ATS' CUI Inspection Services
In 2014, The American Petroleum Institute (API) published a new Recommended Practice (RP) 583, which focused on the awareness of external corrosion under insulation (CUI) complications. ATS’ onsite NDT team offers CUI inspection services that assist in detecting possible corrosion under insulation issues and help owners avoid related risks.
CUI can occur on any component, such as steel piping or vessels, as a result of water trapped under insulation. This type of attack can even be experienced on stainless steel components in the form of pitting corrosion or stress corrosion cracking.
Various factors may influence the amount of damage due to CUI. The most common ones being, corrosivity of the environment, duration of exposure to moisture, condition of the jacketing, service temperature, and the type of insulation.
Radiometric Profiler Method of Inspection
Our radiometric profiler is a handheld radiographic system using a low-level radioactive source. The source is mounted to a C-arm and measures density changes which can allow for an estimation of the pipe wall thickness. The low-level source does not require any radiation barricades and does not set off radiation meters attached to tanks.
Realtime Radiographic Inspections
ATS’ real-time radiography equipment generates x-rays to identify CUI. With this specialized equipment (OpenVision™) an operator can quickly pinpoint areas of concern to either supplement with profile radiography or strip small amounts of insulation for further evaluation.