Most
of our customers had to do reclaim operations at one point or another. This is
usually done by a third party that arrives on site and test the many thousands
of joints. The cost usually ranges from $50,000 to $80,000, for something that
can be accomplished by the customers themselves.
Let’s
break down this challenge in three areas of concern. Talent/skill and
experience of the person performing the tests. Equipment being used, and its
reliability and repeatability. And finally, who is responsible for those newly
tested joints?
TALENT
Usually when hiring a third party to inspect product, the operators should have the necessary UT training and certificates required. When is the last time this inspection was performed by only one person? Usually one person aligns the product, one walks the mechanics during testing, and a final person is in the trailer looking at the UT screen and with a RadioShack microphone, directs the outside guys on what to do.
As we see it, the inspection should be performed by only those with the correct certification from beginning to end. That’s why our Mobile UT was created to make possible for the UT certified person to also walk the mechanics on the pipe while inspecting it.
With
this setup all the customer needs, is one of their own crew to align the pipes,
and another one of their own UT certified operators inspecting the pipe. This
is how, using our Mobile UT you can save money and time.
EQUIPMENT
Often, the equipment used by a third-party inspection crew is far inferior to that used to inspect the pipe initially during its production. Either the mechanics is made from Home Depot tubing with skateboard wheels, and electronics are a simple multiplexed basic UT or both.
Ask yourself the following question: Would you use that third party’s mechanics and software On-Line to inspect your pipe during production? If the answer is no, as it mostly is, then why would you use it as a final inspection before sending out the pipe to be used by your customers?
Our
Mobile UT is tough enough to be used as a backup replacement to an On-Line 4CH
UT because it is API 5L & 5CT compliant.
The
Mobile UT was made to be used with the new Olympus X3 handheld UT. This allows
for a combination of probes to be used such a traditional and PA probes together.
RESPONSIBILITY
Most think that if they hire a third party to inspect their product, in the yard or inside the factory, then the responsibility lies with that inspection company. This couldn’t be further from the truth. It is always the product manufacturer/seller’s responsibility to send out correctly inspected and free of defect product.
For this reason, a third-party inspection vendor should always be supervised and audited to say the least.
But
its far more cost and time effective to have your own crew perform the
inspection using a system like the Mobile UT.
Usually our customers already have UT Level 1 & 2 and sometimes a UT Level 3 in-house personnel. This staff is already very familiar with the product they would inspect, UT equipment to inspect it with and approved procedures to follow.
Empower your staff with the correct equipment and watch them succeed and outperform any third-party inspection vendor you might hire. With this plan alone you would pay off a system like our Mobile UT in less than 6 months.
And since the quality of your product is your responsibility anyways, why add a third-party inspection company that will perform an inspection your staff is trained to do already?