Methods

Citation

Liskiewicz, T. (2015), "Methods", Anti-Corrosion Methods and Materials, Vol. 62 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/ACMM-06-2015-1545

Methods

Article Type: Methods From: Anti-Corrosion Methods and Materials, Volume 62, Issue 5

New remote collaboration software from GE to improve NDT inspections

GE Oil & Gas announced the release of InspectionWorks Connect, a remote collaboration software platform for the nondestructive testing (NDT) and inspection industry. InspectionWorks Connect provides real-time access to live inspection video and data from anywhere in the world, which enables smarter, faster decision-making, improves inspector productivity and reduces training costs.

As a leader in industrial equipment and inspection technology, GE is uniquely positioned to apply learnings across industries and drive innovations in critical processes and technology. This is particularly true in the NDT and inspection industry, which is undergoing a major shift toward digitization. Experienced inspectors and technicians are retiring and there is a shortage in qualified replacements. Technological advancements, such as InspectionWorks Connect, allow organizations to operate with greater inspection productivity, conduct more accurate, consistent inspections and shorten the learning curve for new inspectors.

“The NDT and inspection industry relies on accurate, real-time information to be effective”, said Kermit Hoffman, General Manager Inspection Technologies, part of GE’s Measurement & Control unit of GE Oil & Gas:

    Tools such as InspectionWorks Connect allow inspectors to harness the power of the Industrial Internet and make smarter decisions faster. This reinforces GE’s commitment to meet both current and future inspection needs.

Real-time collaboration during asset inspections can deliver many asset reliability, process safety management and productivity benefits for asset owners, including;

• Improved probability of detection and reduced false indications by allowing an expert second opinion on critical inspections.

• Improved inspection productivity and faster startups during large, complex inspection jobs like maintenance turnarounds.

• Quicker response and reduced travel costs for urgent inspections by allowing experts to participate remotely, rather than scrambling to an inspection site.

• Faster and less expensive training for new technicians by giving them real-time access to expert support and a second opinion.

• Improved safety and risk management outcomes by limiting inspector exposure to confined spaces, high temperatures, nuclear or security-critical inspection environments.

InspectionWorks Connect is a secure, encrypted solution that is embedded on NDT devices without the use of any additional equipment. It is also zero-install, which means that users only need a Web browser to log in remotely. InspectionWorks Connect provides:

• Live video streaming of inspections.

• Collaboration tools, including two-way chat communication and telestration.

• Cloud-based infrastructure.

• Wireless connectivity.

• Over-the-air software updates.

“InspectionWorks Connect delivers expertise where and when it is needed to keep assets running and maximize efficiency”, said Mike Domke, Product Manager. “This remote collaboration software improves productivity, increases asset time, and reduces and controls operating costs”.

Across the aerospace, power generation, offshore oil & gas, petrochemical, refining and nuclear industries, as well as general manufacturing, InspectionWorks Connect offers a new way of improving inspection outcomes.

InspectionWorks Connect is currently available for use with visual inspections on the GE XLG3 and GE Mentor Visual iQ Videoprobes, as well as the Mentor EM eddy current portable.

More information is available from: http://www.gemeasurement.com

Diamond-like coatings save fuel

Coating engine components with hard carbon reduces friction to almost zero – a development that could save billions of liters of fuel worldwide every year. Now researchers have developed a new laser method to apply the coating on the production line.

Scientists already know how to coat components with diamond-like carbon to minimize friction. But now, Fraunhofer researchers have developed a laser arc method with which layers of carbon almost as hard as diamond can be applied on an industrial scale at high coating rates and with high thicknesses. By applying carbon coatings to engine components such as piston rings and pins, fuel consumption can be reduced. “Systematic application of our new method could save more than 100 billion liters of fuel each year over the next ten years”, says Prof Andreas Leson from the Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology IWS in Dresden, referencing a study that was published in the journal Tribology International in 2012.

Carbon-based coatings are already used in volume production. But now the team of IWS researchers led by Prof Leson, Dr Hans-Joachim Scheibe and Dr Volker Weihnacht has succeeded in producing hydrogen-free ta-C coatings on an industrial scale at a consistent level of quality. These tetrahedral amorphous carbon coatings are significantly harder and thus more resistant to wear than conventional diamond-like coatings. “Unfortunately, you can’t just scrape off diamond dust and press it onto the component. So we had to look for a different method”, says Dr Scheibe, who has spent over 30 years investigating carbon’s friction-reducing properties.

A pulsed laser controls the light arc

In a similar style to old-fashioned film projectors, the laser arc method generates an arc between an anode and a cathode (the carbon) in a vacuum. The arc is initiated by a laser pulse on the carbon target. This produces plasma consisting of carbon ions, which is deposited as a coating on the workpiece in the vacuum. To run this process on an industrial scale, a pulsed laser is vertically scanned across a rotating graphite cylinder as a means of controlling the arc. The cylinder is converted evenly into plasma, thanks to the scanning motion and rotation. To ensure a consistently smooth coating, a magnetic field guides the plasma and filters out any particles of dirt.

The laser arc method can be used to deposit very thick ta-C coatings of up to 20 μm at high coating rates. “High coating thicknesses are crucial for certain applications – especially in the auto industry, where components are exposed to enormous loads over long periods of time”, says Dr Weihnacht.

The automotive and motorcycle manufacturer BMW is working intensively on the industrial-scale implementation of ta-C engine components in its various vehicle models with the aim of reducing their fuel consumption. Prof Leson sees this as the first major step in using the laser arc method to save resources. And as a motorcycle aficionado himself, he also sees another positive effect stemming from this development: “The fact that our research is helping to make motorcycling more environmentally friendly eases my conscience every time I go for a ride,” he says, unable to suppress a smile.

Andreas Leson, Hans-Joachim Scheibe and Volker Weihnacht received the 2015 Joseph von Fraunhofer Prize for the development of the laser arc method and the application of ta-C coatings in volume production (Figure 1).

Figure 1 Dr Volker Weihnacht, Prof Andreas Leson and Dr Hans-Joachim Scheibe (left to right) successfully developed a laser arc method of depositing friction-reducing, wear-resistant coatings on components

More information is available from: http://www.fraunhofer.de

Putting steel in the shade: VICTREX® PEEK valve plate lasts 12 times longer

The efficiency and reliability of reciprocating compressors can be substantially improved through the use of valve plates made of VICTREX® PEEK. This is the conclusion built on usage results at the end-users of the Chinese compressor component manufacturer HuanTian Compressor and Victrex, the world’s leading supplier of polyaryletherketone (PAEK)-based solutions. In a natural gas compressor, for example, valve plates made of VICTREX PEEK 450GL30 can work continuously for 12 months, whereas the steel plates generally fractured after about one month. Now, the HuanTian Industrial/Victrex partnership activity has proved that the durable, high-performance polymer has the potential to take its place as the industry standard in China.

The valve plate is a key component in reciprocating compressors with a direct impact on their efficiency and reliability. When steel – with its significantly shorter service life – is used, steel splinters could cause serious damage to the cylinder, piston and piston ring if the valve plate breaks. The use of durable VICTREX PEEK plates will avoid such asset losses in the future and will provide end users in the oil and gas industry or in fertilizer production plants with a noticeable added value by reducing downtimes and the associated costs.

“VICTREX PEEK has proved to be the best material to replace stainless steel valve plates. It has enormous potential for use in China’s oil and gas and chemical industry”, explains Zhu Feng, General Manager of Taizhou HuanTian Industrial. The company has teamed up with Victrex to establish a standard for the China Compressor Standard Committee for the use of VICTREX PEEK 450GL30 and 450CA30 as a valve plate raw material.

Besides having a significantly longer service life, PEEK valve plates also help to save energy during the opening and closing process. This is because air flow loss is reduced by their better wear characteristics, surface matching, elasticity and sealability. The polymer plates also produce a lower noise level than steel.

It is understood that process reciprocating compressors account for about 50 per cent of China’s growing compressor market. To address this, Victrex aims to continue development of its metal-replacement technologies in oil and gas and other applications.

Indeed, for more than 36 years, VICTREX PEEK has been used successfully in a wide variety of industries, including the automotive, aviation and oil and gas industries, as a replacement for metal. The reason for this is the long-standing expertise of the British PAEK manufacturer and the excellent combination of characteristics that predestines the high-performance polymer to be used as a replacement for metal in extreme ambient conditions. These characteristics include high temperature resistance, high wear resistance, high impact strength, excellent chemical resistance, hydrolysis resistance and dimensional stability (Figure 2).

Figure 2 Long-life VICTREX® PEEK valve plates can substantially increase the efficiency and reliability of reciprocating compressors

More information is available from: http://www.victrex.com