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Projects
Development of novel Digital Radiography Technology to facilitate the 'traditionally less research intensive inspection industry sector' change from manual film radiography to automated digital radiography (FilmFree).
The objectives of the filmfree project are to make a number of technological advances that will take the digital industrial radiography sector into a new era to effectively replace film as the detecting media.
A total of eighteen SMEs will benefit from the project by developing new X-ray generation and digital detection hardware with industrial economic, safety and environmental advantages over currently available equipment, such that those SME companies will see significant growth in the international market place. Furthermore, the level of interest from LEs can be seen by the number and quality of those companies wishing to support the project.
Official Project website: http://www.filmfree.eu.com
FilmFree is a collaboration between the following organisations: TWI Ltd, CIT Ltd, Balteau NDT SA, Innospexion ApS, OY AJAT Ltd, Advanced Technology Group s.r.o., Isotest Engineering S.r.l., Tecnitest Ingenieros SL, Trueflaw Ltd, Kingston Computer Consultancy Ltd, NDT Consultants Ltd, Technic Control Ltd Co, Industrial Control Machines SA, X-Tek Systems Ltd, Compra GmbH, Nexus Engineering Ltd, Airbus UK Ltd, EADS CCR - Groupement d'Interet Economique, Wytwornia Sprzetu Komunikacyjnego PZL - Rzeszow SA, Total France, Rolls Royce plc, Advantica Ltd, DB AG, Helenic Society of Non Destructive Testing, Castings Technology International, Bulgarian Welding Society, Commissariat a l'energie atomiique, Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing, Technical University of Sofia and Politechnika Szcezinska. The Project is co-ordinated and managed by TWI Ltd. and is partly funded by the EC under the IP SME programme ref: Number NMP2-CT-2005-515746.
Long Range Ultrasonic Condition Monitoring
The project will develop new techniques for inspecting Europe's engineering assets (Pipelines, Rails, Offshore platforms, Cable stayed/suspension bridges and Sheet piled coastal defences, etc.), which are degrading, thus posing risk of failure.
Long Range Ultrasonic Testing (LRUT) is a technology that has been developed in Europe over the past decade and is finding new potential applications throughout the energy, process plant, transport and engineering industries. The objectives of the LRUCM project are to make a number of technological advances that will take the LRUT technology into a new era, whereby the technique will have an increased functional capability in terms of range of test, defect detection capability, defect positioning & sizing capability and a new range of industrial applications.
LRUT in recent developments has used guided ultrasound with ranges of 10m or more. LRUT can solve the otherwise intractable problem of inspecting engineering assets. It has the advantage of full volume coverage and the ability to test long lengths of structure from one point. Inaccessible regions can also be inspected from an accessible location. Potentially defective areas are located accurately in terms of distance from the inspection tool.
Furthermore, the increased technological capabilities of LRUT resulting from this project will provide enhanced opportunities for European SME service NDT and Inspection companies to access this rapidly growing market throughout Europe and the rest of the world. An important part of the project is the development of a training programme for personnel applying the long range ultrasonic tests in the field. This will be delivered to European SME inspection companies through a network of national NDT societies. Further certification, examination and competence criteria will be developed. These measures will quickly enhance the rate of uptake of this testing by owners and operators of structures and plant for the benefit of European industry.
Official Project website: http://www.lrucm.eu.com
LRUCM is a collaboration between the following organisations: TWI Ltd, Deutsche Gesellschatt fur Zerstorungsfreie Prufung EV, European Federation of Non Destructive Testing, Asociacion Espanola de Ensayos no Destructivos, Associacao Portuguesa de Manutencao Industrial, Associazone Italiana Prove Non Distruttive Monitoraggio Diagnostica, Balgarski Saiuz po Zavariavane, Ukrainian Society for Non Destructive Testing and Technical Diagnostics, Coaxial Power Systems Ltd, I & T Nardoni Institute Srl, Sonatest NDE Plc, Isotest Engineering S.r.l., RARI - Construcoes Metalicas Engenharia Projectos E Solucoes Industriais, Lda, A Casa Inteligente, Lda., Atlantis NDE Ingenieria de Inspeccion no Destructiva SL, NDT Consultants Ltd, Advanced Technology Group Sro, Instituto de Soldadura e Qualidade Associacao, Kingston Computer Consultancy Limited, Zenon Robotics and Informatics SA, Kauno Technologijos Universitetas, Nexus Engineering Ltd. The Project is co-ordinated and managed by TWI Ltd. and is partly funded by the EC under the Collective SME programme ref: Number Coll-CT-2005-516405.
Automated Magnetic Particle Inspection System (AMPIS)
The aim of the AMPIS project is to develop a prototype system for automated MPI inspection of steel components. Computer controlled camera and machine vision software will inspect the product at relatively high speeds.
Machine vision is an attractive idea because it is able to work around the clock without the need for breaks and interruptions which human inspectors encounter. Machine vision systems perform their jobs 100% of the time with up to 99% accuracy in actually locating rejectable components at much faster rates than possible with a human inspector and with high consistency. It is assumed that in most any high production application requiring Non-Destructive Testing to be performed will benefit greatly in regard to reduced product liability, increased production, and a high degree of confidence that while a very small number of acceptable components will be rejected because of machine vision's lack of reasoning ability, that all of the rejectable components would have been identified. Quality Control and Quality Assurance managers agree that a very small number of acceptable parts being falsely rejected are an acceptable trade when it results in the elimination, or near elimination of rejectable defect indications being missed by the human inspector.
AMPIS is a collaboration between NEXUS Engineering Ltd and Technical University of Sofia and is partly funded by the The Bulgarian Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion Agency under the National Innovation Fund