ACFM – Surface Crack Detection
Advanced NDT Solutions personnel have been providing ACFM inspection to the Pharmaceutical, Petrochemical, Power Generation and Amusement Theme Park facilities for over 20 years. The ACFM technology has significant benefits and cost savings with regard to coating removal and preparation prior to inspection. The technology is also able to determine the accurate through wall crack height.
The system software allows placement of markers that allow positioning of indications that enable large scans of welding to be inspected without interruption. The ACFM was developed originally for offshore applications but over the last twenty years this has grown into a very diverse array of applications. This technology is accepted by both ASME & EN standards.
Power Industry: There has been numerous applications throughout this sector that rely heavily on ACFM inspections to determine fitness for service such as Tank Farms; Dearator Heater and Storage Tanks; HEP piping systems; Valve Bodies; Hydro Stations (Draft Tube & Spiral Casing Welds).
Petrochemical: ACFM technology has greatly reduced the extent of grinding out minor indications on internal inspections routinely done as follow up to Magnetic Particle Inspections by setting threshold depths of defects acceptable for continued service. ACFM has become a standard tool in the evaluation of equipment in Wet H2S service. It is also the ideal technique for Coke Drum cracking with the added advantage that these inspections can be performed while the units remain in-service.
Leisure Parks: Amusement Parks were one of the first sectors to adapt this technology to monitor the condition of welding associated on their high speed rides with the large scale inspection programs being performed at all of the major parks throughout the USA.
Tank Storage facilities: These storage facilities utilize ACFM for internal / external inspection of circumferential seams and nozzles to avoid removing paint coating to allow magnetic particle testing to be carried out. ACFM units are also used in performing tank floor inspection surveys.
Cargo Crane Operators: Due to minimal preparation and advanced sizing capability the Amigo ACFM inspection technique has become common practice for weld examination surveys for Cranes and other lifting equipment.
Other applications include Bridges, Stadium Structures and Railway tracks.
ACFM Equipment
ACFM screen output from Amigo unit, showing large flaw in region identified in red
