Tubing can play a critical role in the overall functioning of assets, machinery and systems.
So, it’s crucial that it’s inspected on a regular basis to detect damage or defects that could lead to the impaired functioning or failure of the tubing.
Common defects that occur in tubing include; cracking, corrosion, pitting and thinning.
The Lab’s tube inspection services will help you not only identify failures, but anticipate them too.
Tube inspection services
The Lab’s team of tube inspection specialists are skilled in performing multiple techniques to the highest standards. This means they are able to handle diverse projects of all sizes and provide rapid solutions for any material - no matter how complex the job.
The Lab’s tube inspection services can be used in myriad applications, such as:
- Shell-and-tube heat exchangers
- AC chillers
- Steam generators
- Boilers
- Coolers/heaters
- Condensers/evaporators
In order to provide satisfactory inspections in all of these different applications, The Lab offers several different advanced inspection techniques depending on the tube materials and geometries involved.
These tube inspection techniques include:
- ECT - eddy current testing
- ECA - eddy current array
- IRIS - internal rotary inspection system
- RFT - remote-field testing
- NFT - near-field testing
- NFA - near-field array
- MFL - magnetic flux leakage
At a glance: selecting the best technique for the type of material and tube
The type of tubing you have (and the material it is made from), will determine the type of inspection technique that is most suitable. Below, we’ve set out the best inspection techniques per type of material and tube:
| Material/Tech | ECT | ECA | IRIS | RFT | NFT | NFA | MFL | |
| Non-Ferromagnetic | Tube | ◾ | ◾ | ◾ | ||||
| Finned Tube | ◾ | ◾ | ◾ | |||||
| Low-Ferromagnetic | Tube | ◾ | ◾ | ◾ | ◾ | ◾ | ||
| Finned Tube | ◾ | ◾ | ◾ | ◾ | ◾ | |||
| Ferromagnetic | Tube | ◾ | ◾ | ◾ | ◾ | ◾ | ||
| Integral finned Tube | ► | ◾ | ◾ | ◾ | ◾ | |||
| Aluminium finned Tube | ◾ | ◾ | ◾ | ◾ |
Detection capabilities according to defect type
The table below illustrates which inspection techniques are most appropriate for common types of defects:
| Defect | ECT | ECA | IRIS | RFT | NFT | NFA | MFL |
| ID Pitting | ◾ | ◾ | ◾ | ||||
| OD Pitting | ◾ | ◾ | ◾ | ||||
| Axial Cracking | ◾ | ◾ | ◾ | ◾ | ◾ | ||
| Circumferential Cracking | ◾ | ◾ | ◾ | ◾ | ◾ | ||
| ID Corrosion | ◾ | ◾ | ◾ | ◾ | ◾ | ||
| OD Corrosion | ► | ◾ | ◾ | ◾ | ◾ | ||
| At Tubesheet | ◾ | ◾ | ◾ | ◾ |
Excellent - ◾
Acceptable but limited - ►
To find out how The Lab at Brookes Bell’s electromagnetic technologies for tubing inspections can help you contact us now.