Olympus Provides a Comprehensive Weld Inspection Solution for Pipes with a Diameter as Small as 0.84 in. (21.3 mm)

Olympus, a world leader in nondestructive testing technologies and pioneer in industrial phased array ultrasound, is pleased to introduce a comprehensive inspection solution for circumferential welds in pipes with a diameter as small as 0.84 in. (21.3 mm) OD. A key component of the solution is the COBRA, a new manual scanner specifically designed to inspect welds in small diameter pipes. The COBRA is used with the OmniScan® MX Phased Array flaw detector with the 16:128 module and the OmniScan MXU software, to provide an economical and portable weld inspection solution.

In addition to its capability of inspecting small diameter pipes, the COBRA one-axis scanner has a very low vertical profile, which allows it to be used in areas with minimal clearance. The total height of the scanner and the probes allow easy rotation around the pipe even when adjacent obstructions such as other pipes, supports, and structures are as close as 12 mm (0.5 in.). The COBRA is spring-loaded and designed to clamp onto carbon steel and stainless steel pipes of various diameters. It is characterized by its smooth-rolling encoded movement enabling precise data acquisition. The scanner can hold two low-profile phased array probes for a complete inspection of the weld in one pass. For pipe-to-component inspections, the scanner can be quickly configured to make one-sided inspections with only one probe. The phased array probes offer optimized elevation focusing, which improves detection of small defects in thin-walled pipes.

The COBRA scanner ensures stable, constant, and strong pressure thus providing good UT signals and precise encoding around the full circumference of the pipe. The scanner is also waterproof, rustproof, and CE compliant.

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