Impulse Nov. magazine 2014 - Applus RTD

impulse

WORKING TOGETHER FOR SAFETY

Safety – A Metaphor of Operational Excellence

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

New support facilities in Norway

KEY ROLE FOR APPLUS RTD ROPE ACCESS CENTRAL (UK)

The Queensferry Crossing

‘Meeting challenges...

safely’

November 2014

Be the best

2 impulse I 16-2014

Colophon

Welcome to issue number 16 of Impulse. In this number, as usual we focus on the expertise and prblem solving activities of our specialist teams all over the world.

Importantly too, we highlight the recent third

Applus RTD Global Safety Day. Using the theme of

‘Working together for Safety’ it confirmed the

organization’s focus on the value of being safety

conscious in all that we do. Other articles focus on

global activities and developments (like the new RTD

Plant Master monitoring system), as well as recent

awards for outstanding achievements. Maybe you

also have ‘a tale to tell’ and would like to share your

experiences with our many global readers? If you do,

just contact your local Applus RTD representative,

or the Impulse Editorial Team. We look forward to

hearing from you.

Anouska Kroon

Company Journalist

Impulse Editorial TeamApplus RTD

Postbus 491

2900AL Capelle aan den

IJssel, The Netherlands

T +31 10 716 61 13

F +31 10 716 63 73

[email protected]

www.ApplusRTD.com

For further information on any of the articles,

please contact the Editorial team. We will arrange

for you to receive that information via the author of

the article. Other questions, comments and

suggestions should be sent to:

Be Responsible

Be the Best

Be Interested

Be Valuable

Be Open

Our values represent who we are today and who we aspire to be

Care has been taken to ensure that all information

contained in Impulse is correct and up-to-date. However,

Applus RTD accepts no liability for any inaccuracies or

changes to published material.

Follow us at

impulse I 16-2014 3


Safety – A Metaphor of Operational Excellence → 4

ADVANCED NDT AND SUBSEA INSPECTION

A new team Down Under! → 6

DEMO AT RANGE RESOURCES

Innovative technologies on show → 9

NOVEMBER | 2014Index

12 161064

KEY ROLE FOR APPLUS RTD ROPE ACCESS CENTRAL (UK)

The Queensferry Crossing → 10 MEMORIAL CONSERVATION

Remembering Iwo Jima → 12

PROFESSIONAL RECRUITMENT WEBSITE FOR NEW TALENT

Success brings its own challenges → 14


New support facilities in Norway → 16

WORLD PORT DAYS IN ROTTERDAM

Spreading knowledge → 19 RTD PLANT MASTER

Enhancing asset integrity through Plant Master monitoring → 20

A NEW FACE FOR

FUTURE CHALLENGES

NEW REGIONAL

DIRECTOR FOR REGION

WESTERN EUROPE

(WEUR)

→ 8

APPLUS RTD

CERTIFICATION

KEY RECOGNITION

→ 15

ESSO TURNAROUND 2013

ESSO EXCELLENCE

AWARD 2013

→ 18

4 impulse I 16-2014



The two previous versions of this

worldwide event focused heavily on the

importance of performing (last minute)

risk assessments and the importance of

having effective communications about

safety. These themes were mainly aimed

at improving safety management at the

frontline of our operations. The theme

for 2014 is ‘Working together for Safety’.

Meeting challenges… safelyThe frontline employees of Applus RTD

are sometimes confronted with very

challenging situations when it comes to

getting safe access to, and egress from,

objects that need to be tested or

inspected. They heavily depend on the

support of others, and in particular

those who are involved in the bidding and

planning stages of NDT projects. These

individuals have to think about and

prepare for these challenging situations

to ensure that our employees are not

faced with a fait accompli which might

force them to use their ‘stop work

authority’, thus causing undesired and

costly delays. We have to make sure that

in every project the safety hazards and

risks are considered at the earliest and

every subsequent stage.

Because everybody has a role to play in

this vital focus on safety, the theme has

been selected… “Working together for

Safety”.

↑ Poster Safety Day

On 9th October 2014 Applus RTD organized its third Global Safety Day. The theme for 2014 is ‘Working together for Safety’. Why… and how do we at Applus RTD approach this key subject?

impulse I 16-2014 5


Working together for Safety

Better safety means a better performanceGood safety management is key to a

better overall performance of projects.

If for example, during the bidding stage

we agree with the client on the

necessary arrangements for the safe

performance of the project and who is

responsible for which arrangement, we

can avoid extra cost, delays and other

quality issues later on.

If during the planning stage all involved

are informed about the safety hazards

and agree on the controls that need to

be implemented to manage the

associated risks, NDT testing can be

performed both safely and efficiently.

Needless to say, at the worksite during

the execution stage, our teams still need

to stay vigilant and look out for any

unexpected hazardous situations. Finally

it is vital to learn and improve from our

experiences in the evaluation stage.

↑ Richard van Sonsbeek

What applies to safety management,

applies equally to quality management

and in the end to business management

as a whole. In other words… safety can

be regarded as a metaphor of

operational excellence.

Looking to the futureThis is the first year that Safety Day is

organized in all Applus Divisions, and not

just Applus RTD. Our colleagues have

recognized the value of having a special

day devoted to Safety and adopted our

theme. And we are confident that in the

future all will strongly benefit from the

co-operation between the different

divisions of Applus. It helps too, if people

from different national and

organizational cultures think

independently about the same theme.

While the implementation of different

creative ideas will help to improve our

safety and overall performance.

Richard van SonsbeekDivisional HSQE Manager Applus RTD

↑ Because everybody has a role to

play in this vital focus on safety,

the theme has been selected

‘Working together for Safety’

6 impulse I 16-2014

A new team Down Under!

ADVANCED NDT AND SUBSEA INSPECTION

Partnership... the way forward For some 15 years, the Advanced NDT Group has been

providing a range of subsea inspection services which have

been supported by the company's Applications and Technology

Center Perth. With continuing growth in the global market

however, the need for subsea inspection activities combined

with asset integrity management has grown too. This has led

to the creation of a dedicated division focused on this critical

Applus RTD Australia has recently announced a further expansion of its specialized NDT capabilities with a re-energized and dedicated team... Advanced NDT & Subsea Inspection. This new facility is designed to support global subsea operations from its local Applus RTD Perth base.

Design and development• Mechatronics

• Interfacing and integration of

equipment, modules and Remote

Operated Vehicle (ROV) deployment

• Subsea advanced inspection methods

• Technical support (Procedure, Level 3

Consultancy)

• Diver and ROV deployment tools

• Qualification and validation (code

compliant inspection methods) for

reliable inspection results

• Project management

Increasing the range of advanced inspection engineering for underwater applications• Pipeline thickness analysis without

the need to remove coatings

• Full inspection of subsea welds,

including discontinuities, anomalies,

cracking, and weld corrosion

• Analysis of external surface

discontinuities

• Splash zone inspections

• Engineering solutions for underwater

inspection equipment

• Subsea camera and image

systems – both off-the-shelf and

custom built

Existing subsea technology• ToFD (Time of Flight Diffraction)

• Ultrasonic C-scan Mapping

• RTD INCOTEST (Pulsed Eddy Current)

• Riser and caisson inspections

• Phased array

• External ring scanners/internal plug

scanners

• Vision systems

6 impuls I 16-2014

area for inspection services... Advanced NDT & Subsea

Inspection. Key to the success of this new operation is the way

inspection technologies can be used with deployment vehicles

and working together with colleagues in the USA, Applus RTD is

currently exploring options for partners, while searching for

ways to develop a greater share of what is an important

developing area of activity.

Expansion and development plans for 2014 will include responsibilities for:

impulse I 16-2014 7

A new team Down Under!

RTD INCOTEST... 500 meters subsea in the Gulf of MexicoApplus RTD has recently completed a

subsea inspection operation using RTD

INCOTEST in the Conger and Penn State

deep fields in the Gulf of Mexico, USA.

The purpose of the inspection was to

test for evidence of corrosion under

marine growth plus external coating and

internal wall loss at selected locations

on a 13.5 kilometre subsea flow line. This

involved inspection of the various flow

lines connecting subsea wells, manifolds

and risers in a complex network. The

inspection took equipment down to

depths of up to 500 meters (1650 feet)

below sea level, and as such utilized a

third party ROV to deploy the specialized

subsea RTD INCOTEST equipment which

had been developed by the Australian-

based Applus RTD Advanced NDT and

Subsea Division team.

RTD INCOTEST has the distinct

advantage over other NDT techniques in

that the inspection could be performed

without the need to remove any

protective coating from the pipework.

The success of the new Advanced NDT and Subsea Division's capabilities can be clearly demonstrated by case studies on two challenging projects:

‘This particularly challenging

project was carried out in

several hundred locations

over a 9 kilometre length of

subsea pipeline.’

↑ Perth | Subsea inspection →

impuls I 16-2014 7

To ensure that the RTD INCOTEST

equipment would integrate with the ROV

once offshore, an integration test was

performed at the NASA Neutral

Buoyancy Laboratory in Houston. This

provided an exceptional opportunity to

ensure a seamless integration between

RTD INCOTEST equipment and the ROV,

and to make certain that the project

could be completed within the

designated time frame and without

incident. The inspection operation was a

great success - it was completed on

schedule and within budget.

RTD INCOTEST... 800 meters subsea in Equatorial Guinea, West AfricaThis particularly challenging project was

carried out by ROV-deployed RTD

INCOTEST facilities in several hundred

locations over a 9 kilometre length of

subsea pipeline. Most of the lines were in

places that proved difficult to access, as

well as being insulated by a covering of

marine growth. RTD INCOTEST proved to

be the ideal solution for inspection

requirements as it allowed testing of

thickness profiles of the lines, bends and

valve arrangements.

The RTD INCOTEST inspection was

performed in-service, on 8” and

10”diameter pipelines and pigging loops

located in the Subsea Field in Equatorial

Guinea, West Africa. The inspection was

carried out using a third party ROV, and

was intended to detect evidence of

corrosion on the pipelines with insulation

and external cladding up to 60mm thick.

The original scope of the work was

extended to cover various jumper line

intersections, and the complete project

which was carried out in water 800

metres deep (2640 feet), was a success

and delivered valuable data and

inspection results.

8 impulse I 16-2014

New Regional Director for Region

Western Europe (WEUR)

Sytze Voulon has extensive experience

and expertise in the fields of industrial

equipment and also the maritime

industry. He has worked with concerns

including Rolls Royce, Stork Technical

Services and Imtec in positions such as

Marketing & Sales Director and Regional

Director. He is ambitious and looking

forward to applying his considerable

Applus RTD has recently welcomed Sytze Voulon as the new Regional Director for the Region Western Europe. He succeeds the Interim Director Dirk van der Put and will be responsible for the operations of Applus RTD Netherlands, France, Denmark and Norway. Dirk van der Put will resume his responsibilities as Controller.

Extensiveknowledge andexperience

↑ Sytze Voulon

background and experience, to the

benefit of Applus RTD’s clients while

helping to further develop sustainable

relationships. The appointment of Sytze

Voulon as the new Regional Director for

Western Europe is anticipated as

strongly supporting Applus RTD in its

aims for developing a clear insight of

clients’ installations and activities.

| A NEW FACE FOR FUTURE CHALLENGES |

impulse I 16-2014 9

Currently, their operations with Applus

RTD largely comprise NDT (conventional

RT and UT) at well pads and compressor

stations. Several months ago, the Range

Resources team were introduced to

some of Applus RTD’s advanced services

and the positive response led to a

demonstration being arranged.

Advanced servicesAt the Range Resources demonstration,

which was also attended by a number of

invited local oil and gas engineering

companies including EQT, MarkWest, and

Consol. A number of advanced services

were demonstrated and discussed.

Innovative technologies on show

DEMO AT RANGE RESOURCES

These included Computed Radiography

(CRT), phased array and INCOTEST.

Applus RTD also provided geo-related

demonstrations for pipeline

investigations. These included Ground

Penetrating Radar (GPR) and seismic

refraction. In addition a number of

30-minute detailed technical

presentations on CRT and GPR were

made.

The Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania based Range Resources is one of the leading oil and gas companies in the Marcellus and Utica Formations, and they recently invited the Applus RTD East team to demonstrate a range of innovative technologies and advanced services.

A VERY WORTHWHILE DAY…As Program Manager of Shale

Development, Martin Derby stated

“All in all, it was a great day for demonstrating

our advanced services to the Range team. The well attended event provided the Range engineers and

managers (and others) with hands-on

demonstrations of our advanced services and

capabilities”.

10 impulse I 16-2014

The Queensferry CrossingKEY ROLE FOR APPLUS RTD ROPE ACCESS CENTRAL (UK)

Rope Access Central (UK) has landed a

major role working on the steel delivery

phase on this project. The 1.7 mile

structure will be the longest three

tower cable stayed bridge in the world

and by far the largest to feature cables

which cross span. The towers will reach

over 200m high, approximately 25%

higher than the towers on the Forth

Road Bridge. Constructing such towers

demands teamwork with a great deal of

grit, persistence and skill from those

involved.

The Queensferry Crossing is being built alongside the existing Forth Road Bridge and will be a spectacular new road bridge in Scotland. Becoming one of the biggest road bridges in the United Kingdom it will develop into a globally unique bridge which forms the centre piece of a major upgrade to the important cross – Forth transport corridor in the east of Scotland.

‘The longest three tower

cable stayed bridge in the

world and by far the largest

to feature cables which

cross span’

Forth Crossing Artists impression ↑

Over 28,000 tonnes of steel is being

delivered on huge 250 meter long ships

signalling the start of a major new phase

in the project. The sheer scale of the

operation has become very clear with

the tower structures and the v-shaped

viaduct piers visibly rising from the

Forth for all to see.

Steel has been used in bridge

construction for over 150 years and is

the leading construction material in

the world. Each steel deck unit weighs

250 tonnes and will be used to construct

a considerable bulk of the bridge

including; the foundation caissons, the

bridge deck and viaduct structures,

the vehicle restraint systems, the stay

cables and the anchor boxes which will

be used to connect the towers to the

bridge deck.

Each steel deck unit weighs 250 tonnes

and are used to construct the drivable

deck surface of the bridge. This deck is

supported by the 200m high towers

impulse I 16-2014 11

along with embedded anchor boxes

and stay cables. The deck sections will

connect with land via the north and south

viaduct structures. These steel deck

units will carry 4 lanes of traffic which

will be protected by vehicle restraint

systems and will be guarded from the

wind by a specially design wind screen

system.

Our Rope Access team are providing

their expertise in a range of industrial

services including access solutions,

mechanical cutting, grinding, rigging of

the bridge sections to the heavy lift

crane assembly ready for removal from

the ship and burning of sea fixings.

The first phase shipment docked into

Rosyth port on a strict seven day

timescale with no room for delays.

Our experienced rope access team

worked round the clock to ensure that

the shipment was successfully brought

safely onto the dockside within the very

tight timescale required by our client.

The activities in the Rosyth port provide

a major logistical challenge (similar to a

giant, three dimensional game of chess).

All sections of steel have to be moved

about and stored in the correct order

for transportation to allow assembly in

the required sequence.

To ensure the continuing success of this

project the coordination both on and off

site is carried out with precision and in a

timely manner. It is testament to all

Applus RTD employees involved that due

to their hard work and effort the project

has gone without a hitch.


In February 1945, after a long and

hard fought battle, the US Marines

secured the strategic Pacific island

of Iwo Jima and raised their flags

on Mount Suribachi. The second,

and larger of the two flags, later

became a part of an iconic

photographic image captured by

Pulitzer Prize winner Joe

Rosenthal.

This was subsequently

immortalized in a Memorial for the

Martine Corps by sculptor, Feliz de

Weldon. The Memorial, which was

created in 1952, is located at the

US Marines Parris Island Recruit

Depot, SC and due to its age, plus

where it stands beside the ocean,

consequent degradation demanded

a condition assessment.

Applus RTD’s associate company

JANX was requested by the United

States Marine Corps (USMC) to

deploy sophisticated Non-

Destructive Evaluation (NDE)

techniques to provide a

comprehensive analysis of the

condition of the Memorial. ↘

Remembering Iwo JimaCareful assessment leading to successful solutionsBefore any decisions as to how the task

could be optimally solved, questions had

to be answered. What was the material

type and thickness? What were the

manufacturing processes involved? Was

there adequate accessibility to carry

out testing operations? The historical

importance of the memorial was such

that the JANX East Coast General

Manager Jim Barrett was not prepared

to take any chances.

Following extensive assessment, it was

decided to utilize a combination of NDE

methods which included Computerized

Radiography (CR) and 3D Laser Scanning.

This approach would enable both visual

images with measurements of the

internal rebar to assess corrosion, as

well as provide 3D reverse engineering

capabilities should repairs to the

memorial be required. A final deliverable

was then requested with the disposition

of a memorial status which included the

conservation approach as well as repair

costs etc.. The unique challenge of the

task demanded that JANX should work in

partnership with the specialist Terre

Mare Conservation organization.

MEMORIAL CONSERVATION


‘A piece of

history that

should never be

forgotten’

Computerized Radiography… the first taskIn order to generate optimal images,

JANX specialists selected Iridium-192

Gamma Radiation, which enabled source

and phosphorous imaging plates for the

capture of energy. The approximate

source strength was 92 Ci. From around

100 CR images, plus the results of

various Radiographic (RT) techniques,

the desired image quality was achieved.

The ranges from source to object

distances were between 24”and 82”. The

various distances are due to geometry,

thickness ranges and accessibility of the

features in question. Measurement

functions with material data, were then

performed on relevant CR images (not

all of them).

3D Laser Scanning… the second taskTo enable the desired results, the Iwo

Jima Memorial was scanned with both a

3D long range Scanner and a Handy Scan

700. The files generated were provided in

.stp format and made accessible via

AutoCAD for engineering purposes. To

carry out this work, JANX made use of

equipment from Creaform plus technical

engineers to complete the 3D scanning

for the project. The results of the work

indicated that there were areas of

concern, but that these could be

remedied without too much trouble.

LEST WE EVER FORGET

For JANX, the opportunity to carry out the inspection of the Iwo Jima Memorial was a truly exciting experience and

during the work, JANX specialists were able to meet marines from a number of different generations. For

those serving in 1945 in particular, the Memorial today represents a piece of history that should never be

forgotten.

← JAN X-ray services have performed Computed Radiography (CR) on the Iwo Jima Memorial located at the USMC Recruit Depot - Parris Island, SC. The intention of performing the CR was to locate armature/rebar which serves as the infrastructure and assess the condition.

↑ The Iwo Jima Memorial was scanned with two 3D laser scanners;a long-range Scanner and the HandyScan 700.


Success brings its own challenges

PROFESSIONAL RECRUITMENT WEBSITE FOR NEW TALENT

In recent years, thanks to a committed policy of always striving to deliver the best, in terms of service and solutions, Applus RTD has expanded its global organization through a process of careful staff selection and acquisition. Today, the need for more specialists to serve our clients is growing and the company has recently announced a recruitment program aimed at finding a further 500 people who will take Applus RTD forward to meet the challenges that lie ahead.

Recruitment projectThe search for additional technical

support is a global activity with a main

focus in our key growth areas. To find and

employ the additional 500 specialists,

HRM together with Global Recruitment

has set up a special project with an

international project team from multiple

disciplines. This team has already

successfully implemented an applicant

tracking tool together with a fitting

induction program to introduce all new

employees to Applus RTD.

A professional recruitment website is

also being established which will make

job applications with Applus RTD more

attractive. To find out more, check out

our new recruitment website:

http://applusrtd.recruitmentplatform.com


Success brings its own challenges Key recognition

Applus RTD is proud to be able to announce that its division Applus RTD Certification has been notified

by the Dutch Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment and European Commission for:

| APPLUS RTD CERTIFICATION |

• Conformity assessment of pressure equipment according to PED Module A1

(which in the new PED is Module A2)

• Approval of permanent joining personnel

This recognition, which has been registered in the NANDO-database as NB2556, means that there are now two valuable support services in the Applus

RTD portfolio. Most importantly, with this first notification the company has become a Notified Body for Pressure Equipment.


New support facilities in Norway


Vital client supportThe new base, comprising an office and

test facility, will initially be staffed by 24

specialists. Further growth plans will be

covered by recruiting local personnel.

Serving the local market – both onshore

and offshore – the new Bergen

As part of its goal to become the largest inspection company in Norway with by 2017, some 400 employees, Applus RTD is opening up a base in Straume, Bergen in October 2014. Already a global leader in the provision of integrity technology services, this new facility will enhance the company’s capabilities for providing non-destructive testing (NDT) services in the region.

operation offers in-house and on-site

NDT, metallurgic field work plus a range

of inspection services including rig,

paint, derrick and hull inspection.

At the opening of the new operation, the

Applus RTD Demo Truck was present and

provided clients with a good opportunity

to become more familiar with the

expertise and facilities available.

As Applus RTD’s Norway Manager, Erik

Bjorheim states “It was an obvious step

for us to create a strategic growth plan

for Norway, in order to meet the demand

for our services, and underline our

The Applus RTD Demo Truck at the very successful ONS exhibition in Stavanger ↑


commitment to the Norwegian energy

sector. With the new Bergen office we

will now be able to provide on-site

support for our existing client base”.

A focus on growth“The organic growth of the company will

continue throughout next year as we

also plan to open up a base in

Hammerfest next February, followed by

our headquarters in Stavanger next

summer. The new headquarters will

feature a test facility and offshore

department designed to support our

operations in the Norwegian North Sea”.

‘The new

headquarters

will feature a

test facility’

Projects offshoreTo date, the company has been involved in a number of Norwegian

projects including carrying out vital NDT work at the Vigra

Spoolbase, using Applus RTD radiographic pipeline technology…

RTD Rayscan. In addition to Rayscan, Applus RTD is also developing

a number of revolutionary technologies to drive improved reliability

and efficiency throughout the testing process. Rayscan has in fact,

recently been shown at the ONS exhibition in Stavanger, along

with RTD IWEX (Inverse Wave Field Extrapolation) and the RTD Plant

Master (see special RTD Plant Master article elsewhere in this

issue of Impulse).

Rayscan ↓


Esso Excellence Award 2013

Recognition for safety and performance

For its outstanding performance during the Esso Turnaround 2013 the efforts of the Applus RTD

team has been recognized by the company’s prestigious Excellence Award.

For Esso to remain optimally operational during this critical turnaround period, it requires suppliers and

support services to demonstrate knowledge, specialist skills and an ability to work as a team.

Out of a total of 80 contractors involved, just 8 have been awarded ‘A’ status and Applus RTD is proud to

have been one of them.

| ESSO TURNAROUND 2013 |


Spreading knowledgeWORLD PORT DAYS IN ROTTERDAM

As well as demonstration, the event gave

Applus RTD the opportunity to tell the

visitors more about the company’s

services and organization.

Making a good impressionA number of demonstrations of Applus

RTD’s advanced techniques made a big

impression on the visitors from the

Demo Truck. These included the IWEX,

P-scan and Thermography camera.

Needless to say, following the

demonstrations to the students on

Friday it was interesting to get an

impression of how things were

received… so a quiz was organized for

them. It turned out that the female

students had paid the most attention,

and had the most correct answers!

On the more serious side, the event also

provided the opportunity to see what

chances there might be for the possible

recruitment of tomorrow’s talent.

Throughout the weekend there were

high levels of interest for our company

from a variety of target groups including

ex-colleagues, those who were seeking

jobs, students and other professionals

from the business. No less than 20

worthwhile potential colleagues

registered their interest at the Demo

Truck, and these will most certainly be

followed up.

The Applus RTD Demo Truck was recently seen on the World Port Days in September. This is a very large event held in and around one of the largest Harbours of the World: Rotterdam. On the first day of the three day event Applus RTD specialists had the opportunity to transfer some of their knowledge and expertise to a range of students from high schools in the region.

The Applus RTD Demo Truck on the World Port Days ↑

Enhancing asset integrity through Plant Master monitoring

RTD PLANT MASTER

For operators of offshore platforms, refineries, chemical plants and power plants, for decades a major concern has been the successful management and safeguarding of the integrity of their assets. To ensure this integrity is achieved in the most cost effective and safe manner for both upstream and downstream facilities, NDT inspections are often carried out using an RBI (Risk Based Inspection) approach. Now, that inspection performance can be further enhanced using Applus RTD’s RTD Plant Master system… a permanently installed monitoring system that utilizes ultrasound technology.

First assess the challengePaul Deckers, Product Manager RTD

Plant Master explains… “In some

situations, components are inaccessible

to NDT technicians due to the extremely

high or low temperatures experienced in

operation. This can require a shutdown

prior to performing inspection. In

addition, components may also require

special arrangements to be made to

enable inspection like the provision of

scaffolding, or the removal of

insulation… and this usually means

additional high costs”.

“During inspection, by definition manual

measurements are inconsistent with the

variations depending upon the skill of

the individual technician, the inspection

technique used, and thye difficulty in

determining the correct spot to

measure. All of which makes finding

correlations between process changes

and erosion patterns extremely

difficult”.

RTD Plant Master… the cost-effective and reliable answerTo optimally resolve those issues which

might present problems during

inspection, Applus RTD has invested

heavily in the research and development

of the RTD Plant Master permanently

installed monitoring system.

In operation, RTD Plant Master employs

high temperature piezo-ceramics.

Sensors are applied to ultra-thin foils

which results in flexible ultrasonic

transducers which can be permanently

dry-coupled directly to the surface of a

component. The transducers are then

used for single-point pulse echo

measurements of the component’s wall

thickness. Thanks to a remarkably small

footprint of just 1”x 1” a higher density

of sensors can be achieved when

compared to other available solutions.

Its low profile of only 12mm also means

the probes can be easily placed under

insulation, while dry-coupling of the

sensors removes the need for couplants,

adhesives or welding.

Up to 64 sensors can be connected to a

single controller (or mote). This provides

a high level of coverage of a single

component and/or the ability to monitor

multiple components. Each sensor

provides repeatable and highly accurate

20 impuls I 16-2014

impulse I 16-2014 21 impuls I 16-2014 21

←↑ RTD Plant Master

measurements of the wall thickness,

with a resolution of 0.1mm or better.

In addition, the sensors are capable of

providing optimum performance for

many years, at temperatures of up to

250º C/480º F.

Versatility of the RTD Plant Master is

further enhanced as probes can be

clamped in a variety of configurations

for straight pipes, elbows, headers, large

diameters and flat surfaces. In addition,

up to 100 controllers can be managed by

a single gateway, using a flexible and

secure wireless connection. This

removes the need for a hard-wired

network. Each controller can also act as

a range extender thereby greatly

increasing the operating area. The

controllers are fully self-contained and

battery powered. This gives a life of

minimum 5 years maintenance-free

operation. They are also intrinsically safe

and ATEX Zone 0 certified, with FTM

certification pending.

RTD Plant Master… the solution with user benefitsFor operators, RTD Plant Master

delivers an impressive range of user

benefits. It enables installations to be

monitored remotely without the need to

periodically transport NDT engineers to

the location… thereby reducing risks

and costs. Monitoring can also be done in

critical areas, which means necessary

maintenance can be postponed and

downtime is minimized.

RTD Plant Master…

the cost-effective

and reliable answer


→ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21

ISO 9001 certification and beyondThe IS Team behind the introduction of the RTD Plant Master is

proud to have achieved the recognition of the award of an ISO

9001:2008 (Phase 1 and Phase 2) audit from Dekra. The purpose of

the audit was to verify the effectiveness of the implementation of

the Quality Management System of the Team based on the ISO 9001

standard.

During the audit, no non-conformities were reported and based

upon the results the Certification Manager will be advised by the

auditor that an ISO 9001 certificate should be granted to the Plant

Master IS Team. This is seen as the first step on the way towards

achieving both ATEX and FM certification for the RTD Plant Master.

The next milestone for the Team will be the ISO 80079 phase 1 audit

covering essential requirements of the ATEX directive. This would be

followed by the Phase 2 audit. The Team is confident that these

goals will be achieved, thus completing the quality part of ATEX

certification.

‘An impressive

range of user

benefits’

Further important benefits with RTD

Plant Master include the ability to

increase control by monitoring key areas

and making any necessary adjustments

to the production process, in real time.

Mandatory inspections can also be

performed without the need for costly

scaffolding, rope access or the removal

of insulation on things like vessels and

columns. Performing mandatory

inspections in this way means that the

risk from aspects such as tank tops and

acidic vapours for NDT inspectors is also

reduced.

The user benefits The user benefits with the RTD Plant

Master now mean that it provides a

permanent monitoring system which can

supplement manual NDT inspection of

components, thereby greatly enhancing

a user’s ability to manage the integrity

of his assets, increase efficiency and

reduce both costs and risk.

RTD Plant Master; the cost-effective and reliable answer →

‘A life of

minimum 5 years

maintenance-free

operation’

Impulse is a publication of Applus RTD

Applus RTD...

Leadership in the competitive world of NDT, Inspection and Certification through a global network of companies,

offices and specialists that offer a clear insight into clients’ needs while delivering the resources and

expertise to meet them.

To optimally serve our global clients, Applus RTD has established a network of strategic locations

to ensure that the right help and advice are always available... when and where you need them.

North & South AmericaCanada T +1 780 440 6600

United States of America (North) T +1 517 531 8210

United States of America (South) T +1 832 295 5000

United States of America (East) T +1 716 853 2611

United States of America (West) T +1 661 399 8497

EuropeDenmark T +45 7513 0050

Germany T +49 234 927 980

France T +33 4 72 50 57 50

The Netherlands T +31 10 716 60 00

Norway T +47 51 83 92 04

Austria T +43 2622 64014

Slovakia T +421 904 244 253

Spain T +34 93 520 2053

Czech Republic T +420 466 530 858

United Kingdom T +44 1324 48 97 85

Middle EastSultanate of Oman T +971 2 554 2929

United Arab Emirates T +9714 448 7238

AfricaNigeria T +234 803 336 7195

South Africa T +27(0)82 375 5352

South East Asia & PacificAustralia T +61 8 9410 9300

Indonesia T +62 21 720 04 67

Singapore T +65 6898 4046

www.ApplusRTD.com

Impulse Nov. magazine 2014 - Applus RTD

Documents

Transcript of Impulse Nov. magazine 2014 - Applus RTD