Scan Systems Corporation reports a major break-through in inspecting seamless oil country tubular goods (OCTG) and seamless manufactured pipe and casing using magnetic flux leakage (MFL). PITCO (Pipe Inspection Technology Company), an operating division of Scan Systems, has released its Digi-Tech family of inspection equipment. The new equipment is designed to digitize the signal at the source of the flux leakage by a uniquely designed PITCO transducer and process the data more efficiently through proprietary Digi-Pro software. This new combination of technology not only improves detections of longitudinal and transverse flaws, but also replaces the radioactive Gamma Ray process to determine anomalies in pipe wall sizes. The Digi-Tech products have expanded the effectiveness of MFL inspection on pipe with wall thickness up to 0.625 (15.875 Millimeters) with no speed limitations from 0 feet per minute to 300 feet per minute. Signal processing is performed in the computer by circuits to amplify, filter, and buffer the raw signal from the transducers in the inspection assembly. This is a very sensitive inspection assembly that captures minute flux leakage created by anomalies in both inside and outside diameters of the pipe. This new inspection system has eliminated areas of traditional equipment failure by eliminating both rotating inspection shoe assemblies for transverse flaws and rotating pipe for wall measurements. Instead, the non-rotating pipe travels directly through the stationary inspection assemblies that provides 360 degrees coverage of the diameter of the material. PITCO designed transducers in the inspection assembly have replaced search coil inspection shoes that ride on the surface of the pipe by the. An air gap between the transducers in the inspection assembly and the pipe surface eliminates wear and the cost of replacing inspection shoes. The Digi-Tech equipment not only uses a new type of transducer, it also incorporates the companys exclusive Digi-Pro Software to record the data immediately for real-time inspection analysis. The PITCO Digi-Pro uses optical encoder technology to tally the pipe and indicate the location of any suspected flaws in real time. The operator can stop the pipe movement, back up the pipe and re-examine any indication on the monitor. The monitor shows the real time location of the total length of pipe at any moment while it is in the inspection assembly. The inspection information regarding the pipe is recorded along with the individual joint tally within the open database of the job being inspected. Wall thickness is measured by the total flux theory of operation with non-contact sensor rings. The sensor ring sections are mounted on a fixed head, so the rings allows for space needed to pass tool joints. The sensor ring encircles the pipe 360 degrees. Grade differentiation is evaluated by eddy current inspection techniques. One coil, the inspection coil, is placed in the inspection line and a reference coil is built into the electronics. These two inductors are balanced in phase with each other, when a change occurs in one coil, the system becomes unbalanced and the resultant signal voltage activates an alarm and a visual read out on the screen display. Actual equipment placed in the field for customers has performed at higher levels of proficiency than the original NDT equipment it replaced. Operators of the unit can expect higher quality results. PITCO manufactures inspection equipment for plant operations as well as mobile units for field inspections. PITCO also re-manufactures, repairs and supplies spares and operating supplies for NDT inspection equipment. Additional information for PITCO can be found on the web at www.pitcoinc.com or telephone R.W. (Bob) Leslie (915) 362-9448. PITCO (Pipe Inspection Technology Company) a division of Scan Systems Corp. 16120 I-10 East Channelview, Texas 77530

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