Alberta – Edmonton – Sturgeon County
Corporation
www.westerninstruments.com
Alberta
Edmonton
Sturgeon County
Corporation
active
Western manufactures the W-Series of Portable Magnetic Particle Testing Equipment (Electromagnets), ranging from simple AC Yokes, to Large Diameter Coils, with more than 100 Accessory/Consumable Items. Western Instruments manufactures the only comprehensive product line of Pit Gauges (Corrosion Depth Measurement Tools) in the World, from our simple Tri-Gauge to our advanced Bridging Pit Gauge System. Readers will recognize our long standing company name, as our mainstay is the manufacture of Ultrasonic Testing Systems used by Pipe and Tube Manufacturers around the world. Western€™s market is truly global, with 80% of it€™s production being exported, however the company continues to distribute NDT/NDE Products in Western Canada. The company was incorporated in 1965, and operates from it€™s 15,000 Square Foot facility in Villeneuve, Alberta, Canada.
Experience
Western Instruments has been manufacturing Testing Systems for
ERW and SAW tubes for over 30 years, with the vast majority still
in operation. Our experience in the development of sophisticated
electronic and ultrasonic test equipment dates back to 1957, and
embraces not only testing methods, but also includes a solid
background in pipe mill operation, engineering and management
practices. This helps to explain why Western Instruments' proven
Ultrasonic Pipe Testing Systems are quickly becoming the industry
standard.
Flexibility
Western's ultrasonic testing systems can be used on or off line
and can be readily moved, without alteration, in a short period
of time. The key to this flexibility is our superior mechanical
design and the use of modules for each probe channel.
Mill Line Testing
When installed on the mill line, Western's testing systems can
result in substantial savings for the mill operator. They not
only provide an instant feedback to mill line operators by
monitoring weld conditions, but also provide valuable information
concerning mill setup. This can include the inside trim profile,
with the exclusive Western Flash Gauge option, and certain
mechanical conditions related to bearings and other mechanical
items. Utilized as a mill operator's tool, the systems provide
important data in time to prevent costly product downgrading.
Operational Features
Western has pioneered many features that result in more
consistent and reliable testing and can eliminate costly
retesting. Our Coupling Monitors monitor coupling quality with
an additional transducer working in conjunction with the primary
transducer, giving the operator an indication of Automatic Gain
Control, controlled by the Coupling Monitor, the system
automatically compensates for variations in coupling quality,
thus providing more reliable and accurate testing.
Probe Temperature Protection helps in the elimination of probe
failure due to excessively high temperatures in the crystal.
Interfaced with Automatic Probe Lift-Off, the system
automatically retracts the probes before irreparable damage
occurs.
These operating features result in unparalleled flexibility to
meet any specific pipe manufacturer's testing requirements.
Western supplies all the necessary technical documentation for
local service and all components are double sourced to ensure an
adequate supply of parts during repair.
Off Line Inspection
Where market conditions are such that prime product yield is of
paramount importance, off line inspection can be used most
effectively to determine acceptable rework, such as lead and
trail point cut-off and minimizing scrap.
Specification Testing
This usually calls for a comprehensive system that can be
reproducibly calibrated to meet tight testing specifications. It
is generally located after final visual and dimensional checks
and typically will require a four-channel function with visual
display that can be monitored by the customer's inspectors.
Lamination Detection
Western has installed a number of lamination detection systems at
various locations along the mill. These were designed through
consultation with the customer to meet individual requirements on
each mill.
Calibration
Many system features were designed to ensure fast and accurate
calibration during size change-overs. Periodic calibration
checks are made by moving the test head off line to be checked
against a calibration standard. Generally, mill operators can be
trained to calibrate and monitor the equipment during
installation.
Simple to Operate
Amongst the most sophisticated systems in the world, Western has
been able to simplify them so that the welder operator can
interpret and calibrate the unit.
Instrumentation
While Western Instruments' Modular Systems are sophisticated from
the electronics engineering standpoint, they are simple to set
up, operate and maintain. The overall system is designed so that
any malfunction is readily detectable and no individual failure
will result in the shut down of the entire system.
Western Instruments has ongoing research and development working
towards an on-line Defect Analyser to give the operator the
location and the type minimizing the amount of interpretation
needed by the operator.
Less Maintenance/Downtime
Over the past 30 years, developments in mechanical design,
operational techniques and service in the mill environment has
resulted in reliable and rugged equipment. The smooth movement
of mechanical manipulators is of paramount importance in design
and thus all moving parts use roller, ball, or plain bearings for
long-lasting, trouble-free operation.
WHY WESTERN INSTRUMENTS MULTIPLE PROBE SYSTEM WORKS BEST
Western Instruments personnel started working on ultrasonic
testing of welded pipe as far back as 1957. Two problems due to
geometry effects were encountered initially: probe-to-weld
distance and defect nature. Both situations resulted in wide
variations in sensitivity response from a given defect.
Western's personnel solved these problems by using probes,
displaced to give the effect. This lead to the first known
4-probe system for ERW pipe testing. The result is a testing
system that is effective for detecting injurious defects.
Western Systems test effectively without the necessity of using
excessive sensitivity that would result in unwarranted rejects.
RESPONDING TO THE WELDED TUBE INDUSTRY'S GREATEST TECHNOLOGICAL
NEED...THE FLASH GAUGE
Western Instruments Flash Gauge provides a profile of the Weld
Area on Welded Tube and Pipe. The Ultrasonic Probe oscillates
across the weld area, continuously taking thickness measurements.
The computer compiles these thickness and displays them in a
graphical representation of the weld cross section, 120 times per
minute.
Location
The flash gauge sends ultrasonic waves through the couplant
(water or mill solubles) and into the Weld Area which is often in
excess of 750 degrees F. Due to its ability to test at elevated
temperatures, the Flash Gauge is installed as close as possible
to the Weld Pressure Rolls, typically after the first, pull-out
stand. This location permits the early detection of broken I.D.
tools, mandrel misalignment, inadequate or excessive flash
removal by the welder operator.
Ease of Use
The Flash Gauge profile is quickly understood by mill personnel.
Trim conditions are immediately displayed on the unit monitor so
there is no delay in determining the outside or inside trim
condition. Generally, welder operators watch the flash gauge
monitor regularly but there are a total of eight alarm parameters
which automatically alert the operator.
Calibration
The Flash Gauge is self-calibrating. The operator starts the
procedures, and after the unit has measured the returning
ultrasonic signals from the O.D. and I.D. surfaces, the operator
enters the nominal wall thickness of the mill product.
Durability
The Flash Gauge has been in use for eight years, with the
original unit still in operation. The unit has Western
Instruments' 30 years of Tube Mill experience designed into it.
Equipped with many different safety features and
electrical/mechanical interlocks, we expect many more years of
reliable service.
For mechanical protection, a proximity safety probe is mounted
upstream of the oscillating probe to
Palynchuk Alex
Palynchuk Mark B.
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