INTERNATIONL ACADEMY OF NDT

AUT Introduction

May 2018 No.5, Thirupughal Street, Kamakshi Nagar, Valasaravakkam, Chennai-600087

 INTERNATIONL ACADEMY OF NDT AUT History

May 2018 No.5, Thirupughal Street, Kamakshi Nagar, Valasaravakkam, Chennai-600087

 INTERNATIONL ACADEMY OF NDT AUT History Contd…

May 2018 No.5, Thirupughal Street, Kamakshi Nagar, Valasaravakkam, Chennai-600087

 AUT Definition

 AUT - Automated Ultrasonic Testing (or)

- Mechanized Ultrasonic Testing
INTERNATIONL ACADEMY OF NDT

 Advanced ultrasonic NDT technique with computerised

data acquisition and mechanized motion controls.

 It has become the term generally associated with pipeline

girth weld inspections using the zonal discrimination
technique (ASTM E1961)

May 2018 No.5, Thirupughal Street, Kamakshi Nagar, Valasaravakkam, Chennai-600087

 AUT Definition Contd…

 The AUT system is used for weld inspection as a

combination of two or three different technique.
INTERNATIONL ACADEMY OF NDT

 It provides detailed information on the position, size and

orientation of defects.

 Using either a conventional multi-probe or phased array

setup, the system scans a weld in a single pass.

 The operator is then able to view the result in a graphical

presentation

May 2018 No.5, Thirupughal Street, Kamakshi Nagar, Valasaravakkam, Chennai-600087

 AUT Introduction – Contd…

 AUT of pipeline girth welds is characterized by the fact that the

weld is divided in portions characterized by their orientation and
location in the weld, in practice often called “zones”.
INTERNATIONL ACADEMY OF NDT

 An automated scanning mechanism with a set of ultrasonic

probes (one for each zone at both sides of the weld rapidly
rotated around the pipe for volumetric weld inspection in one
single scan)

 System enhancements incorporating TOFD and B-scan type

mapping displays have shown that even off-angle and volumetric
defects are reliably detected.

May 2018 No.5, Thirupughal Street, Kamakshi Nagar, Valasaravakkam, Chennai-600087

 AUT Introduction – Contd…
 A brief understanding of pipeline welding is necessary to
understand the development of modern AUT.

 SMAW (Shielded Metal Arc Welding) or “stick welding”

INTERNATIONL ACADEMY OF NDT

dominated early pipeline welding processes

 The GMAW (Gas Metal Arc Welding) welding process was first
developed in the late 50’s but its use was not adopted by the
pipeline industry due to problems with pipe quality and fit up

 This was quickly adopted in the offshore market where high

production welding was a major source of cost reductions

 Mechanized welding is now considered the preferred method of

welding large diameter pipeline girth welds worldwide

May 2018 No.5, Thirupughal Street, Kamakshi Nagar, Valasaravakkam, Chennai-600087

 AUT Introduction – Contd…
This development of mechanized welding and its associated
benefits coincided with other developments

 The rapid development of computer technology

INTERNATIONL ACADEMY OF NDT

 The growing understanding of fracture mechanics

 This conjuncture of technologies resulted in an ideal environment

for the development of mechanized or “automated” ultrasonic
testing or AUT as we now know it

 This newly developing capability of using fracture mechanics

information for the development of “fitness for purpose”
acceptance criteria or ECA’s (engineering critical assessment),
required additional information from the weld inspection before it
could be effectively applied
May 2018 No.5, Thirupughal Street, Kamakshi Nagar, Valasaravakkam, Chennai-600087
 AUT Introduction – Contd…

 The capabilities of ultrasonic inspection to measure the height of

welding defects, its high probability of detection on “fusion zone”
defects made it the perfect modality to be adopted as a primary
inspection tool
INTERNATIONL ACADEMY OF NDT

 UT inspection results are very quickly available

 No radiation hazard

 Higher POD on the more hazardous planar of fusion zone defects

 With the use of “fitness for purpose” ECA’s repair rates are lower,
saving on costly rework and keeping the integrity of the original
weld intact

May 2018 No.5, Thirupughal Street, Kamakshi Nagar, Valasaravakkam, Chennai-600087

 INTERNATIONL ACADEMY OF NDT AUT Equipments

Weldstar & Pipewizard

May 2018 No.5, Thirupughal Street, Kamakshi Nagar, Valasaravakkam, Chennai-600087

 AUT Equipment - Introduction

 The AUT System is a combination of hardware and software

components, designed to streamline the pipeline AUT inspection
process.
INTERNATIONL ACADEMY OF NDT

 In addition to the hardware components, which comprise a state

of the art, hybrid phased array/conventional ultrasonic instrument,
a complete software suite facilitates full project management.

 The hardware component of AUT system consists of a flexible,

robust, field deployable multi-channel ultrasonic unit, combined
with a mechanized drive unit designed to carry an extensive
probe array around the pipe girth weld.

May 2018 No.5, Thirupughal Street, Kamakshi Nagar, Valasaravakkam, Chennai-600087

 AUT Equipment – Contd….
 This combination of software and hardware into an integrated
system has resulted in a powerful pipeline weld inspection tool,
key elements are:
• Simple to learn and use graphical user interface
INTERNATIONL ACADEMY OF NDT

• Industry standard data presentation

• Fully traceable parameters per file
• Integrated measuring tools
• Data recording and customized reporting

May 2018 No.5, Thirupughal Street, Kamakshi Nagar, Valasaravakkam, Chennai-600087

 ADVANTAGES

 Production rate

 High POD, Reliability

INTERNATIONL ACADEMY OF NDT

 Data Scanning Speed

 Provides instant results

 Provides defect size information

 Low repair rate

 Economically benefit for mass production

 Specific detection requirements e.g CRC, SCR welds

 Welding method and its geometry

May 2018 No.5, Thirupughal Street, Kamakshi Nagar, Valasaravakkam, Chennai-600087

 AUT LIMITATIONS

 High cost for low production

 Limited to Weld configuration

INTERNATIONL ACADEMY OF NDT

 Preferred only for mass production

May 2018 No.5, Thirupughal Street, Kamakshi Nagar, Valasaravakkam, Chennai-600087

 AUT PREFERRED OVER RT

 Better ability to detect inclined planar flaws

 Faster, with extremely high production rates, up to 450 welds per day.
 Accommodates all weld bevels and weld processes
INTERNATIONL ACADEMY OF NDT

 Speed independent of pipe diameter and wall thickness

 Requires no hazardous radiation
 No equipment in the pipe, no crawler cut-outs
 No need for chemicals to process film
 Provides instant results
 Provides defect size information
 Quick feedback to welders

May 2018 No.5, Thirupughal Street, Kamakshi Nagar, Valasaravakkam, Chennai-600087

 INTERNATIONL ACADEMY OF NDT RT COMPARE WITH AUT

May 2018 No.5, Thirupughal Street, Kamakshi Nagar, Valasaravakkam, Chennai-600087

 AUT OPERATOR

 AUT personnel requirements

Personnel performing AUT data interpretation shall be certified to Level 2

INTERNATIONL ACADEMY OF NDT

by a Certification body or Authorized qualifying body in accordance with

ISO 9712 or the ASNT Central Certification Program (ACCP).

 Preparation of NDT procedures and execution of all NDT shall be carried

out under the responsibility of Level 3 personnel.

 Personnel performing advanced ultrasonic testing, interpreting results of

AUT data shall have passed a visual acuity test such as required by ISO
9712 or a Jaeger 1 test at 300 mm, within the previous 12 months.

May 2018 No.5, Thirupughal Street, Kamakshi Nagar, Valasaravakkam, Chennai-600087

 APPLICATION
 Cross country Pipeline girth weld inspection

 Offshore Projects - Pipeline laying (S & J)

INTERNATIONL ACADEMY OF NDT

 Offshore Spool base

 Riser and riser bundle manufacture

 Dual-Product Longitudinal Seam

 Spools base and piggyback line

 Platform legs

 Sub sea

 Non-Pipeline Applications of the Zonal Technique

May 2018 No.5, Thirupughal Street, Kamakshi Nagar, Valasaravakkam, Chennai-600087

 INTERNATIONL ACADEMY OF NDT Application Contd…

May 2018 No.5, Thirupughal Street, Kamakshi Nagar, Valasaravakkam, Chennai-600087

 AUT - ACCEPTANCE STANDARDS

Two types of acceptance criteria exist for AUT on pipeline girth welds:

Workmanship and Fracture mechanics or ECA

INTERNATIONL ACADEMY OF NDT

 Applicable codes
◦ API 1104 - Welding of Pipelines and Related Facilities”

◦ AS 2885.2 - Pipelines—Gas and liquid petroleum Part 2: Welding

◦ CSA Z662 - CSA Z662 is the Canadian Standard for Oil and Gas Pipeline
Systems.

◦ ISO 13847 - Petroleum and natural gas industries - Pipeline transportation

systems - Welding of pipelines

◦ DNV OS F101 - Submarine Pipeline Systems

◦ BS 7910 - Guide on methods for assessing the acceptability of flaws in metallic

structures
May 2018 No.5, Thirupughal Street, Kamakshi Nagar, Valasaravakkam, Chennai-600087
 ENGINEERING CRITICAL ASSESSMENT (ECA)

Engineering critical assessment, also known as fracture mechanics,

fitness for service (FFS), or fitness for purpose (FFP).
INTERNATIONL ACADEMY OF NDT

A numerical technique for determining what length and depth of defects

are acceptable for in-service use by calculating defect growth rates.

With the use of “fitness for purpose” ECA’s repair rates are lower,
saving on costly rework and keeping the integrity of the original weld
intact.

May 2018 No.5, Thirupughal Street, Kamakshi Nagar, Valasaravakkam, Chennai-600087