In the world of heavy industry, where safety and efficiency are paramount, the role of inspections cannot be overstated. I had the opportunity to sit down with Cory Weberg, an inspector specializing in ultrasound testing for mining equipment at Bradken, a global company with a focus on the mining industry. Here are some highlights from our conversation:
Introduction to Bradken
Cory, can you tell us a little about your company and what you do?
Cory: Bradken is a global company that has over 100 years of experience in manufacturing and engineering products. We have around 3000 employees globally. We specialize in providing products and services primarily for the mining industry and supplying equipment for the oil sands industry in Edmonton. That’s where I’m based, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Providing Critical Equipment to Mine Sites
What type of equipment and services does Bradken provide?
Cory: Our expertise is in supplying equipment essential for mining operations, including ground engaging tools (GET) such as mining buckets, lips and GET systems and components that include track pads, idlers, tumblers and rollers for big excavators and rope shovel machines on mine sites. We also provide overlaid piping to transport the slurry, which is the combination of the oil, sand, mud and rock dug up from the ground. Our wear piping safely transports that slurry to the different areas of the site for processing. We also have a global network of foundries, including one in Quebec, that produce our wear products for mining equipment.
Meeting Mining’s Strict Standards
Cory uses this HydroFORM scanner setup on a pipe with a weld overlay on the ID to assess the bond between the overlay and parent material. Note that the latest HydroFORM model features X-Y encoding and the ScanDeck™ module with indexing guidance, mitigating the need to draw raster lines.
Where do Evident’s products come in? How do you use them in your work?
Cory: Oil sands specifications are probably some of most stringent in the world. They almost rival that of the space industry. We have to ensure that our equipment is engineered to withstand the toughest conditions and demands. For our cladded pipe, we'll overlay the inner diameter of the pipe, diameters ranging from 8-inch to 42-inch ID, with about an 8-millimeter-thick weld cladding.
To ensure durability, we use tungsten carbide overlay, chromium carbide overlay, and we've recently gotten into more of the complex carbide overlays. My job is to inspect the overlay for disbonding as well as the weld. I go and scan section of the piping using your A10 and A12 phased array probes or HydroFORM scanner to calculate the amount of disbondment in that area, to make sure it meets the specified tolerances before it goes up to the site.
I also use your Dual Matrix Array (DMA) probes for weld inspection. After we clad the pipe, we'll weld flanges on it and add sections to the piping to create a spool. I need to inspect welding as well.
Benefits of Phased Array for Bradken, Its Customers, and Society
What led you to the decision to purchase Evident’s phased array inspection equipment?
Cory: Before, we had to subcontract the clad inspection. And there weren't many NDT companies here [in Western Canada] that were offering PA inspection. Phased array is a fairly new technique in this industry, so it was a challenge to find a company performing it, and those that did, the cost was dissuasive.
On the weld inspection side, we were doing all radiography, which was required in the oil sands industry. However, with that, came shutting down the shop and the safety issues with gamma radiation. So, we were working to try to find a solution using ultrasonics to mitigate the risk and help speed up how fast we were able to push the spools through our shop to get them to the customer’s site.
How much faster is phased array versus radiography testing?
Cory: It's been a game-changer for us! We’ve replaced most radiography in our in our facilities in Edmonton. We've been doing it now for probably a solid 2 to 3 years. It has helped us provide a product that exceeds specifications. We've gone from a couple days and up to a week’s time to complete the radiography to a few hours to scan using PA.
Here Cory uses a setup combining Evident’s 5L64-A12 probe and the OmniScan X3 phased array flaw detector to manually scan a long seam weld in a pipe.
Certification and Training Challenges
You said finding experienced, certified phased array inspectors was an issue. Is that still a problem?
Cory: The training schools in Canada haven't adopted the phased array certification yet. Here, the PCN, the British certification, is the most widely accepted one. Though there's not too many PCN certified technicians in Canada. I have my PCN certification, and I'm about number 2000 in Canada. Occasionally, Lavender International will come to Edmonton and other parts of Canada to put a course on. But other than that, you need travel to the U.S to take the training course. So, it was literally a long hard road to get that certification.
But it's not just about the certification, it’s the experience that comes with it. You need to have extensive in-depth experience in performing manual shear wave inspection and have a good understanding of the sound theory and physics behind it. Rigorous training is required to meet the mining industry’s standards.
So, to answer your question, yes, finding certified phased array inspectors who can perform this application is still a problem.
Conclusion and Acknowledgement
Thank you to Cory Weberg for taking the time to share his insights on the transformative impact of advanced phased array inspection techniques on Bradken’s operations. Through continuous innovation and a commitment to safety, Bradken continues to play a crucial role in ensuring the reliability and efficiency of mining equipment worldwide.
If you would like more information on our products, a demo, or a quote, reach out to your local Evident representative or contact us here.
The latest model in the OmniScan product line at the time of publication is the OmniScan X4 flaw detector, offering conventional UT, phased array (PA), total focusing method (TFM), phase coherence imaging (PCI), and plane wave imaging (PWI) capabilities. Explore this and other products featured in this interview by clicking the links below.
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