Wire Rope Non-Destructive Testing - Survey of Instrument ...

1 OFFSHORE TECHNOLOGYREPORT - OTO 2000 064 Wire rope Non-Destructive Testing - Survey of Instrument ManufacturersDate of Issue: September 2000 Project number 3560 This report is made available by the Health and Safety Executive aspart of a series of reports of work which has been supported by fundsprovided by the Executive. Neither the Executive, nor thecontractors concerned assume any liability for the reports nor do theynecessarily reflect the views or policy of the rope Non-Destructive Testing - Survey of Instrument ManufacturersPrepared byThe University of ReadingSUMMARYThis document reports a study to supplement the HSE project on Non-Destructive Testing of wire rope (Tytko, Chaplin & Ridge, 1999).

2 The earlier study was undertaken in order to assess the reliability ofa limited number of different sets of wire rope Non-Destructive Testing equipment in terms of identifyingand quantifying rope degradation (wire breaks; abrasive wear; plastic wear; corrosion and slack wires).The results from the earlier project indicated the confidence which might be placed in NDT technologywhen quantifying for different rope constructions, categories of defect appropriate to typical uses, minimum level of defect which can be detected and the reliability with which the degradation can study has identified 26 NDT companies, of which seven were selected for a more detailed review.

3 And who were asked to complete questionnaires concerning operation of both NDT sensor heads and theassociated recording electronics. The companies chosen represent a wide range of technologies andnationalities, providing equipment designed for a range of rope applications, and are considered likelyto include all those which might be used in the is a limited range of wire rope NDT instruments which are likely to be used in the UK, however,there are no agreed performance specifications for such instruments .

4 It is essential that the operator ofthe NDT device understands the principles of operation of that particular device and is familiar with thelimitations of the is especially true of the calibration processes, which need to be understood especially in relation towhether static or dynamic . NDT operators need to be aware of other influences (such as ropetension or external magnetic fields) which can affect calibration. The level of understanding requiredfor effective and reliable rope inspection assisted by NDT goes beyond the initial guidance, as to its useand operation, given in instructions provided by the Instrument rope NDT - Survey of Instrument manufacturersiiiCONTENTS10 Laboratory Roman Martyna (LRM), Electro-Mech.

5 Plant, Plus, Building System Eng. and Service, & SA, Zurich, ndig SA, Pak AG/EMSA, Brandt, , Coal, Great Anglo American plc. group, South , EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURING COMPANIES/ORGANISATIONS36 Types of sensors in of magnets in relevant to LMA relevant to local fault technology - PRINCIPLES OF OF TABLESviLIST OF FIGURESiiiSUMMARYWire rope NDT - Survey of Instrument manufacturersiv25 REFERENCES723 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS622 DISCUSSIONS AND CONCLUSIONS515 COMPARISON OF THE EQUIPMENT SURVEYED414 ZEG- Tytchy, NDT, rope Testers Inc.

6 , , Czech V UK Ltd., University Stuttgart, Maritime University, , - Dr. Swanepoel, South Technologies, , Beal, Great rope NDT - Survey of Instrument manufacturersvLIST OF FIGURESGP-2S magnetic sensor head and MD120 digital recorderFigure Rotescograph console model 2 DFigure sensor head R300-3 and console model 2C-TAG88 MFigure Technologies sensor head LMA 125 and CC-03 ( ) signal consoleFigure sensor head and electronic setFigure selection of Intron test headsFigure II and data loggerFigure nominal LMA (left) and effective LMA (right)

7 For a uniformlyabraded ropeFigure LMA and Local Fault (LF) traces for a severely degraded ropeFigure electromagnetic NDT headFigure OF TABLESA fter sales service and supportTable and interpretation of the output signalTable requirementsTable technologyTable dimensions, size and weightTable parameters of NDT equipment surveyedTable world producers of non - destructive magnetic wire rope test apparatusTable rope NDT - Survey of Instrument document reports a study to supplement the HSE project, report number OTO 1999 032.

8 OnNon- destructive Testing of wire rope (Tytko Chaplin & Ridge, 1999).The earlier study was undertaken in order to assess the reliability of different sets of wire ropenon- destructive Testing equipment in terms of identifying and quantifying rope degradation. To this enda set of four different rope constructions were selected which represented a broad range of ropes in usein the offshore environment. Lengths of these ropes had realistic damage artificially (and hencequantifiable) induced in them, before Testing using the different sets of NDT equipment in otherwiseidentical test conditions.

9 Defects investigated included wire breaks (both internal and external);abrasive wear; plastic wear; corrosion and slack results from the earlier project indicated the confidence which might be placed in NDT technologywhen quantifying for different rope constructions, categories of defect appropriate to typical uses minimum level of defect which can be detected and the reliability with which the degradation can study has reviewed different sets of equipment which are available for use for the non-destructivetesting of wire ropes on a world-wide basis.

10 Inevitably, the list will not be exhaustive, as there may becompanies of which the authors are not aware, or who have been founded since this report was written,however, they will be representative of the type of equipment currently available on the market. Thisreport lists twenty six companies who either design, manufacture or market NDT equipment (seesection 3).Of the companies listed in section 3, seven were selected for a more detailed review, and were asked tocomplete questionnaires concerning operation of both the NDT sensor head and the associatedrecording electronics.