Field Replication

In-situ Metallurgy evaluation – often referred to as field Replication of metals – allows a very
comprehensive evaluation of the components microstructure, analysis of which can determine the current
strength, toughness and overall integrity of the material. This non-destructive inspection technique will
also identify the presence of defects, allow crack evaluation and find other properties of interest.

Metalurgical Equipment

Field preparation of replica location and the etching process employed will be determined by the type of
material being evaluated. The practice of field replication has been extensively relied on by several
industrial sectors (power generation, petrochemical and chemical) for the past number of decades to
determine accurate material condition. This supports remaining life predictions which in turn allows
proactive planning for plant equipment replacement.
Some common industry identified processes that regularly employ field replication for assessment are
Creep damage (High Energy Piping Systems & Boiler Tubes) Sigma Phase evaluation in Duplex fittings,
Grain Size calculations for material identification and analysis of cracks for determination of recent
activity, intergranular corrosion or transgranular fatigue. These examinations are outlined by ASTM E
1351 as the Standard Practice for Production and Evaluation of Field Metallographic Replicas.

Metalurgical Equipment
ANS Experienced Field Services Team
Here at Advanced NDT Solutions we have a very experienced team that have a diverse knowledge of the
different materials associated with supporting projects in the Power; Petrochemical; Pharmaceutical and
Chemical sectors both onshore and offshore locations globally. We understand the importance of
preplanning and educating our clients on site requirements with regards to the use of chemicals, grinding,
polishing and often confined space locations. All of our team members are trained in abrasive tools;
confined space; hazardous material handling and we work with safety as a priority. All replications kits
contain complete MSDS binders for all materials being used along with method statements and
procedures for the safe performance of this inspection technique.

Field Metallurgy Replication

Power Generation
Field Metallurgy Replication has become the normal practice during all plant outages over the last
number of decades to evaluate Boiler tubes/stubs and welds located in High Energy Piping systems that
have the high potential for creep damage. This delivers the confidence for operators to decide continued
service for critical plant equipment.
Choosing locations for replica sites normally is established from specific plant history but generally follows
the standard rules for the different components inspected. Hardness testing is often performed in
conjunction with field replication and may help in selection of suspect locations.

1.
Field Metallurgy Replication
 Tubes (Location on extrados bend)

2. Header Stubs (One replica each side of stub)

3. Butt Welds ( 3 locations 180° apart)

4. Large Bends ( 7 Locations 3 Extrados, 2 intrados and two sides at centre)

The process of acquiring replicas in the field requires initial grinding/blending of material to remove
carburization layer and local weld cap removal; then a graduated level of sanding grits (40-1200) prior to
final polishing steps. Once the location is prepared the site is then etched with the appropriate chemical
and acetate applied to replicate microstructure. Our technicians will evaluate replica location directly on
component for preliminary evaluation and then perform detailed analysis under desktop microscope
during final reporting by our metallurgist. All replicas are photographed at different magnifications (200x;
400x & 1000x) and incorporated into reports. Where clients decide to do on going In Service Inspection
(ISI) programs databases for monitoring growth and locations of replicas can be developed and web
based report portal access is available.
Advanced NDT Solutions personnel were involved in the large scale evaluation of Duplex Fittings
installed on offshore installations in the Norwegian Sector to determine the presence of Sigma Phase.
Our team members evaluated hundreds of fittings offshore during normal production and allowed for
fittings with damage to be replaced on a planned process

Creep analysis at x200, x400 and x1000 magnification

Microscope Analysis
 Good and damaged microstructure

PMI Positive Material Identification

PMI Positive Material Identification : Advanced NDT Solutions personnel have extensive experience in
PMI Positive Material Identification. Our experienced Inspection Engineers are certified to ASME and EN
non destructive testing codes.
Positive Material Identification is a quick non-intrusive means of identifying the grade of material. PMI
uses x-ray diffraction to identify the elements present in a material and the percentage of each element
present. This gives a quick and easy analysis of the material grade.
So if you are unsure of the material you have in your plant and machinery our inspection engineers can
carry out this quick test to identify what you have.
The PMI unit is placed in contact with the material to be identified. The x rays are beamed into the
material and the analyser in the unit identifies the material.
If replacement parts for a machine are required but the material is unknown this quick and non-
destructive inspection method is ideal.
All components on a piece of equipment can be identified quickly and easily with PMI. The only
requirement is that the item to be identified is clean and free of dirt and grease which will affect the
accuracy of the measurement.
PMI can be used on hot surfaces so plant does not have to be switched off for the analysis to be carried
out. This is ideal where items have to be identified prior to a plant shutdown so that replacement materials
of the proper grade can be made available.
DELTA PMI unit An ANS engineer working at positive material identification

MACRO Exams
Macro Weld Examinations are performed on a polished and etched cross-section of a welded material. A
number of different etching reagents may be used depending upon the type of examination to be made.
Steels react differently to etching reagents because of variations in chemical composition, method of
manufacturing, heat treatment and many other variables. During the examination, a number of features
can be determined including weld run sequence, important for weld procedure qualifications tests. As well
as this, any defects on the sample will be assessed for compliance with relevant specifications. Slag,
porosity, lack of weld penetration, lack of sidewall fusion and poor weld profile are among the features
observed in such examinations. It is normal to look for such defects either by standard visual examination
or at magnifications of up to 50X. It is also routine to photograph the section to provide a permanent
record. This is known as a photomacrograph.
Macro test is also performed on the test specimens exposed to other tests such corrosion resistance test,
passivation, salt spray test, case depth measurement.
The most common test is weld cross section examination to reveal internal discontinuities, weld profile,
weld passes and sequence, extent of penetration and the quality of weld.
ANS performs weld macro examination to satisfy the requirements of our clients’ needs.
Hardness Testing
WHAT IS HARDNESS TESTING ?
Hardness Testing – The Metals Handbook defines hardness as “Resistance of metal to plastic
deformation, usually by indentation. However, the term may also refer to stiffness or temper, or to
resistance to scratching, abrasion, or cutting. It is the property of a metal, which gives it the ability to resist
being permanently, deformed (bent, broken, or have its shape changed), when a load is applied. The
greater the hardness of the metal, the greater resistance it has to deformation.
In metallurgy hardness is defined as the ability of a material to resist plastic deformation.
The dictionary of Metallurgy defines the indentation hardness as the resistance of a material to
indentation. This is the usual type of hardness test, in which a pointed or rounded indenter is pressed into
a surface under a substantially static load.
Advanced NDT Solutions primarily use portable hardness testing in the field for Power Generation and
Energy facilities.

Portable Hardness Tester

Ferrite Measurement
Ferrite measurement or delta ferrite measurement and the control of ferrite phase in both Austenitic and
Duplex Stainless Steels is important to maximise the physical, mechanical and corrosion resistance of the
material.
Ferrite is an important constituent of stainless steel as it helps prevent hot cracking when the material is
welded. In Austenitic Stainless Steels too much ferrite will lead to a reduction in the corrosion resistance
properties of the material. In the pharmaceutical industry a lot of research has been done in relation to the
ferrite content and it effect on corrosion resistance and “rouge”. This research has shown that ferrite
content in excess of 5% has a negative effect on corrosion resistance. The introduction of 1.4435-316
Stainless Steel which has 0% ferrite phase allows for the fabrication of piping systems, vessels and other
items of plant and equipment with very low to zero ferrite content. The control of welding and ferrite
measurement of components is important to ensure that zero or extremely low ferrite content is
maintained.
Austenitic Stainless Steels are low strength materials so for more aggressive, higher temperature and
structural applications Duplex Stainless Steels are used. These stainless steels contain a mixture of
ferrite and austenitic phases. This increases the properties of Duplex Stainless Steels; toughness so it
can be used at very low temperatures, strength so it can be used in structures such as bridges and its
resistance to stress corrosion cracking which can be a serious problem in aggressive environments at
elevated temperatures. Control of the ferrite content of components prior to and after welding is important
to ensure that the material properties are maintained.
Advanced NDT Solutions provide ferrite measurement and can assist in the control of welding to ensure
that whatever properties are required, they are measured and controlled to ensure compliance.

Ferrite Content

Surface Roughness Measurement

Surface Roughness Measurement : Every Machine Shop understands the importance of surface
roughness. The surface finish of moving components in contact with each other determines how
efficiently they will work and how long they will continue to work before failure.
Shafts, bushings and bearings if not finished to the correct surface roughness will reduce the life
expectancy of a system. The control of surface roughness is of primary importance to ensure that the
assembled system will operate efficiently.
In the pharmaceutical industry surface roughness is important to ensure cleanliness. A smooth surface is
easier to clean and drain efficiently. The ASME BPE specification details surface roughness requirements
for components and this is especially important when the component has the potential to be “product
contact”. Rough surfaces will hold foreign material which then have the potential to contaminate the
product.
SF1, SF4 are the ASME BPE surface finish designations for mechanical and electropolished surface
finishes. It is critical for the correct functioning of a system that all components meet the surface
roughness requirements.
Advanced NDT Solutions provide surface roughness measurement and can assist in ensuring that the
surface roughness requirements of components meet specification requirements.

Surface Roughness Measurement

Failure Analysis

Failure Investigation Failure Investigation Failure Analysis

Failure Analysis : The term Root Cause Failure Analysis (RCFA) has been associated with equipment
reliability for the past twenty years or so and is generally understood to mean find and fix the causes of
equipment failure. Many companies have no structured failure analysis. Instead, they operate on the
breakdown maintenance system: If something breaks, they fix it, but they don’t ask why it failed. When
the problem happens a few more times, they may look for a root cause and fix it differently. These
organizations often have measuring systems that record how long it took to repair a failure. Maintenance
personnel get very good at repairing the equipment, but the failures keep happening.

Organizations that are striving to learn and improve often have some formal root cause analysis program
but the effectiveness is often limited and repeat failures are not uncommon. Unfortunately, in most
businesses today, the majority of failures will be repeated and they will be repeated simply because the
employees have never learned effective problem solving skills

A failure investigation at ANS will get you reliable answers when a metal product does not meet
performance expectations. Our engineers will conduct an extensive failure investigation to uncover clues
that will provide insight into the root cause of failure. They also help you understand ways to prevent a
reoccurence in the future.

Based on the type of product and its history, we will perform the necessary testing and inspections to
identify the root cause of the failure. The wide-range of mechanical testing, metallurgical evaluation,
chemical analysis, non-destructive testing and dimensional inspection services performed at our
laboratory assure that we get the structural and behavioural results necessary to provide a thorough
investigation into the cause of failure.

Top-of-the-line equipment is used throughout the Lab. When all results of the investigation are gathered
and analyzed, our metallurgical engineers will prepare a comprehensive Failure Investigation Report of all
findings, supporting materials and recommendations.