Inspection Services

GE system installed

Europipe: testing crucial to maintaining reputation

An ultrasonic testing machine from GE’s Inspection Technologies business is helping Europipe to maintain both its competitive advantage and its technology leadership in the manufacture of large-diameter, welded steel pipe.

The automated inspection system was installed at Europipe’s Muelheim plant (UOE-line) two years ago and has been used to ensure that Europipe consistently matches customers’ specifications and manufactures high quality pipe, fit-for-service in the most exacting of operating conditions.

The Europipe Group manufactures longitudinally and helically welded large-diameter pipes and has manufacturing plants in Germany, France, the US and Brazil.

The concept of the new testing machine was developed and designed in very close cooperation between Europipe and GE’s Inspection Technologies business.

 The ultrasonic testing machine represents the latest technology for inspecting Submerged Arc Welded (SAW) pipes. It features several ultrasonic probe configurations to meet most international standards and NDT specifications by applying suitable testing technologies, such as pulse-echo, through transmission and tandem technology as well as testing on bead and beside the weld.

Phased array technology
As an additional feature, phased array technology can be used for trials and special testing tasks. In operation, the corresponding probe holders are moved along the pipe under inspection in a carriage, which provides precise positional control using GE’s field-proven electronics platform both for driving the ultrasonics and acquiring and displaying the inspection data.

Twenty inspection channels are available to provide comprehensive coverage for the inspection of longitudinal and transverse flaws in the seam weld and for lamination- type flaws in the heat-affected zone. The inspection extends up to the pipe extremities.