NDT and site services

Our aim

TWI has been at the forefront of non-destructive testing of fabricated structures for more than 40 years. The NDT Technology Section is a group of engineers, consultants and technicians dedicated to the development and successful implementation of the full spectrum of non-destructive testing. The aim is to give cost saving and reliability assurance to customers by interfacing with related technologies such as engineering critical assessment, risk-based inspection strategies, reliability analysis and repair procedure development.

Benefits

Cost savings and safety assurance on industrial plant maintenance
Independent advice and consultancy
Strong links to reliability analysis and engineering critical assessment
Problem solving by qualified engineers

Technologies

Pulse-echo ultrasonics (manual, automated and high frequency)
TOFD ultrasonics
Elevated temperature ultrasonics
Radiography
Eddy current (manual & automated)
Liquid penetrant & magnetic particle
ACFM
Thermography
Neural networks, mathematical modelling (ultrasonics and radiography)

Teletest ^® long-range guided wave UT (provided by Plant Integrity Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of TWI)

Materials

Ferritic steels
Stainless/super duplex steels
Copper

Aluminium
Titanium
Plastics

Carbon fibre
GRP
Wood

Facilities

Standard UT; PSP-3 P-scan; T-scan; Microplus TOFD; high frequency C-scan immersion system; PC based flaw detector
Thermal imaging
Microfocus & real time radiography; 400kV X-ray facility
ECT; Impedance plane eddy currents and ACFM systems
PT & MT facilities
Advanced modelling software

Services

TWI has a world-renowned reputation for R&D in NDT, both for clients and as part of a multi-million pound core research programme studying fundamentals. This wealth of experience enables us to act effectively in consultancy, problem solving and procedure development for TWI's Industrial Members.

Specialist on-site inspection teams offer rapid response to requirements for critical flaw sizing for engineering critical assessment. Advanced techniques such as automated and very high frequency ultrasonics, electro-magnetic techniques, phase-locked thermography and TWI's own long-range ultrasonic system, Teletest ^® , are available.

TWI also operates as an independent third party for the assessment of data or reports from NDT service providers. Assignments commonly include carrying out contractor validation and supervision, inspection capability assessment and qualification.

Some recent projects

- Statistical extrapolation of thickness data and probability of leakage
- Assessing in-service inspection of nuclear pressure vessels and boilers
- Inspection methods for internal corrosion and corrosion under insulation
- Quantifying the reliability of radiography
- Generic fillet weld inspection
- Long-range UT development
- Review of time of flight ultrasonics acceptance criteria
- UT methods for the integrity of adhesively bonded metal structures
- NDT site service for assessing gas bottle integrity
- Specialised NDT including P-scan inspection of offshore components
- Inspection of coatings including bonded coatings using thermographic and eddy current methods
- Marine corrosion diagnosis
- NDT for diffusion bonded and vacuum brazed components
- Assessing the capability of in-service inspection of nuclear pressure vessel and boilers
- Teletest ^® field survey (The long-range ultrasonic technology, marketed under the name of Teletest ^® is designed to screen pipelines and process pipework for corrosion and other metal loss features)
- High temperature ultrasonic weld inspection

In addition, TWI is involved in several European collaborative projects including:

SINTAP	Structural Integrity Assessment
RACH	NDT for corrosion including under insulation
WINDEPP	NDT of plastic pipe welds

Heidrum ACFM Inspection System	Typical fatigue crack signal

For further information, contact us at: power@twi.co.uk