Tube Inspections

An estimated 31% of asset failures in the oil and gas industry is caused by tube failures. These failures can critically damage refinery equipment, leak environmental contaminants, and cause an unplanned shutdown.

Tubes are present in heaters, condensers, boilers, coolers, exchangers and steam generators, and they play a vital role in heat exchange. They are also subjected to some of the most extreme conditions imaginable, which often cause corrosion, cracking, and metal loss. Tube inspections save time and money by ensuring your tubes remain in optimal working order between regular maintenance cycles. These inspections can also identify underlying issues—like poor water chemistry or overheating—before they lead to failures in other components.

Tube inspections with HMT can:

  • Prevent critical failures in refinery equipment
  • Increase run time between planned shutdown cycles
  • Save money on maintenance planning and management
  • Ensure your assets remain in compliance with state and federal requirements

We provide a variety of tube inspection methods, each designed to quickly locate flaws and ensure optimal performance in a wide range of heat exchangers.

Eddy Current Inspection:

Eddy Current (ET) testing uses electromagnetic induction to identify defects in non-ferrous materials like stainless steel, titanium, and copper alloys. It can detect tiny cracks, pitting, corrosion, erosion and support fretting in various types of heat exchangers.

Remote Field Testing:

Remote Field Testing (RFT) uses electromagnetic, low-frequency AC to detect corrosion, erosion and support fretting in ferrous materials like carbon steel and duplex.

Near Field Testing:

Near Field Testing (NFT) looks for internal defects in carbon steel and duplex air cooler tubes that possess external aluminum fins. This method is ideal for detecting corrosion and erosion in air cooler exchangers.

IRIS (ultrasonic method):

Internal Rotary Inspection System (IRIS) testing can be used to evaluate both ferrous and non-ferrous metal tubes for corrosion, erosion, and support fretting in various types of heat exchangers using ultrasonic waves. This method can be used as either a primary or backup inspection method.

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