantages through shorter firing sequences, whilst maintaining highly focussed imaging, thus increasing potential scan speed and decreasing overall inspection time. These imaging techniques will be covered and discussed with their advantages for automated girth weld inspection.