Plant Integrity wins award for pipeline corrosion detection system

TWI is pleased to announce that group company Plant Integrity Ltd has been selected as the recipient of the 2014 Global Guided Wave Testing Product Leadership Award by Frost & Sullivan for its pipeline corrosion detection system, Teletest FOCUS+^®.

The system was considered outstanding in terms of its advanced design, extended capabilities, technological innovation, customer service, and current market share. TWI Associate Director Tat-Hean Gan, and Technical Director and founder of Plant Integrity, Peter Mudge, were in London earlier this month to accept the award.

The Teletest system

The Teletest system, developed in the 1990s at TWI in response to requests from its Industrial Members in the oil, gas and petrochemical industries, was the first commercially available product using long-range guided wave ultrasonic testing for detection of corrosion in pipelines.

Teletest provided a solution for companies requiring a non-destructive testing (NDT) method capable of detecting corrosion in areas classed inaccessible for inspection by conventional NDT methods; for example, in insulated and sleeved pipework, or pipelines running under roads or elevated on pipe racks.

Now in its fourth generation, and marketed as Teletest FOCUS+, the low-frequency flaw detector’s capabilities and features address not only the current market needs, but also overcome typical end-user and niche application challenges such as tank floor inspection. Teletest FOCUS+ has the best market penetration for applications requiring inspection from a single access point over distances from 30 to 180 m in each direction. The system has advanced features that distinguish it from other products in the market. For example, its 24 transmit and 24 receive channels is a best-in-class feature that enables multimode operation.

With its wide frequency range, Teletest FOCUS+ gives control to operators in the setting of frequency variations. The system’s lightweight design and portability is a big advantage for its users during the site inspections. The multimode functionality allows it to operate in both longitudinal and torsional modes, meaning that the pipeline test system suits a greater range of applications. Also, Teletest FOCUS+ is the only system that can do a secondary focusing process by using phased array time delays.

The award

Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents its Product Leadership Award to the company that has distinguished itself through proactive strategies that position it as an industry leader. Frost & Sullivan Senior Research Analyst Nikhil Jain said, ‘Plant Integrity has evolved from a research group to a company driving guided wave research R&D. Teletest FOCUS+ is a testament to the innovation that Plant Integrity is known for in the NDT industry. The product boasts advanced capabilities that differentiate it from any other products in the market in terms of its design and functionality. It is an extremely well-crafted product with advanced features and robust design that not only delivers an unmatched user experience, but also enhances end-user productivity. Its distinct multimode functionality allows Teletest FOCUS+ to address not only the typical end-user application of pipeline inspection, but also niche applications, such as tank floor inspection. It has clearly set the benchmark in the industry for innovation.’

On receiving the Award, Pi General Manager Paul Jackson said, ‘We have always believed that Plant Integrity is leading the field in Guided Wave products, development and innovation. It is fantastic to be recognised by Frost & Sullivan for Product Leadership in this highly competitive market.’

Pi Technical Director Peter Mudge added, ‘Plant Integrity’s vision is to consolidate this pre-eminent position in the technical sector by introduction of performance improvements arising from current R&D into the pipeline inspection systems. Further, there is strong industrial interest in non-pipeline applications of guided wave testing for other critical pressure-containing and structural components, and Plant Integrity is actively transferring results from its R&D programme in these areas into commercial solutions.’

The 2014 Frost & Sullivan Global Guided Wave Testing Product Leadership Award compared the current inspection technologies in the inspection market using standard benchmarking criteria for technology implementation and product excellence.

Edited from source by Elizabeth Corner

Read the article online at: https://www.worldpipelines.com/business-news/13062014/plant_integrity_wins_award_for_pipeline_corrosion_detection_system/