Refinery inspection in Scandinavia

March 08, 2023 | David Campos

"We choose the XMB system at sites with areas that are hard to reach and limited maneuvering room".

Claes Eriksson is a level three certified NDT inspector. He has worked with NDT since 1994 and is now responsible for the Dekra office in Trollhättan, Sweden. Dekra is a leading global provider of auditing and certification services specializing in safety, environment, and health.

The Swedish branch of Dekra is contracted for many different types of inspection jobs, and for Claes, it is all about choosing the right tool for the job. The jobs often call for X-ray inspection, in hard-to-reach and cramped spaces, typically at refineries and power plants.

In such cases, Claes chooses the mobile XMB system from Comet X-ray. Claes explains why: “The XMB 160 with the small 0.4 mm focal spot was originally acquired for inspecting turbines, but we most often use it at refineries and power plants because of its versatility, mobility, and the extremely high resolution the small focal spot provides. It simply gives us the necessary level of detail that we need.”

One of these sites is in Lysekil, Sweden, one of the largest refineries in Scandinavia. “We choose the XMB system at sites with areas which are hard to reach and with limited maneuvering room."

"The long reach of the XMB and its small tube head makes it ideal for these inspection jobs"

Claes Eriksson, Section Chief at Dekra

The versatility of the XMB system is also a great asset. It supports a wide range of high-quality X-ray tubes produced by Comet X-ray technologies, from directional and panoramic to fan beams, all with different beam shapes and different-sized focal spots. The systems also feature a broad milliamp range from 0-20 mA.

The XMB is ideal when mobility and versatility are essential to get the job done.

Refinery inspection in Scandinavia