Applus+ awarded major contract for NDT of critical maritime assets
20/10/2022
Applus+ has been awarded a major contract to execute non-destructive testing on critical maritime assets. The two-year project entails the execution of radiographic testing (RT) and ultrasonic testing (UT)on various maritime assets, including watercrafts.
All devices, equipment and structures have a predetermined lifespan. To ensure that each asset can reach its intended lifespan, testing and maintenance procedures must be established and executed. Assets can be negatively impacted by a variety of factors, including material discontinuities, and for structures traditionally used in the maritime sector, non-destructive testing is an essential activity to help assess the integrity of the structures, helping to safeguard client operations.
Applus+ provides a considerable range of marine non-destructive testing services, such as materials and corrosion monitoring and testing and electrical safety and functionality testing. For this project, Applus+ will be implementing RT on its client’s marine structures and their corresponding pipe weld repairs.
Radiographic testing is powered by X-ray or gamma radiation generated from a tube or an isotope of Iridium-192, Selenium-75 or Cobalt-60, therefore providing radiographic testing tools and systems with the capability of identifying numerous flaws.
Radiographic testing can penetrate wide ranges of material with varying densities to detect internal defects in welds, determine if corrosion or erosion is present and evaluate castings for fabrication flaws or foreign objects, among other capabilities. Conventional and advanced solutions are available to clients, ranging from film radiography to computed radiography and Rayscan/Tankscan (real-time digital radiography), to determine the extent of asset discontinuities.
UT is also a viable technique that is able to effectively address the challenges that maritime industry clients face concerning their assets. Ultrasonic testing executes thickness measurements to fully automated inspections using high-frequency sound waves to detect anomalies such as cracks and comparable defects.
Ultrasonic testing can inspect for dimensional measurements, thickness and material characterisation through a range of systems and tools, including time-of-flight diffraction (TOFD) ultrasonic testing, a method used in conjunction with a phased array application as a rapid screening tool for the detection and sizing of circumferential and axial weld imperfections.
Applus+ is certified by Lloyd’s Register for Thickness Measurement of Hull Structure – Type B (ships – all vessels, as defined in MQPS, Book N and Procedure 17-1). Additionally, Applus+ is qualified by DNV-GL for thickness measurements on ships and mobile offshore units, in accordance with Class Programme DNVGL-CP-0484.
Applus+ is a leading non-destructive testing provider of choice for various maritime business entities. The company’s vast experience, technical abilities and knowledge of international codes and standards can provide clients with the confidence to entrust their assets to its team of professionals with decades of combined technical expertise.
