July 16, 2024
3D Scanning: The Key to Be Within Regulations and Ahead on the Racetrack See the articleIn the petrochemical industry, the structural integrity of operational equipment is critical for ensuring safety, improving operational efficiency, and meeting regulatory standards.
However, traditional methods of carrying out 3D measurements to inspect corrosion and assessing vessel integrity can be cumbersome and time-consuming at best.
This case study explores the adoption of the HandySCAN SILVER™|Elite, coupled with VXintegrity software, at a Spanish refinery that was introduced to our scanning technology by our partner agent Jesus Contreras from Tecno NDT, who helped Creaform on guiding the refinery maintenance department to make the decision to use modern metrology-grade non-destructive testing (NDT) solutions to overcome their inspection challenges.
Challenges: Outdated Measurements Compromise Inspection Accuracy
The oil and gas industry relies heavily on inspection for quality assurance, while ensuring that all equipment is running reliably and safely. With regulations such as ASME and API, oil platforms, refineries, and oil and gas pipelines must be constantly checked for corrosion, erosion, or any imperfections that could lead to dangerous conditions, critical failures, or worse, catastrophic incidents.
However, facilities face significant challenges in maintaining the integrity of their vessels and pipelines. The primary issues include navigating complex and often harsh environments to perform assessments.
What’s more, many refineries, for example, still rely legacy methods, such as visual inspections, calipers, gauges and rulers to conduct inspections; unfortunately, these tools do not provide the level of accuracy needed to capture highly accurate measurements of corrosion depths and other material degradation caused by damage mechanisms.
The results of these tools are also user-dependent, which exacerbates today’s unrelenting labor shortage of experienced inspectors. This shortfall can lead to inconsistent and sometimes inaccurate results when less experienced personnel are forced to fill these roles, increasing the risk of oversight and potential safety hazards. This situation highlights refineries’ need for more sophisticated, less subjective NDT solutions that can deliver precise and reliable data, regardless of the operator’s level of experience.
One major refinery in Spain decided it was time to upgrade its inspection equipment. As the team began their search, they knew they wanted to base their decision on the following criteria: portability, accuracy and ease of use.
Solution: 3D Scanning Tech Overcomes Former NDT Challenges
The refinery chose the HandySCAN SILVER™|Elite, renowned for its portability, performance and simplicity—regardless of where it is used.
The refinery’s team was impressed with the 3D scanner’s ability to provide highly accurate and high-resolution data quickly and without the need for complicated measurement setups or a senior inspector. The remarkable level of reliability and repeatability of the 3D scanning results were instrumental in evaluating each vessel’s state of health and enabling more thorough reporting.
The HandySCAN SILVER™|Elite was paired with VXintegrity software, which was leveraged to analyze the collected data and produce accurate corrosion maps and depth measurements. The scanner’s compatibility with an external battery allowed inspection teams in the field to carry out their work efficiently without having to use an additional power supply.
Results: Immediate Inspection Benefits and Cost-savings
HandySCAN SILVER™|Elite and VXintegrity software yielded immediate inspection and operational benefits for the refinery.
The detailed corrosion assessments enabled the inspection team to make informed decisions regarding each vessel’s condition. Importantly, it was determined that no immediate repair or replacement was necessary, allowing for the refinery’s continued operation and monitoring. This decision, based on accurate and verifiable 3D measurement data provided significant cost savings by avoiding unnecessary maintenance or downtimes.
A user from the refinery remarked on the significant improvements in maintenance scheduling and safety due to the adoption of this technology. “The ability to quickly assess the integrity of our vessels with such accuracy has transformed our maintenance operations,” they explained.
Conclusion: Investing in 3D Scanning Offers Short-term ROI
The deployment of 3D scanning technology and integrated software at the refinery has led to benefits in terms of operational efficiency, maintenance effectiveness, and reduced expenses. “Creaform’s solutions have proven essential in facilitating more reliable and efficient vessel assessments,” the user added. “We definitely foresee with the potential for further applications in our future maintenance strategies.”
