This vast global network of pipelines features an estimated 700 million PE welds – mainly concentrated in the gas and water utilities, mining, energy and process plant industry sectors. However, the lack of a commercially available product means the majority of these welds are not adequately inspected to verify their through-weld integrity. It was this need that inspired the creation of a system for the inspection of welds in PE/plastic piping.
Investigation into the volumetric inspection of PE pipe welds started at engineering research and consultancy organisation TWI in the mid-1980s, initially via a series of internally funded research projects on conventional ultrasonic and radiographic inspection techniques.
From 1998 until the present day this work has continued via a number of European-funded projects, supplemented by North American joint industry projects and further internal funding to develop the PolyTest™ phased array ultrasonic inspection system for butt fusion and electrofusion joints in PE pipes.
Over these years the PolyTest system has undergone various design iterations and supporting ultrasonic equipment changes to evolve into the advanced system that it is today.
Publications
PolyTest™ leaflet
: (English)
12. Joining Plastics Journal 10 (2016) No.1 ( English) ( Deutsche) ( Español) ( 中文) ( Hebrew)
11. 04/2014 ANTEC conference, Las Vegas, USA ( English) ( Français) ( Español) ( 中文) ( Hebrew)
10. 07/2013 ASME PVP conference, Paris, France ( English) ( Français) ( Español) ( 中文) ( Hebrew)
9. 10/2012 6th Middle East Nondestructive Testing conference, Bahrain: ( English) ( Français) ( 中文) ( Hebrew)
8. 10/2012 2nd International Congress on Welding and Jointing Technologies, Madrid, Spain ( English)
7. 09/2012 Plastics Pipes XVI conference, Barcelona, Spain ( English)
6. 2012 BINDT conference ( English)
5. 07/2012 ASME PVP conference, Toronto, Canada ( English)
4. 04/2012 18th WCNDT conference, Durban, South Africa ( English)
3 . 11/2011 SMiRT 21 conference, New Delhi, India ( English)
2. 10/2006 Plastics Pipes XIII conference, Washington DC, USA ( English)
1. 09/1995 Plastics Pipes IX conference, Edinburgh, UK ( English)