Refineries, petrochemical plants, and processing facilities operate with numerous pieces of equipment and thousands of meters of piping that handle hazardous and corrosive fluids, operating across a wide range of temperatures and pressures. Achieving plant safety and reliability is only possible if this equipment and its associated piping are properly designed and remain serviceable between scheduled shutdowns.
Process equipment and piping systems are designed and manufactured according to industry codes and standards. Manufacturing and welding processes are subject to specific inspections to ensure that any deficiencies are addressed to meet the acceptance criteria of the relevant codes.
Regular and reliable inspection processes are integral to any effective industrial maintenance program. The success of such a program heavily relies on the non-destructive testing (NDT) techniques employed. NDT techniques detect defects that could lead to potential future failures, providing information about the pipeline’s safety as well as its current safety margin. Therefore, understanding the scope and limitations of commonly and advanced NDT tools is crucial to enhancing the effectiveness of scheduled inspection activities. Moreover, in today's competitive environment, plant operators need to reduce maintenance costs by minimizing downtime, and effective inspection significantly contributes to this goal.
