ec-works - Eddy Current Inspection Systems and Services

ec-works originated in Germany and is specialised in NDT services. We perform eddy current inspections and develop new technologies and applications. Expert knowledge and practical experience gained over more than 35 years of eddy-current services enables our unique position in the international NDT market.

High-quality eddy current services

Quality is ec-works’ top priority. We endeavour to achieve top quality in eddy current services, starting with honest information about the technologies and their limitations. The quality process continues with a serious inspection cost calculation and careful inspection preparation work in our lab and shops.

Our international clients in the nuclear power plant industry have used our qualified eddy current services, which include the inspection of heat exchanger tubing or austenitic pipes using our own remote controlled manipulator system, for many years.

ec-works has successfully passed quality audits such as the nuclear industry certificate KTA 1401, ISO 9001:2000, the Norwegian and German Achilles Audits; and the HSE regulations SCC.

Eddy current technology

ec-works uses the advanced eddy current systems of the German manufacturers Rohmann and TMT. We have developed our own software for the interpretation and evaluation of eddy current signals.

Our own documentation software includes a feature to create files with the inspection results in different, common CAD-software formats. This makes our documentation results readable for our clients without the need to buy and install special software.

Eddy current tube inspections

ec-works performs regular eddy current inspections in heat exchanger tubes for all kind of systems, including condensers, reactors, cooling devices, and heat exchangers such as air coolers with all kinds of common tube dimensions, shapes and materials (e.g. titanium, brass, various copper-nickel grades, stainless steels and duplex grades).

We offer special eddy current inspections of ferromagnetic tube materials with two eddy current technologies: partial saturated eddy current (PSEC) and and remote field eddy current (RFEC). The PSEC technology is useful to detect and evaluate small volume defects such as pitting corrosion. PSEC is the only inductive method that inspects ferromagnetic tubes and is able to distinguish inside from outside defects.

ec-works performs its C-steel-tubing inspections through a combination of both inspection technologies. We are able to perform our eddy current tube inspecting with an automatic signal evaluation tool to support our operators by signal interpretation. This helps us to reduce the possibility of signal misinterpretation and allows us to decrease the likelihood of signal loss.

Eddy current surface testing

ec-works offers eddy current surface (crack) testing as a flexible and modern tool to inspect all kinds of equipment and systems in different industrial branches, including the detection of chloride-induced stress corrosion cracking in austenitic piping systems, reactors or columns.

These inspections can be performed even at running processes on high-temperature surfaces up to 200°C (higher temperatures are possible). There is no need to remove coatings; only the isolation has to be dissembled and areas with rough deposits have to be cleaned.

Additional eddy current benefits

Eddy current is also a very effective tool for material identification purposes such as the separation of accidentally mixed parts, gauging the thickness of different layer-types or the localisation of welding seams (even below thick coatings).

Latest eddy current inspection system developments

A new eddy current inspection system has been developed and ENIQ-qualified by ec-works to inspect a large number of damaged austenitic valves (of ID 80mm to 530mm).

In addition to the classic inspection technologies, VT and PT, another NDT system was urgently needed to separate small surface pit corrosion from deeper stress corrosion cracking defects. Based on integrity calculations, a maximum defect depth of 2mm to 3mm was defined. All defects deeper than these limits or with cracks underneath have to be detected. The inspection areas are the sealing surfaces of the valve housing and the pressure seal cover.

Eddy current inspection system applications

ec-works’ eddy current inspection system has successfully performed inspections of turbine or compressor blades, welds at railways cages, and cranes or piping systems. Other tasks for the eddy current technology include austenitic wavy compensator systems at power plants and the process industries, or the inside and outside inspection of high-pressure piping in ethylene plants.

Our operators have even tested CFK components such as blades for wind energy converters or car bodies from the automobile industry.