Customers drive expansion of flaw detector fleet
20/04/2020
Following a rapid growth in demand during 2019, Ashtead Technology has significantly increased the number of flaw detectors in its fleet of rental instruments. Many Masterscan D-70 ultrasonic flaw detectors have been added. The D-70, which is Sonatest’s latest instrument, was specified on numerous occasions, including one particularly large inspection project.“As an equipment specialist, we track the latest developments in the market and invest in the best technologies for our customers’ applications,” commented Steve Drake, Ashtead’s NDT Market Manager.
“The popularity of the Sonatest D-70 results from its advanced defect sizing tools with A-scans, B-scans and thickness logs. The new reporting software (UTLity) is also very popular with customers because it allows them to create customised inspection report templates, cutting and pasting information to other applications and creating printable PDF documents.”
Key features of the D-70 include high levels of near-surface resolution, penetrating power
(450 V pulser – square and spike) and an excellent signal-to-noise ratio. Rugged and reliable, the instrument is said to offer outstanding battery performance, with up to 18 h of operation from full charge.
Typical applications include bond testing and the inspection of welds, corrosion, forgings, castings and
composite materials, as well as ultrasonic testing (UT) and electromagnetic acoustic transducer (EMAT) inspections in the power sector.
Summarising, Steve said: “The main benefit of adding the D-70 to our comprehensive rental fleet of NDT instruments is that customers have an even greater choice of instruments without the capital cost of ownership. However, our customers also tell us that the availability of instruments at short notice, such as for the same day or the next day, can sometimes be of enormous value to them.”
www.ashtead-technology.com
