Inspection and rigging specialist company Marine Results have made a significant investment in the expansion of their Non Destructive Testing (NDT) global capability.
The investment in NDT ultrasound equipment, worth over £60,000, has been a response to a period of rapid growth of the company’s NDT business. The new equipment enables Marine Results to expand their rig, hull and composite testing capabilities both at their Hamble, UK base and on the site of yacht build and maintenance projects around the world.
“The pressure is always on to provide more detailed ultrasound reports and improve sensitivity to give more accurate results and ensure the results can be clearly presented and understood,” explains Head of Marine Results’ NDT division, Giles Waterhouse.
To match these standards Marine Results have purchased two Olympus Omniscan SX units giving an advanced capability in the use of Phased Array testing methods and equipment. The scanners can display data in a normal A-Scan mode, a cross sectional B scan mode or a plan view C scan mode. This enables the client to be provided with a greater level of detail in inspection and reporting.
“By purchasing this equipment we can now offer the highest level of inspection detail and reporting to our clients,” explains Giles.
The phased array equipment used includes hand held or roller wheel transducers not only to help to report in greater detail but also to scan more rapidly thereby making each job more efficient.
Inspections are carried out using a range of frequencies, so that at the low frequency end foam and/or nomex cored structures can be inspected and, at the high frequency end, monolithic composites and metal parts can be inspected with a high level of sensitivity and resolution.
Marine Results now has eight qualified NDT inspectors including two marine surveyors, creating a very strong team able to identify defects not visible to the naked eye. Currently the company is using the new equipment to carry out pre-race inspections on the seven-yacht Volvo 65 fleet which starts the Volvo Ocean Race in October. Marine Results is also carrying out inspections on Open 60s and MOD 70 Trimarans, superyacht masts and grand prix racing yachts including the ‘mini maxi’ fleet.
Marine Results inspects for insurance companies as well as assisting structural engineers and repair teams where there might be damage or concerns of water ingress. Other inspections are carried out during routine maintenance, and post-build quality control on yacht hulls, masts, appendages and component parts.
