LEVIS, Canada, Oct 23, 2014 – As you know, optical measurement is gaining in popularity in NDT applications. In its quest for efficiency, the oil & gas industry shows increasing interest for fast and reliable solutions in pipeline integrity assessment. Addressing the needs of the industry, Creaform has made major improvements that will make the assessment take a whole new turn.

Pipecheck new functionalities

With the new Pipecheck version, being able to separate material loss depth from mechanical damage deformation is no longer a dream. Pipecheck software is the one and only solution on the market to offer unique and sophisticated tools able to extract corrosion depth within a mechanical damage. All pipeline operators are aware of the potential impact of a catastrophic failure that complex or combined damage can lead to. Being able to measure accurately the damage contribution to pipeline integrity will directly increase the level of confidence in their pipeline integrity management program, resulting in a lower maintenance cost and a reduced risk of costly failure. Featuring numerous key functionalities that allow a better understanding of dents and localized surface deformations, this new version of Pipecheck will generate instant results, a key factor in the reduction of maintenance costs.

Another major improvement is the built-in straightening operation for assessment on field bends that is also available. In many cases, small mechanical damage is found on field bends, mainly introduced by human manipulation when building the pipeline or by soil movement, ice, etc. Traditional methods for depth measurement like pit gauge can’t be used accurately since the pipe curvature often introduces depths value that do not represent the material loss or pipe geometry deformations. To solve this issue and to improve efficiency and confidence in results, Pipecheck features a built-in straightening tool. The tool uses powerful algorithms that extracts pipe’s center-line and straightens the full segment. The material loss or mechanical damage can then be assessed with the virtual Pipecheck’s pit-gauge tool to report depths reading free of any pipe curvature.

Pipecheck: A cost saving and reliable solution

Although traditional methods may seem cheaper in comparison with an integrity assessment software like Pipecheck, the cost saving of the tool is quickly overtaken by an important number of labor hours for the measurement and by a time consuming analysis.

Unlike the direct competition, Pipecheck has unprecedented accuracy, reduced chances of human errors and a better record archiving method. Therefore, its sophisticated analysis allows a reliable damage assessment, resulting in lower maintenance costs and reduced risks of major failures.

Showcase

The first showcase of the solution will be happening at the American Society for Nondestructive Testing  (ASNT) annual conference in Charleston, SC, USA, starting on Monday, October 27  (Charleston Convention Center, booth#531). Pipecheck will also be showcased at LATINCORR 2014, the 9th Latin American Congress of Corrosion conference in Medellín, Colombia, starting on Tuesday, October 28 (Plaza Mayor, booth#16).

About Creaform

Creaform develops, manufactures, and sells 3D portable measurement technologies and specializes in 3D engineering services. The company offers innovative solutions, such as 3D scanning, reverse engineering, quality control, non-destructive testing, product development, and numerical simulation (FEA/CFD). Its products and services cater to a variety of industries, including automotive, aerospace, consumer products, heavy industries, healthcare, manufacturing, oil and gas, power generation, and research and education. With headquarters and manufacturing operations in Lévis, Québec, Creaform operates innovation centers in Lévis and Grenoble, France, and has direct sales operations in the United States, France, Germany, China, Japan, and India.

Creaform is a unit of AMETEK Ultra Precision Technologies, a division of AMETEK Inc., a leading global manufacturer of electronic instruments and electromechanical devices, with annual sales of $3.6 billion.