From the manufacture of ultrasonic flaw detectors to real-life application, the energy industry is reaping the benefits.
Ask key players in nondestructive testing industry how things are going these days and you can bet they won't shrug their shoulders and say, "Oh, business as usual." When it comes to ultrasonic flaw detection for the energy industry, business not only continues to grow, it is seeing more bells and whistles added every day.
Ultrasonic testing (UT) has been a staple in the energy industry-both conventional and nuclear-for decades. To ensure safety, it is critical that pressure vessels and associated piping remain free of leaks and breaks. UT is widely used for locating and sizing flaws at power plants, including nuclear power facilities where small defects in steel parts can increase under a number of stresses, including those caused by repeated pressure and temperature changes.