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SCORPION TANK CRAWLER
PC Based remote operated ultrasonic crawler
The Silverwing (UK) Ltd Scorpion is a ruggedised PC based, remote
operated, ultrasonic crawler designed to allow cost effective thickness
measurements on carbon steel above ground storage tanks, spheres,
risers, rigs, steelwork and shipping without the need for costly
scaffolding or rope access services. |
The ruggedised, weather resistant computer, designed and
manufactured exclusively for Silverwing UK, has the ultrasonic pulser/receiver,
digitiser and crawler control circuit built inside it. A single
umbilical cable connects the crawler to the computer and a 30 Ahr
battery pack provides sufficient power to both for 10 hours continuous
use. The touch screen ultrasonic controls have been designed to closely
resemble a standard 'A' scan flaw detector, minimising additional
training requirements for existing ultrasonic technicians. Ultrasonic
readings are taken using a unique dry coupled wheel probe, manufactured
under licence from Imperial Marketing and Exploration Ltd. The
transducer can be supplied in either dual or single crystal form and at
standard frequencies of 2.5MHz, 5MHz or 10MHz.
The systems Automatic Gain Control (AGC) capability plus choice of
monitoring either initial pulse to first backwall echo or echo to assist
in minimising measurement errors caused by varying paint thicknesses on
base material thicknesses of 0.25 inch to 2.5 inch. |
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| Thickness measurements are stored, in real
time directly to a dedicated database which features automated functions
such as statistical production of mean, minimum and maximum plate /
course thickness. As well as pre-formatted report layouts the software
has a facility allowing the operator to export the results to Microsoft
Excel and then use its facilities in the production of comprehensive
reports. |
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The low weight, low profile design of the
crawler, coupled with the latest generation magnets ensure good adhesion
to the surface. Four independently powered drive wheels, coated in a
special rubber compound, give maximum grip on either wet or dry surfaces
and allow the unit to easily mount a 0.4 inch high weld profile. This
combination of magnetic attraction, multiple drive wheels and dry
coupled transducer means that the unit is capable of being driven
vertically, horizontally and even inverted without the loss of
inspection capabilities. As couplant is not required, combined with the
use of lightweight cables, the height restrictions inherent in other
systems do not apply, allowing inspection at heights of 100 feet or
more. |
| Supplied with both an auto-ranging power
supply and external battery pack the Scorpion system provides the
inspection industry with a totally self contained, rapid, economic tool
for the inspection of remote structures. The Scorpion system comprises
just 4 components including the ultrasonic capabilities unlike some
other, more expensive systems which require an additional ultrasonic
flaw detector as well as an external power source. |
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Technical and Performance Specification
Patent No 5,619,136 |
| Dimensions |
Length 15.5" / 385mm x Width 9.75" / 222mm x Height 4" /
102mm |
| Weight without cables |
10.5 lbs. / 4.75 Kg |
| Adhesion |
Neodymium iron boron magnets mounted in centre of
carriage |
| Pull off force |
30lbs / 13.6 Kg |
| Drive |
four (4) independent 12 volt Dc motors |
| Drive wheels |
coated in special non-slip synthetic rubber compound |
| Speed |
1 inch/second / 25mm/second |
| Umbilical Cable |
length 100 feet / 30 metre
weight 8.6 lbs / 3.9 Kg |
| Transducer |
Dry coupled wheel using "Ro-Cee" rubber 5Mhz dual twin
compression transducer |
| Near surface resolution |
0.1 inch / 2.5mm |
| Power supply |
30 Ah sealed lead acid gel battery pack |
| Test time |
10 hours complete system |
| Control Console |
Ruggedised site computer with built in ultrasonic pulser
/ receiver / digitiser with crawler electronic control, positional
encoder interface and keypad steering unit. The computer comprises
Celeron 400MHz P3 processor, 128Mb RAM, 10Gb HDD, 12.1 Touch screen, and
an external USB FD for data transfer |
| Software |
Operator friendly UT controls, real time 'A' scan
display, Automatic Gain Control (AGC), Echo to Echo or First Backwall
options, Dedicated data base structure with automated storage, Automatic
statistics function, Export to Excel function |
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