Staying Engaged and Proactive
While responding to a blowout on a low-pressure, high-erosion system, my team had finished mapping out a patch area and was waiting for the welding crew to cut and fit their plate. As we were intimately familiar with this system, we proactively surveyed other known, high-wear areas, locating two additional patch points that would have required attention before the next scheduled plant shutdown. We then collaborated to devise a plan to bring the system back online swiftly and patch the remaining areas while live, significantly minimizing total downtime and preventing future costly outages.
This project was a success due to a multi-method inspection approach. Ultrasonic Thickness (UT) inspection was first used on the original surface to identify areas of concern and precisely determine the cut points for the repair. After the damaged material was removed, Magnetic Particle Inspection (MPI) was performed on the base material to ensure the surface was free of defects before the patch was installed. More MPI was then used on the new welds and the heat-affected zones to confirm a sound weld and a defect-free surface. Finally, new UT readings were taken on the patch materials to establish a new, accurate baseline for future monitoring.