AREVA NC Inc.’s Nondestructive Examination (NDE) staff has more than 150 years of combined NDE experience and is fully conversant in nationally recognized standards such as ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers) and AWS (American Welding Society). The NDE staff has Level I, II, and III certifications and is qualified in accordance with an ASNT (American Society of Nondestructive Testing) SNT-TC-1A program.
|
|
NDE is an important element in any engineering program, however, it is especially important in our radioactive waste management activities. Consideration of NDE techniques and capabilities can provide economic benefits at all stages of a product's life cycle from initial design, to material selection and fabrication and on into operation. When properly employed, NDE can help ensure long, trouble-free service from engineered systems and components. For radioactive waste applications, NDE is used to check for leak free integrity of the waste boundary and to remotely examine sealed containers. These processes allow us to protect the environment without compromising personnel health and safety. |
|
Our highly experienced NDE staff can help you employ any one of the standard NDE techniques or help you develop specialized techniques for your unique application.
The unique capabilities of our NDE staff include:
Radiographic Testing
Internal examination of components such as pipes, welds, fuel pin assemblies, capsules, castings and forgings, drums, waste containers, etc. using penetrating sources of energy (x and gamma rays) with either film or specialized imaging (real-time radiography) techniques.
Ultrasonic Testing
Employment of high-frequency sound to inspect for flaws in vessels and structures, measure material thickness, perform corrosion/erosion studies, locate lamination or de-bonding, evaluate weld quality, and determine liquid level using a wide variety of portable and laboratory testing instruments.
Leak Testing
Detection, measurement, and location of leakage in capsules, vessels, welds, pipe-tube joints and connections using a variety of field or laboratory equipment and test methods including helium mass spectrometers, pressure decay, vacuum box (bubble) tests, and pneumatic and hydrostatic testing.
Magnetic Particle Testing
Surface flaw and defect detection in ferromagnetic materials and components, such as welds or weld preps, carbon steel plates, castings, forged crane hooks, and lifting fixtures, using both portable and stationary test equipment.
Liquid Penetrant Testing
Laboratory or field inspection of welds, machined components, or assemblies used for locating surface defects in a wide range of nonporous materials, such as carbon and stainless steels, aluminum, ceramics, and plastics.
Electromagnetic Testing
Ideally suited for material sorting and segregation, thin wall tube (heat exchanger/condenser) flaw detection, crack detection, conductivity tests, coating thickness measurements, and sodium level detection in stainless steel piping.
Remote Visual Inspection
Our staff uses equipment designed to remotely inspect internal passages of pipe and tube systems, heat exchanger bundles, vessel cavities, ducts, etc. through small diameter access ports.
Other NDE Services
AREVA NC's NDE staff also provides services for the location, sizing, and concrete cover depth determination of embedded reinforcement bar (rebar) as well as underground utility locating equipment for detection of buried pipe, cable conduit, cathodic protection, water and steam lines, and other below-grade metallic articles.
|
