Video Borescope Rental Inspects The Civil Rights Memorial

January 28, 2010 – 4:50 pm
Borescope Rental

Modern Flexible Video Borescope

Recently, Advanced inspection Technologies (AIT) was pleased to be involved with restoration work of the Civil Rights Memorial in Montgomery, AL. AIT provided a flexible video borescope rental to inspect the interior plumbing of the memorial. Engineers rented the video borescope from AIT to snake through a pipe that normally delivers water to the memorial to conduct a remote visual inspection.

Engineers used the video borescope rental equipment to navigate and the length of the pipe and check the interior condition. The video borescope they rented from AIT to inspect the civil rights memorial was able to easily navigate the pipe line and help engineers determine that the interior condition was good. Without the assistance of AIT’s video borescope rentals there would of been no way to inspect the interior condition of the memorial without tear down of the structure.

Borescope Equipment Rented From AIT Insects the Civil Rights Memorial

Flexible Video Borescope Equipment Rented From AIT Inspects the Civil Rights Memorial

The Civil Rights Memorial honors the achievements and memory of those who lost their lives during the Civil Rights Movement, in the United States. Created by Vietnam Veterans Memorial designer Maya Lin. the striking black granite memorial is located across the street from the Southern Poverty Law Center’s office building in Montgomery, Alabama. The Memorial is just around the corner from the church where Dr. King served as pastor during the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955-1956, and the capitol steps where the Selma-to-Montgomery voting rights march ended in 1965.

The circular fountain provides a timeline of important events in the civil rights movement, beginning in 1954 with the Supreme Court decision to integrate American schools (Brown vs. the Board of Education) and ending with Dr. King’s murder in 1968. It also records the names of 40 men, women, and children who lost their lives working for social justice. A thin pool of water flows over this circular table.

Advanced Inspection Technologies (AIT) is a leader for rentals of videoscopes, video borescopes, pipe inspection cameras and infrared cameras. Throughout the years AIT’s borescope rental equipment has been used to solve a variety of inspection application. Arhcitectural and historic borescope inspections are always interesting to be involved in.

By Paul Fitzgerald | Posted in Applications, Borescope Rentals, Industry Events, Remote Visual Inspection Knowledge, Rentals, Video Borescopes, Videoscope Rentals, Videoscopes | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Foreign Object Search and Retrieval Tools

January 24, 2010 – 11:35 pm
Foreign object search and retrieval - Motorized Alligator Jaws CAD

Motorized Jaws Retrieve Heavy Objects From Industrial Systems

It can happen… Even the smallest objects can cause large expenses for your facility. Foreign Object Search And Retrieval (FOSAR) tools, Loose Parts Retrieval Tools, Foreign Material Exclusion Retrieval Tools (FME) and Foreign Object Debris Retrieval Tools (FOD) will locate and remove foreign material from your system. A good Foreign Material Exclusion Program Will include tools to quickly and efficiently remove unwanted material from an industrial system.

Snare

Snare Retrieval Tool For Industrial Applications

Loose parts and foreign materials are a reality of nearly every plant outage and turnaround. A dropped wrench, bolt or other foreign object can be catastrophic to system integrity and plant safety. Industrial plants on the cutting edge of technology use foreign material search and retrieval to ensure a safe start up.

A Foreign Object Retrieval tool kit will consist of alligator jaws, snares, hooks, powerful magnets, and motorized grippers. Along with the tools, flexible fiberglass poles are employed as a deliver device. The poles allow engineers to remotely navigate pipes and other industrial systems as far as 200 feet (60 Meters) and grap onto any object and remove it. Typically a videoscope, video borescope or pipe inspection camera is used in conjunction with the retrieval tool kit. The videoscopes, borescopes and pipe cameras are used to inspect the industrial system to locate and assist in properly positioning the retrieval tools.

Read More »

By Paul Fitzgerald | Posted in Borescopes, Foreign Material Exclusion, Pipe Inspection Cameras, Push Cameras, RVI Accessories, Remote Visual Inspection Knowledge, Video Borescopes, Videoscopes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Pipe Inspection Camera Helps Nuclear Power Plant During Outage

January 23, 2010 – 5:21 pm
Crystal River Nuclear Power Plant Recieves Late Night Help From AIT

Crystal River Nuclear Power Plant Recieves Late Night Help From AIT

Industrial Pipe Inspection Camera

Industrial Pipe Inspection Camera

Advanced Inspection Technologies (AIT) was contacted at 10:00 PM on a Friday night and asked if it was possible to have an industrial pipe inspection camera sent to the Crystal River Nuclear Power Plant as soon as possible. AIT always places the customer first and understands the urgent needs of the industrial customers we cater to. It has happened in the past and it will continue to happen. Industrial plants will be in a planned or unplanned outage and need to inspect a critical system before returning the plant to operation. Frantic calls go out looking for video borescopes and pipe inspection cameras in the middle of the night. Most companies work on a 9 to 5 schedule and are not able to assist late in the night. AIT did answer the phone as part of their unique 24/7 service philosophy and provided the Crystal River plant with a pipe inspection camera by 2:30 AM. AIT is proud of their responsive customer service for industrial remote visual inspection applications.

By Paul Fitzgerald | Posted in Industry Events, Pipe Inspection Cameras, Push Cameras, Remote Visual Inspection Knowledge, Rentals | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

How a Turbine Works

January 18, 2010 – 2:11 pm

Since one of remote visual inspections most common applications is the inspection of turbines It may be helpful to understand how a turbine works. Air is drawn into the engine and compressed as it travel though a series of rotating blades. The compressed air then passes into a combustion chamberwhere fuel is added, ignited and burned producing hot gas. This hot gas expands across the turbine rotors driving a shaft that powers the turbines air compressor as well as driven equipment such as a pump, compressor or electrical generator Read More »

By Paul Fitzgerald | Posted in Applications, Remote Visual Inspection Knowledge | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (0)

Boiler Inspection Camera

January 18, 2010 – 1:38 pm

Boilers are extensively inspected with pipe cameras and video borescopes. Inspections include: boiler fittings for security, boiler feet for cracks and distortion. Pipe Inspection Cameras and Video Borescopes can be used to inspect the internal condition of boilers tubes. A boiler needs to periodically have its cooling tubes checked for imperfections. a pipe inspection camera or video borescope can be inserted into the boiler tube and pushed the length of the tube. The pipe inspection camera or video borescope can record the condition. A boiler tube needs to be checked for erosion, scale, blockage, cracking, corrosion, pitting and other defects.

Read More »

By Paul Fitzgerald | Posted in Applications, Borescopes, Pipe Inspection Cameras, Push Cameras, Remote Visual Inspection Knowledge, Video Borescopes, Videoscopes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Video Borescope Inspection of Castings

January 18, 2010 – 1:09 pm

As castings come off the foundry line, they need to be thoroughly inspected. The casting of metal may include gaseous inclusions, bits of core sand or ceramic that breaks off and falls into the molten metal, excessive flash where the molds join and other imperfections. Many castings have complex shapes and and are therefore difficult to visually inspect. A videoscope or video borescope can be used to see inside the castings channels, grooves and cavities for imperfections. The videoscope or video borescope can snake into the smallest area and visually check the quality of castings before and after machining.

By Paul Fitzgerald | Posted in Applications, Borescopes, Video Borescopes, Videoscopes | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Micro Borescopes Inspect Inside turbine Blades

January 13, 2010 – 6:20 pm
microborescope

Micro Borescopes Determine the interior Condition of Turbine Blades and Vanes

Micro Borescopes as small as 0.5 mm (0.019 in) are used to inspect inside the smallest areas on turbines blades. Turbine blades and vanes have cooling holes to direct air inside and help reduce the temperature of the blade or vane in areas such as the combustion section of a gas turbine. Small diameter micro or mini borescopes are inserted into these tiny openings to look for blockages and proper weld penetration. This is typically done at the manufacturer or rework facility where the component being inspected is made. Without micro or mini diameter borescopes it would not be possible for non destructive inspection engineers to asses the condition of the interior of some turbine components.

By Paul Fitzgerald | Posted in Applications, Borescopes, Micro Borescopes, Remote Visual Inspection Knowledge | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Remote Visual Inspection At Boiling Water Reactors

January 13, 2010 – 5:48 pm
Remote Visual Inspection Applications at Boiling Water Reactors

Remote Visual Inspection Applications at Boiling Water Reactors

Remote Visual Inspection (RVI) equipment such as videoscopes, video borescopes, pipe inspection cameras and remotely operated vehicles (ROV) can be used for a variety of inspection requirements during outages at Nuclear Power Plants during an outage. Here are some examples of inspections that can be performed remotely using videoscopes, video borescopes, ROV’s and pipe inspection cameras. Foreign Object Search and Retrieval is another common function performed during outages.

Foreign Object Retrieval or Foreign Material Exclusion (FME) utilizes equipment such as videoscopes, video borescopes, pipe inspection cameras and a range of foreign object retriaval tools to locate and remove items from plant system. Foreign Objects, loose parts and other material may become trapped inside piping, turbines, cavities, fuel pool and other difficult to reach areas. Areas that are common to remotely inspect during a plant outage ate Boiling water reactors include: Read More »

By Paul Fitzgerald | Posted in Applications, Foreign Material Exclusion, Pipe Inspection Cameras, Push Cameras, Remote Visual Inspection Knowledge, Video Borescopes, Videoscopes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Remote Visual Inspection Applications At Refineries

January 13, 2010 – 4:24 pm

Oil refineries have multiple inspection requirements that videoscopes, video borescopes and pipe inspection cameras can perform. Refineries have many critical components that need to be functioning at peak performance and the only way to inspect some of these areas is with the use of remote visual inspection equipment.

Videoscopes, Video Borescopes, Pipe Inspection Camera Applications at Refineries

Videoscopes, Video Borescopes, Pipe Inspection Camera Applications at Refineries

Applications where videoscopes, video borescopes or pipe inspection cameras can be used to perform these critical inspections include: Storage Tanks, Gas Flares, Pipe Units, Cracker, Reformer, Fractional Towers, Spherical Tanks and Rail Road cars. All these areas need to be periodically check for cracking, corrosion, wear, proper alignment, pitting, cracking, corrosion, erosion, proper welding and other defects. Other common areas that need to be inspected with videoscopes, video borescopes and pipe inspection cameras may include: Reactors, Heat Exchangers, Boilers, Pressure Vessels, Pipes and Process Piping.

Remote visual inspection equipment such as videoscopes, video borescopes and pipe inspection cameras make it possible for engineers to safely and efficiently maintain and operate oil refineries around the world.

By Paul Fitzgerald | Posted in Applications, Borescopes, Pipe Inspection Cameras, Push Cameras, Remote Visual Inspection Knowledge, Video Borescopes, Videoscopes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Borescopes Used To Inspect For Mold In Buildings

December 1, 2009 – 6:49 pm
Borescopes Can Be Used to Quickly Verify The Presence of Mold Behind Walls

Borescopes Can Be Used to Quickly Verify The Presence of Mold Behind Walls

Flexible and rigid borescopes are successfully used to conduct remote visual inspections for mold in buildings. Mold can develop behind walls, under floors and other impossible to view areas. Moisture may come in through a leak in the roof, a pipe behind a wall or areas that form condensation due to poor insulation.

Infrared Cameras Can Quickly Detect Problems Such as Mold Behind WallsInfrared cameras can be used to detect mold growth through temperature differences between the wet areas were mold is present and the dry areas where it is not. Infrared Cameras are an excellent tool to detect the location of mold with out unnecessary tear down. Infrared camera technology may sometimes detect an anomaly that may not necessarily be mold.

Before Tearing walls down and ripping dry wall out it is probably a good practice for an infrared thermographer to verify the mold growth with the use of a felxible or rigid borescope. A quick 3/8 inch hole can be drilled that will repair easily and quickly for the inspector to verify the presence of mold through remote visual inspection. Flexible and rigid borescopes are more and more affordable these days and should part of thorough building inspection.

By Paul Fitzgerald | Posted in Applications, Borescopes, Fiberscopes, Infrared Cameras, Remote Visual Inspection Knowledge | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (0)