For every dollar you spend, UltraAnalytix^® saves you $10

At UTComp, we help companies get the most out of their fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) assets. Last year, for example, we received a call from a client worried about corrosion in one of his tanks. A visual inspection suggested he’d need to replace the Teflon lining — an undertaking that would cost in the order of $100,000. Before he proceeded, he wanted a second opinion based on our UltraAnalytix^® assessment.

UltraAnalytix^® is a non-destructive, non-intrusive method similar to evaluation codes for steel piping (API 570) and vessels (API 653). Our ultrasonic transducers use 500-kHz pressure pulses to detect defects and other inhomogeneities in the material. We then process the resulting A-scan data, drawing on our expertise in the unique structural properties of composites to differentiate between harmless features and ones that warrant concern.

We provide an accurate service-life forecast based on our determination of thickness changes, current flexural modulus, resin damage from chemical attacks, and more.

After running the tests for our client, we determined that his tank had at least another 20 years left in its service life. He happily put away his chequebook, and his equipment continues to operate problem-free.

Accurate service-life forecasting minimizes your capital expenditures

As the above example illustrates, visual inspections are inherently limited, forcing inspectors to make judgements about structural integrity based solely on the condition of the corrosion lining. Understandably, they’ll err on the side of caution. But that can mean retiring an FRP asset sooner than you have to.

UltraAnalytix^® detects corrosion, thermal expansion, resin micro-cracking and other structural changes that aren’t visible to the human eye. It gives us the hard data we need to accurately forecast when you’ll need to repair or replace your FRP asset. We’ve tested thousands of pieces of equipment around the world, and our clients have never had a leak, blow-out or failure that we didn’t warn them about well in advance.

Our data-driven integrity assessments let you confidently develop long-term asset management plans and ensure you don’t spend millions of dollars retiring equipment years before you have to.

Just ask Cargill. Since 2012, our assessments have enabled this global agri-food leader to save more than $33 million in tank replacement costs. That’s more than 10 times the amount they’ve spent on all our evaluations — a significant return on investment.

Our non-destructive testing means no plant downtime

Meanwhile, consider the time and cost involved in taking your FRP storage tanks, pipelines, ducts and scrubbings offline and emptying them for inspection — especially if they’ve contained toxic or corrosive materials.

Then there’s the inspection itself. A confined-space visual assessment can take a day or more to complete, and you’ll need several additional personnel on-site for safety reasons. Destructive testing can disrupt operations even longer because the structural integrity of your equipment needs to be restored before you can bring it back online.

With UltraAnalytix^®, there’s no downtime. A single UTComp-licensed inspector can run tests from the exterior of an FRP asset while it’s operating and can examine a typical tank in under an hour.

Each green dot represents a piece of equipment UTComp has evaluated with UltraAnalytix^®. The blue diagonal line indicates the 15-year threshold at which assets are routinely replaced. This chart shows that many assets more than 15 years old have many years of service life remaining.

By maximizing the lifespan of your FRP assets and plant productivity, UTComp can save your company time and money. To learn more, call us at +1-519-620-0772 or email us at inquiries@UTComp.com.