Inspection Methodology Research Articles

Worldwide border interceptions provide a window into human-mediated global insect movement.

As part of national biosecurity programs, cargo imports, passenger baggage, and international mail are inspected at ports of entry to verify compliance with phytosanitary regulations and to intercept potentially damaging nonnative species to prevent their introduction. Detection of organisms during inspections may also provide crucial information about the species composition and relative arrival rates in invasion pathways that can inform the implementation of other biosecurity practices such as quarantines and surveillance. In most regions, insects are the main taxonomic group encountered during inspections. We gathered insect interception data from nine world regions collected from 1995 to 2019 to compare the composition of species arriving at ports in these regions. Collectively, 8,716 insect species were intercepted in these regions over the last 25yr, with the combined international data set comprising 1,899,573 interception events, of which 863,972 were identified to species level. Rarefaction analysis indicated that interceptions comprise only a small fraction of species present in invasion pathways. Despite differences in inspection methodologies, as well as differences in the composition of import source regions and imported commodities, we found strong positive correlations in species interception frequencies between regions, particularly within the Hemiptera and Thysanoptera. There were also significant differences in species frequencies among insects intercepted in different regions. Nevertheless, integrating interception data among multiple regions would be valuable for estimating invasion risks for insect species with high likelihoods of introduction as well as for identifying rare but potentially damaging species.

A novel approach of inspection methodology in fabrication industry post COVID-19

The virus SARS-COV2 also known as COVID-19 is a pandemic that affecting the entire world. During this tough time, all the industries, manufacturing units, and the related entities are either closed or partially open. During this pandemic, the fabrication industry is also got affected. During the lockdown, industry people are going through various internet platforms and technology to accomplish their work. The fabrication and welding inspection are also part of it. Conventionally it was done physically by inspectors. inspecting the weld. But, during this tough time, some new methodologies of inspection such as the use of the high-resolution camera, use of Industry 4.0, and smart glasses are suggested in this paper for various fabrication inspection activities without going to the site. The cost of the inspection also can be reduced by adopting these new approaches along with the demand for maintenance of social distancing needed during COVID-19.

Quality of self-propelled sprayers through periodic inspection

The inspection of agricultural sprayers is a vital tool for the increment of quality of spray technology for phytosanitary products. The objective of this work was to evaluate the performance conditions of self-propelled sprayers on-farm, using the periodical inspection methodology for sprays and analyzing the climatic conditions during the spraying. The evaluations were carried on farms visited randomly. A questionnaire was filled out by the operator or farmers and the inspection itself of the sprayers. The items evaluated were the condition and location of hoses, presence of leaks, monitor performance, spacing between nozzles, spray nozzles, in-line filter, primary filter, the performance of anti-dripping gauges, and limiting environmental conditions. Most interviewed operators and farmers did not know the methodology for inspecting agricultural sprayers, demonstrating the need to create specific training programs in the region. Self-propelled sprayers have a few technical problems when they were new, however, spraying beyond the ideal weather conditions can reduce the spraying quality.

Best Practices for Avoiding Erosion in Annular Fracturing

This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Judy Feder, contains highlights of paper SPE 204417, “Avoiding Erosion: Best Practices for Coiled Tubing Annular Fracturing Operations,” by Kaveh Yekta, SPE, and Jamie Fenwick, SPE, Essential Energy Services, and Kevin Elliott, SPE, NOV, et al., prepared for the 2021 SPE/ICoTA Virtual Well Intervention Conference, 22–25 March. The paper has not been peer reviewed. The onset of erosion of coiled tubing (CT) strings may be difficult to predict in annular fracturing operations. The complete paper describes a methodology of verifying that CT strings have not been subject to erosion caused by annular fracturing operations. An exploration of pumping rates used on these strings in operations also provides field-tested practical guidelines for avoiding erosion when performing annular fracturing jobs. Inspection A CT string may be exposed to erosion in the outer surface during CT annular fracturing operations. The critical parameters that may influence the magnitude of erosion include fracturing pump rate, sand concentration, fluid rheology, wellbore geometry, and the grade of CT string. One measurable parameter to examine the string’s suitability is the wall thickness for each section. The CT strings discussed in the complete paper were sent for inspection to learn about the effect of the fracturing treatment. A series of nondestructive tests was conducted pre- and post-operation to evaluate the readiness of strings for subsequent operations. The complete paper includes two graphs related to the results of these tests. Materials The API 5ST specification requires using eddy current (EC) inspection for CT. With respect to API 5ST, quenched and tempered tubing had not been addressed at the time of this paper’s submission, so it is not clear whether the CT manufacturers employ EC techniques after quenching and tempering. However, it is expected that all tubing will be subject to EC inspection at least before any quenching and tempering operations. Inspection methodology and equipment consistency is important to establish a baseline inspection necessary for subsequent comparisons. In the case of the CT strings used in this study, all were subject to EC inspection at tubing manufacturing and then subsequently inspected by an outside, third-party vendor using magnetic flux leakage (MFL) technology when spooling the strings on the unit. No known third-party EC vendors can inspect string lengths of CT, so MFL inspection is the only available solution. Photographs of CT inspections taken at the manufacturing facility and the service and distribution point are included in the paper. Several commercial third-party inspection companies operate in North America, where this work was performed. Provided that the inspection can begin by identifying features in the calibration standard (often a through-drilled hole), the selection of inspection methodology is primarily a matter of preference for the service company and operator.

Complex geometries in additive manufacturing: A new solution for lattice structure modeling and monitoring

The production of novel types of complex shapes is nowadays enabled by new manufacturing paradigms such as additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing. The continuous increase of shape complexity imposes new challenges in terms of inspection, product qualification and process monitoring methodologies. Previously proposed methods for 2.5D free-form surfaces are no longer applicable in the presence of this kind of new full 3D geometries. This paper aims to tackle this challenge by presenting a statistical quality monitoring approach for structures that cannot be described in terms of parametric models. The goal consists of identifying out-of-control geometrical distortions by analyzing either local variations within the part or changes from part to part. The proposed approach involves an innovative solution for modeling the deviation between the nominal geometry (the originating 3D model) and the real geometry (measured via x-ray computed tomography) by slicing the shapes and estimating the deviation slice by slice. 3D deviation maps are then transformed into 1D deviation profiles enabling the use of a profile monitoring scheme for local defect detection. The feasibility and potential of this method are demonstrated by focusing on a category of complex shapes where an elemental geometry regularly repeats in space. These shapes are known as lattice structures, or metamaterials, and their trabecular shape is thought to provide innovative mechanical and functional performance. The performance of the proposed method is shown in real and simulated case studies.

Tolerance estimation and metrology for reverse engineering based remanufacturing systems

ABSTRACT Tolerances are critical to the product’s design, manufacturing, and quality. However, tolerances are often overlooked in a reverse engineering (RE) process for industrial applications, especially in legacy parts or spare parts remanufacturing. Ignoring tolerances could either unnecessarily call for high precision remanufacturing processes or make the reproduced parts unqualified. Additive manufacturing (AM) techniques are used in remanufacturing applications because of their ability to manufacturing intricated parts. Due to its layer-by-layer fabrication nature, the metrology for AM-created parts is drastically different when compared to traditional feature-generation processes. In this study, we first propose a novel way to classify manufacturing processes based on whether they directly identify or generate features, which could profoundly affect their metrology tools. Next, a systematic geometric inspection and tolerance estimation methodology for the RE system is proposed. A set of tools is developed to extract various geometric dimensional values from the point clouds based on their tolerancing types. Moreover, based on the domain knowledge in production process design and planning, methods are developed to estimate empirical tolerances from a small batch of legacy parts. Comparisons of empirical tolerances of real machined parts to their designed tolerances are presented to evaluate the performance of the proposed framework.

An ontology knowledge inspection methodology for quality assessment and continuous improvement

Ontology-learning methods were introduced in the knowledge engineering area to automatically build ontologies from natural language texts related to a domain. Despite the initial appeal of these methods, automatically generated ontologies may have errors, inconsistencies, and a poor design quality, all of which must be manually fixed, in order to maintain the validity and usefulness of automated output. In this work, we propose a methodology to assess ontologies quality (quantitatively and graphically) and to fix ontology inconsistencies minimizing design defects. The proposed methodology is based on the Deming cycle and is grounded on quality standards that proved effective in the software engineering domain and present high potential to be extended to knowledge engineering quality management. This paper demonstrates that software engineering quality assessment approaches and techniques can be successfully extended and applied to the ontology-fixing and quality improvement problem. The proposed methodology was validated in a testing ontology, by ontology design quality comparison between a manually created and automatically generated ontology.

Application of a digital image correlation bridge inspection methodology on geometrically complex bifurcated distortion‐induced fatigue cracking

AbstractDistortion‐induced fatigue cracking is a concern for many aging steel bridges in the United States. Human visual inspections to characterize fatigue cracks have many drawbacks including inconsistencies in identification, significant time and monetary costs, and safety risks posed to the lives of both inspectors and the traveling public due to lane closures. Digital image correlation (DIC) is a vision‐based technology which has shown promise for identifying and characterizing fatigue cracks. Three‐dimensional DIC measurements can capture full‐field displacements and strains, allowing for detection and characterization of both in‐plane and distortion‐induced fatigue cracks. This paper describes an experimental study in which a half‐scale steel girder to crossframe subassembly was subjected to distortion‐induced fatigue loading to produce multiple geometrically complex cracks. A DIC‐based crack characterization methodology was applied to quantify the cracks, which was successful at characterizing cracks propagating in the girder web but struggled to characterize horizontal cracks. Additional work is needed to improve the accuracy of the DIC‐based crack characterization methodology to use as an automated bridge inspection tool.

Critical Analysis about Emerging Technologies for Building’s Façade Inspection

The diagnosis of the building’s façades pathology is extremely important to support rational and technically informed decisions regarding maintenance and rehabilitation actions. With a reliable diagnosis, the probable causes of the anomalies can be correctly identified, and the correction measures adopted can be more compatible with the existing elements, promoting the durability of the façades. Visual inspection is the most common approach to identify anomalies in a building’s façade and, in many cases, this technique is sufficient to support the decision to intervene. However, the pathological phenomenon is complex, and the anomalies observed may indicate the presence of other defects, or some anomalies may not be visible in a simple visual observation. This study intends to discuss the application of emerging technologies on the diagnosis and anamneses of building’s façade, in order to automatise the collection of reliable on-site data and, thus, reduce the uncertainty of the diagnosis. The use of these techniques can help existing inspection methodologies, already tested, based mainly on the visual assessment of the buildings’ elements degradation condition.

A new image-quality evaluating and enhancing methodology for bridge inspection using an unmanned aerial vehicle

This paper proposes a new methodology to address the image quality problem encountered as the use of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in the field of bridge inspection increased. When inspecting a bridge, the image obtained from the UAV was degraded by various interference factors such as vibration, wind, and motion of UAV. Image quality degradation such as blur, noise, and low-resolution is a major obstacle in utilizing bridge inspection technology based on UAV. In particular, in the field of bridge inspection where damages must be accurately and quickly detected based on data obtained from UAV, these quality issues weaken the advantage of using UAVs by requiring re-take of images through re-flighting. Therefore, in this study, image quality assessment (IQA) based on local blur map (LBM) and image quality enhancement (IQE) using the variational Dirichlet (VD) kernel estimation were proposed as a solution to address the quality issues. First, image data was collected by setting different camera parameters for each bridge member. Second, a blur map was generated through discrete wavelet transform (DWT) and a new quality metric to measure the degree of blurriness was proposed. Third, for low-quality images with a large degree of blurriness, the blind kernel estimation and blind image deconvolution were performed to enhance the quality of images. In the validation tests, the proposed quality metric was applied to material image sets of bridge pier and deck taken from UAV, and its results were compared with those of other quality metrics based on singular value decomposition (SVD), sum of gray-intensity variance (SGV) and high-frequency multiscale fusion and sort transform (HiFST) methods. It was validated that the proposed IQA metric showed better classification performance on UAV images for bridge inspection through comparison with the classification results by human perception. In addition, by performing IQE, on average, 26% of blur was reduced, and the images with enhanced quality showed better damage detection performance through the deep learning model (i.e., mask and region-based convolutional neural network).

Ультразвуковой контроль сварного шва тонкостенной титановой оболочки с индикатором непровара

The work considers the methodology of weld ultrasonic inspection of thin-wall (0.6 mm) titanium alloy shells. The paper also presents a review of publications on Lamb wave excitation and propagation, and on applications of ultrasonic inspection of thin-wall weldments. The problem of adhesion detection was successfully solved (weld zones with incomplete fusion conduct ultrasonic waves well, but do not provide mechanical strength). Angular groove is proposed as an indication of incomplete fusion in the weld. We analyzed different propagation modes of Lamb wave in the material and selected optimum inspection parameters. Wavelet analysis and precise digital filters with small increment provided great efficiency. Inspection results of corrupted weld and defect-free regions were analyzed. The results of ultrasonic scanning were compared to metallographic study data.

Risk analysis of scrubber vessel using risk-based inspection method in geothermal power plant

The corrosive geothermal fluids combined with high temperature and high-pressure work systems cause intensive corrosion. Corrosion that exceeds the safe limits can cause gas leaks which are hazardous to the environment and personnel. It is important to inspect the location of corrosion in the equipment. The existing methodology for inspection is carried out regardless of the risk level of the equipment. Therefore, it is necessary to apply the appropriate method to conduct inspections based on risk level. This research proposed a Risk-Based Inspection method to determine the scheduling and methods for inspecting scrubber vessel in the gas removal system of the geothermal power plant. Based on the analysis, it is recommended to carry out direct inspection for the shell part of the steam scrubber (VS-81-009) using radiography or ultrasonic scanning.

Road safety inspection of regional road M14.1 section: Nova Topola – Srbac

Inspection of traffic safety has being conducted on regional road M14.1 section which starts at Nova Topola (intersection M16 and M14.1), crossing through places Krajišnik, Trošelji, Kočićevo, Gornji Kladari, Razboj, Prijebljezi, Povelič, Inađol and ends at Srbac (intersection M14.1 and P474). Applied methodology for inspection of traffic safety is presented in “Road Safety Inspection Guidelines for Safety Checks of Existing Roads”. Control lists are used by chapter “''Checklists for Interurban main roads crossing built-up areas of towns and villages”, published by World Road Association (PIARC) in 2012 year, also and control list from “Guidelines for Inspection Traffic Safty in Republic of Srpska”.

In Field Assessment of Safety, Security, Comfort and Accessibility of Bus Stops: a Planning Perspective

There is a wide literature focused on how to design new bus stops, but the research on how to review and assess quality and safety of existing bus stops is, so far, still less developed. Therefore, this paper highlights the need for in field inspections of existing bus stops and illustrates a possible methodology to assess and review them. The paper further develops a Road Safety inspection methodology for existing bus stops. Particularly, starting from the inspection methodology, the paper describes how it is possible to handle data collected during bus stops inspections to perform a more comprehensive review of the bus stops, in terms of Road Safety, Security, Comfort and Accessibility levels. The technique was successfully applied to some bus lines in the Province of Brescia (Italy), and can be easily transferred to other contexts. Through the use of a Geographical Information System (GIS), informative layers were built, and thematic maps were realised. The assessment can then be used by technicians and decision makers to plan and prioritise interventions on the infrastructure.

Methodology for ultrasonic inspection of dispersion type U–Mo fuel plates

Nuclear fuel based on uranium-molybdenum alloys (U–Mo) showed a promising performance under irradiation tests, except for an undesirable interaction between the U–Mo fuel particles and the aluminum matrix. This development requires new methods and evaluation criteria for inspection of this fuel. Non-destructive analysis techniques, such as Ultrasonic Test (UT), can play a key role in the characterization and in-pile monitoring of test fuel plates, in particular, for the anisotropic fuel core.This paper proposes the establishment of a relationship between attenuation and transmission effects for U–Mo fuel plates with different uranium loads, based on mathematical processing of UT signals. For this purpose, the Chilean Nuclear Energy Commission (CCHEN) manufactured a set of 8 dispersion type test plates, with uranium loads from 1 to 8 gU/cm3. The U–Mo fuel plates were evaluated in transmission mode with a Panametrics PR 5800 pulser-receiver ultrasonic system, using frequencies of 20 and 25 MHz. The data set collected for each plate was processed using the Fourier Function transform of the data function in MATLAB®. The obtained results showed that the attenuation coefficient of the ultrasonic waves increased linearly as a function of the uranium load. From 12.3 dB/mm for 1 gU/cm3 to 74.2 dB/mm, for 8 gU/cm3. The transmission percentage of the signal reduces linearly as a function of uranium load and the grain boundaries present in the Al cladding, decreasing from 66.7% for 1 gU/cm3 to 9.1% for 8 gU/cm3. In conclusion, the uranium load and the metal forming processes strongly affects the response of the fuel plates subjected to UT scanning. These results established an acceptance criterion for fuel plates based on this response, and the transformations experienced by the fissile U–Mo material.

In Situ Process Monitoring for Additive Manufacturing Through Acoustic Techniques

Additive manufacturing (AM) is an emerging field where a complex geometrical model can be made with no requirement of individual parts and assembly production. This advantage provides the capability for fabricating components in a single integrated process. On the contrary, lack of non-destructive testing adoption due to complex geometries of final products, makes this technology less convenient for the production of critical parts with high accuracy. Non-destructive testing through acoustic techniques is one of the most popular methodologies for AM inspection because of its provision to detect defects on the internal structure of the components. The technique has also been used in other types of fabrication processes (machining and welding) for defect monitoring. There are several studies where acoustic data acquisition and analysis have been done to detect cracks and other anomalies. In this paper, the progress of using acoustic techniques for AM process and part quality monitoring has been reviewed, and critical discussion has been made for the potential application of acoustic techniques toward quality inspection and monitoring in AM technology.

Guest Editorial: Non‐Destructive Testing

Guest Editorial: Non‐Destructive Testing

Strain Monitoring Strategy of Deformed Membrane Cover Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle-Assisted 3D Photogrammetry

Large structures and high-value assets require inspection and integrity assessment methodologies that ensure maximum availability and operational capabilities. Large membranes are used as floating covers at the anaerobic wastewater lagoons of Melbourne Water’s Western Treatment Plant (WTP). A critical function of this high-value asset pertains to the harnessing of the biogas gas generated at these lagoons as well as protecting the environment from the release of odours and greenhouse gases. Therefore, a proactive inspection and efficient management strategy are required to ensure these expensive covers’ integrity and continued operation. Not only is identifying the state of stress on the floating cover crucial for its structural integrity assessment, but the development of rapid and non-contact inspections will significantly assist in determining the “real-life” performance of the cover for superior maintenance management. This study investigates a strain determination method for WTP floating cover which integrates unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-assisted photogrammetry with finite element analyses to determine the structural integrity of these covers. Collective aerial images were compiled to form 3D digital models of the deformed cover specimens, which were then employed in computational and statistical analyses to assess and predict the strain of the cover. The findings complement the future implementation of UAV-assisted aerial photogrammetry for structural health assessment of the large floating covers.

Remote inspection of RC structures using unmanned aerial vehicles and heuristic image processing

This article describes an innovative methodology for remote inspection of reinforced concrete (RC) structures using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and based on advanced digital image processing. The use of specific heuristic feature-extraction methods, developed in MATLAB©, allows the automatic identification of various types of RC pathologies, particularly, biological colonies, efflorescences, cracks and exposed steel rebars. The developed inspection methodology is applied to the Monte da Virgem telecommunications tower, which has a total height of 177 m and is the highest structure of this kind in Portugal. The results demonstrate the efficiency and robustness of the methodology in: i) its ability to accurately locate and characterize the existing pathologies, ii) visualizing the full extent of pathologies in 3D photogrammetric reconstitutions of the structure, and iii) integrating the identified pathologies into a Building Information Modeling (BIM) model. The regular use of the proposed methodology over time will allow accurate monitoring of the evolution of pathologies to assess the condition of the structure. Additionally, the integration of the inspection results into BIM digital models will help infrastructure managers to decide on the implementation of the most adequate facility management strategies in order to optimize the scheduling of maintenance, rehabilitation and retrofitting interventions.

A railway tunnel structural monitoring methodology proposal for predictive maintenance

Structural health monitoring (SHM) on railway tunnels is increasingly demanding inspection methodologies based on full-field image-based techniques. The relevance of adequate inspection methodologies to signal potential problems that need increased attention is at the forefront of any monitoring system for problems that can disturb tunnel's integrity. Detecting defects is decisive for an efficient inspection, investigating tunnel status, and rescheduling maintenance operations, when and where required. This paper introduces a methodology design, based on acquisition of tunnel's 3D geometry and monitoring it through time to signal the possible emergence of structural defects and return the exact position where monitoring equipment will have to be deployed to. A demonstrator is built, and the applicability and accuracy of the system is assessed through implementation of a model prototype, carried out on a scaled tunnel model. At a secondary stage inspection, imposed geometrical changes and defects of the tunnel are monitored and characterised by an optical nondestructive inspection technique based on the digital image correlation (DIC). It enables the appraisal of structural integrity on the tunnel lining through displacement and strain fields acquisition. The chief advantage of the deployed inspection system, amongst others, lies on its robust functionality in both geometrical and structural integrity inspection aspects, contributing to the establishment of a robust SHM methodology for railway tunnels over time. In conclusion, experimental results are presented for evaluating scaled tunnel condition and monitoring the tunnel profile, and further DIC data are presented inferring displacement field progress of an introduced structural defect.