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Equipment inspection

Equipment inspection

Material issues and defects within industrial structures can cause permanent damage, unexpected shutdowns, dangerous incidents, and increased maintenance costs. Our service is aimed at managing the reliability and integrity of equipment. In particular, our practical and timely solutions can help to:

  • Determine whether structural components such as pressure vessels, tanks, or piping are safe and suitable for continuous operation;
  • Assess the reliability of your assets over a given period of time, for example until the next scheduled shutdown;
  • Evaluate the remaining life of your equipment in order to define future inspection intervals;
  • Comply with statutory inspection requirements;

The service activities, within the scope of on-site technical assistance, include the following areas:

  • Microstructural investigations and material selection, through specific examination using metallographic replicas and sclerometric hardness testing;
  • Failure analysis and instrumental verification (NDT) of the presence and acceptability of actual defects in components operating under service conditions;
  • Corrosion analysis and assessment of structural degradation and welded joints of components;

The possible damage mechanisms are numerous: wall thickness reduction due to generalized corrosion, localized corrosion (pitting), formation of stress corrosion cracks, cracking due to “wet H2S” service, viscous creep (CREEP), corrosion under insulation (CUI), hydrogen damage, etc.

  • Differential Scanning Calorimetry

    It allows for a precise characterization of polymers. The basic principle of this technique involves obtaining information about the material by heating or cooling it in a controlled manner. Specifically, DSC (Differential Scanning Calorimetry) is based on measuring the difference in heat flow between the sample under examination and a reference sample while both are subjected to a variable temperature defined by a pre-established program.

  • Optical Metallography

    Metallography is the science that studies the crystalline structure of metals and metallic alloys, the modifications induced by processing and manufacturing procedures and by thermal and mechanical treatments, relating the aforementioned structure to the physical, chemical, and mechanical properties of the metals themselves.

    The field of Metallography can be investigated by adopting various methods of chemical-physical analysis.

    However, the method based on microstructural metallographic examination is the fundamental one, as it relies on the direct observation of the structures.

    This technique is essential for the microstructural characterization of materials and welded joints.

    Welding of metallic materials is a process of permanent joining of two or more components, with or without filler material, in order to achieve metallurgical and physico-chemical continuity of the welded parts in the connection sections. During the process, in most cases, melting of the filler material occurs, which influences the crystalline microstructure of the adjacent edges, creating the Heat-Affected Zone (HAZ), which adapts to both the structure of the base material (BM) and the Fusion Zone (FZ).

    If the process is not performed correctly, defects and internal residual stresses can be created, which may lead to premature failure of the component in service.

    To examine welds, our experts use Metallography. Before optical microscopy, the metal sample is observed and cut into thin sections, which are then embedded in polymer resins and polished to obtain specimens with a smooth surface.

    Subsequently, the specimen is examined under an optical microscope to identify the weld zone and the surrounding areas. Using metallographic examination, experts can determine the quality of the weld by evaluating the microstructure of the different zones, the presence of non-metallic inclusions or other impurities, as well as locating any defects or damage to determine the damage mechanism.

    In conclusion, Optical Metallography is an essential tool for microstructurally evaluating the quality of a material and a welded joint.

    If you need more information about our Metallography service, do not hesitate to contact us. Our team of experts will be happy to help you.