Inspectioneering
Inspectioneering Journal

The Importance of Selecting the Appropriate Inspection Method

By Mike Brown, Advanced Services Division Manager at Sentinel Integrity Solutions. This article appears in the November/December 2015 issue of Inspectioneering Journal.
6 Likes

Introduction

Due to the current low oil and gas prices, many facilities are tightening up their already stretched budgets. Older, heavily experienced workers are accepting retirement packages and younger, newly appointed unit inspectors are filling their roles. This transition increases the likelihood that today’s slate of inspectors will select the newest, most expensive, high-technology tests available, such as phased array and time of flight diffraction (TOFD), while rejecting older, but potentially more appropriate, technologies.   

Figure 1. Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing (PAUT) illustration.
Figure 1. Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing (PAUT) illustration.

On the other side of the coin, sometimes facility managers will specifically request a certain type of inspection method. This is often because they expect to find certain types of damage using the same methods employed in the past. However, it is often best to rely on properly trained and experienced inspection service providers to determine the proper method for any inspection project. This is because they typically understand how to best use a wide range of methods based on extensive experience across a large cross-section of facilities. Thus, inspection companies can suggest utilizing the most effective and efficient inspection techniques that will result in the highest probability of detection (POD), while potentially saving the facility operators’ time, effort, and capital.

This content is available to registered users and subscribers

Register today to unlock this article for free.

Create your free account and get access to:

  • Unlock one premium article of your choosing per month
  • Exclusive online content, videos, and downloads
  • Insightful and actionable webinars
GET STARTED
Interested in unlimited access? VIEW OUR SUBSCRIPTION OPTIONS

Current subscribers and registered users can log in now.


Comments and Discussion

There are no comments yet.

Add a Comment

Please log in or register to participate in comments and discussions.


Inspectioneering Journal

Explore over 20 years of articles written by our team of subject matter experts.

Company Directory

Find relevant products, services, and technologies.

Training Solutions

Improve your skills in key mechanical integrity subjects.

Case Studies

Learn from the experience of others in the industry.

Integripedia

Inspectioneering's index of mechanical integrity topics – built by you.

Industry News

Stay up-to-date with the latest inspection and asset integrity management news.

Blog

Read short articles and insights authored by industry experts.

Expert Interviews

Inspectioneering's archive of interviews with industry subject matter experts.

Event Calendar

Find upcoming conferences, training sessions, online events, and more.

Downloads

Downloadable eBooks, Asset Intelligence Reports, checklists, white papers, and more.

Videos & Webinars

Watch educational and informative videos directly related to your profession.

Acronyms

Commonly used asset integrity management and inspection acronyms.