Total Platform Allows Flexibility and Performance

Ahrensburg, Germany - August 26, 2010 - Lufthansa Technik (LHT) has combined an ISOVOLT Titan E X-ray generation system from GE’s Inspection Technologies business with a standard internal transport trolley and tractor to create a fully mobile inspection solution to meet the rigorous and varied requirements of the Heavy Maintenance Visits (HMVs) which they carry out at their extensive Hamburg facility. The customized X-ray system offers the flexibility to perform a wide range of aircraft inspections, while maintaining the performance and X-ray power to ensure high quality imaging and improve productivity.

Heavy Maintenance Visits, or D-checks, are the most comprehensive of aircraft inspections and are carried out approximately every 6-10 years. They entail 30,000 to 50,000 manhours of labour over a period of four to six weeks during which the entire structure is inspected to the smallest detail. The engines, the landing gear and the high-lift devices are then dismantled, along with the cabin interior and the wall and signal panels. All electronic, electrical, hydraulic and pneumatic equipment is then removed for overhaul and any necessary repair. Naturally, such comprehensive work requires an organization with the specialist skills and facilities and Lufthansa Technik is one of the leading manufacturer-independent providers of maintenance, repair overhaul and modification services in the civil aviation industry. Its headquarters in Hamburg spread out over more than 750,000 m² of the airport, employing around 7000 personnel. Its dedicated Jumbo hall offers space for two Boeing 747s and an Airbus 300.

Radiography is an inspection technique used in D checks. It is applied across the entire aircraft structure, including fuselage, fuel tanks and wings. Specifically, radiography is carried out to detect cracks, especially in highly stressed sections of the structure such as along stringers and frames or in locations, which feature reinforcement. It is also used in the inspection of composite parts such as rudders and flaps to identify any water intrusion. As Dennis von Seelen, NDT-Engineer at LHT, explains: “Because of the location of the parts and sections to be inspected, it is vital that any radiography system is mobile, so that it can be moved around the various hangar environments, and flexible, to allow access to a wide range of inspection situations. It must also offer high performance to reduce exposure times, increase productivity and provide the necessary image contrast quality.”

Lufthansa Technik has created a mobile inspection system which meets all its operational requirements by fitting an ISOVOLT Titan E in one of the standardized trolleys, which it conventionally uses for the internal transportation of spares and equipment throughout the repair workshops, the complete trolley/generator assembly being moved around by electric tractor. The ISOVOLT Titan E offers a totally, self-contained, radiography platform, comprising X-ray generator, a selection of tubes, user-friendly control and on-board cooling and safety elements. With cable lengths of up to 15m, it allows tubes to be positioned exactly where required and its quick and flexible set-up procedure permits fast inspection times, especially important when some work must be carried out during night shifts within tight time constraints. Productivity is also enhanced by the system’s high performance at high mA, which reduces exposure times, so increasing the number of inspection shots per shift.

> Learn more about ISOVOLT Titan E X-ray Series

Provides Fast Accurate Inspection to Meet Quality Control Standards

Huerth, Germany, 2010 - An ultrasonic testing machine from GE’s Inspection Technologies business is helping EUROPIPE to maintain both its competitive advantage and its technology leadership in the manufacture of large-diameter, welded steel pipe. The automated inspection system was installed at EUROPIPE’s Muelheim plant (UOE-line) two years ago and has been used to ensure that EUROPIPE consistently match customers’ specifications and manufacture high quality pipe, fit-for-service in the most exacting of operating conditions.

EUROPIPE GmbH was founded in 1991 by combining the experience and competences in the field of plate rolling and large-diameter pipe production of two of the pioneers of the steel industry, AG der Dillinger Hüttenwerke and Mannesmannröhren-Werke AG. Today the EUROPIPE Group manufactures longitudinally and helically welded large-diameter pipes in a wide range of diameters and wall thicknesses at lengths of up to 18.3 m (SAWL) resp. 24 m (SAWH). On a global basis, with manufacturing plants in Germany, France, USA and Brazil, the EUROPIPE Group develops the optimum solutions to suit specific applications.

More than half of the steps in EUROPIPE’s manufacturing chain relate to quality control and testing and the group operates a policy of continual investment in the latest technology to ensure that its rigorous quality standards continue to be met. Non-destructive testing is an area of particular investment and the concept of the new testing machine was developed and designed in very close cooperation between EUROPIPE as a very experienced user and GE’s Inspection Technologies business, as a qualified manufacturer of ultrasonic testing machines to meet all demands regarding accuracy, reliability and speed in the existing infrastructure of the mill.

The ultrasonic testing machine represents the latest technology for inspecting Submerged Arc Welded (SAW) pipes. It features several ultrasonic probe configurations to meet most international standards and NDT specifications by applying suitable testing technologies, such as pulse-echo, through transmission and, tandem technology, as well as testing on bead and beside the weld. As an additional feature, phased array technology can be used for trials and special testing tasks. In operation, the corresponding probe holders are moved along the pipe under inspection in a carriage, which provides precise positional control. using GE’s field-proven electronics platform both for driving the ultrasonics and acquiring and displaying the inspection data. Twenty inspection channels are available to provide comprehensive coverage for the inspection of longitudinal and transverse flaws in the seam weld and for lamination type flaws in the heat-affected zone.. The inspection extends up to the pipe extremities.

GE’s Inspection Technologies business offers a comprehensive range of tube and pipe ultrasonic inspection solutions. This includes systems for full body testing of seamless tubes up to 660mm diameter, using pulse-echo, multiple channels, phased array and paint brush techniques and helical tube transport and rotary test systems for high precision inspection, used extensively in the inspection of heat exchanger tubes and nuclear fuel elements.

> Learn more about Ultrasonic Testing Machines

Offers Independent Pressure Control To Test Airspeed, Altitude and Angle of Attack Sensors

Groby, Leicestershire, UK - August 19, 2010 - The new ADTS 206 from GE’s Sensing business is a rugged yet light weight, three channel air data test set (ADTS) designed to be used on “Smart Probe”-equipped aircraft while maintaining the capability to facilitate testing of traditional two channel pitot static systems. The ADTS206 is the latest addition to the market-leading Druck portfolio featuring proprietary high accuracy resonant silicon sensors on all measurement channels and a programmable, touch screen driven, remote hand terminal. The test set’s applications include full support for fault finding on all air data systems and is designed for accurate, efficient, and dependable flight line ground support.

Incorporating all the well-proven performance and protection features of the Druck ADTS range, the new instrument provides special capability specific to the testing of three channel Smart Probes. These probes are becoming increasingly popular with OEM’s as they provide angle of attack data in addition to conventional airspeed and altitude inputs. Automation of standard three channel tests is achieved through user-defined scripts that are stored in the units touch screen controlled hand terminal. Complex or extended test procedures require no numeric data entry from the operator, eliminating any possibility of operator error and checked and protected scripts may be prepared and named by engineering supervisors. Once stored within the instrument, these test scripts are simply recalled and require just one key press to move to the next test.

The ADTS 206 can also be used in manual mode for non-routine or diagnostic testing. Here the operator merely touches and highlights the required fields on the high visibility color screen and enters the new data aims. When manually testing sensitive systems, such as angle of attack probes, new pressure aims and measurements are always checked against a set of safe limits.

Internal pressure and vacuum generation is a special feature of the ADTS 206 and this relies on GE’s own robust, highly efficient technology, which offers quiet operation and field-proven reliability. Automated leak rate testing can be simply configured and on command, the instrument will automatically return the connected aircraft systems to the correct safe pressures so that hoses and adapters may be safely removed.

Wunstorf, Germany - May 7, 2010 - The phoenix datos|x 2.0. from GE Sensing & Inspection Technologies establishes a new-generation of computed tomography (CT) software.It offers fully automated data acquisition and volume processing, so that high resolution, precision metrology and failure analysis tasks can now be performed with minimal operator training within a dramatically reduced required operator time.Users of phoenix|x-ray high resolution CT systems benefit from a combination of time and cost effectiveness, as well from an increasing reproducibility of 3D measure­ment and failure analysis results. Furthermore, dimensional measurement with CT is now an effective tool for many tasks in production process monitoring such as the manufacture of plastics and metal castings and precision components like injection nozzles. Particularly complex part geometries with inaccessible or hidden features can be measured with CT in many cases faster than with conventional Coordinate Measuring Machines (CMMs).

As Oliver Brunke, product manager at GE Sensing & Inspection Technologies explains, “With phoenix datos|x 2.0, the entire CT process chain can be fully automated. Once the appropriate setup is programmed, the whole scan and reconstruction process including volume optimization features (e.g. automatic beam hardening correction) or surface extraction runs without any operator interaction. Furthermore, 3D failure analysis or metrology tasks performed with third party programs can be executed automatically.”

The new click & measure|CT functionality of the new software allows users to display and analyze the 3D results on the screen in just three steps: fix the work piece, start the scan, check the results. As a result, the skill requirements for the operator are dramatically reduced, while the required operator time to run a CT analysis is decreased by a factor up to 5 compared with the previous software version. This saves costs and highly increases the repeatability and reproducibility of CT results by minimizing the operator influence.

The intuitive graphical user interface of the new software ensures ease of operation and a fast learning curve. For example, the function tool bar for step-by-step workflow setup is consequently process flow orientated.Ease of use is also facilitated by automated system calibration and monitoring functions for tube, detector etc...Even the displaying of the CT results has been significantly improved as phoenix datos 2.0 visualizes the 3D volume not only in 2D axis views but also in a 3D render mode.

Since the entire process of the CT data acquisition over the volume reconstruction to implementation of the measurement runs completely automatically, it is now possible to conduct the first sampling of a complex component in less than 60 minutes. This makes dimensional measurement with CT an effective tool for many tasks in production process monitoring such as the manufacture of plastics and metal castings and precision components like injection nozzles. Particularly complex part geometries with inaccessible or hidden features can be measured with CT in many cases faster than with conventional CMMs.

> Learn more about datos|x

Allows configuration and multi-function calibration in hazardous areas

Billerica, MA - June 15, 2010 - The hand-held DPI 620 advanced multifunction calibrator/HART® communicator from GE Sensing & Inspection Technologies is now approved for use in potentially explosive atmospheres by Baseefa, the British certification body. The Baseefa approval carries both ATEX and IECEx certification allowing the instrument to be employed globally in Zone 0 areas. The certification also extends to the instrument’s battery pack, permitting hot swapping within hazardous locations. The approval now further extends the range of potential applications of the powerful communicator/calibrator, especially in the oil and gas and process sectors.

As Mike Shelton, product manager at GE Sensing & Inspection Technologies, explains, “The DPI620 now offers plant engineers and technicians throughout the industrial and process sectors a single instrument which can be used for configuration, commissioning, maintenance and calibration, wherever the location.”

To comply with the IS certification, the display has been redesigned and now features a, bright, organic liquid crystal display (OLCD) which offers an excellent view at a wide range of angles and in virtually all lighting conditions. As with all instruments in the DPI620 family, the IS version is rugged, compact and weather-proofed to IP65. It retains all the software of the existing DPI620 platform and supports Windows CE, providing standard Windows applications and file management while offering the computing power to view pdf files and jpeg images such as loop diagrams, data sheets, safety procedures, spreadsheets and to create text documents.

The introduction of the IS version follows the recent successful incorporation of HART® compatibility into the DPI620 platform. All versions of the DPI 620 now contain a complete HART library of registered HART device descriptions, making the DPI620 a true communicator/calibrator. Device description (DD) and software upgrades may be simply downloaded free-of-charge, from the GE Sensing & Inspection Technologies website and this includes updating all existing DPI 620 models. World-class pressure-generation and measurement is still an important feature of the IS version, with on-board pressure generation from vacuum to 100 bar pneumatic or 0 to 1000 bar hydraulic, with accuracies from 0.005% FS.

> Learn more about DPI620

New application allows field personnel to perform 28 types of calculations

Billerica, MA - June 9, 2010 - GE Sensing brings pressure unit conversion mobile with the new Pressure Converter, a mobile application for measuring units of pressure in an industrial setting. Available in the Apple Application Store for free, this mobile tool can easily perform 28 different types of pressure calculations. The Pressure Converter is ideal for plant, process and service engineers, site contractors and laboratory technicians in oil & gas, power generation and other industrial settings, where basic conversion may be needed but a computer is not always easily accessible.

"The Pressure Converter application lets our customers quickly and easily access our pressure unit conversion tool when they are in the field," said Graham Dawber, Leader of the pressure product line at GE Sensing. "This is the first in a number of free applications we are developing to help our customers access useful information through their mobile device."

Visit the Apple Application Store to download

Product lines complement Fluke Calibration’s growing pressure calibration business, solidifies position as a global metrology leader

Everett, WA, June 1, 2010 - Fluke Corporation today announced that it has acquired the Ruska and Pressurements businesses from GE’s Sensing & Inspection Technologies division for an undisclosed amount. Ruska and Pressurements will be integrated into the Fluke Calibration organization, which is a global leader in metrology and calibration products and services for electrical, temperature, pressure, and flow measurements.

"We are excited to welcome Ruska and Pressurements to the Fluke family,” said Barbara Hulit, Fluke president. "Our product lines complement each other, with the Ruska and Pressurements piston gauges and pressure controllers expanding our existing offering. This will allow us to provide our customers with an even stronger set of pressure calibration solutions and increase the overall size of the market we serve.”

"Ruska and Pressurements are strong, respected industry brands, known for their reliability and commitment to quality,” said Martin Girard, Fluke Calibration general manager. "Combining our organizations will position us to bring customers a greatly expanded range of pressure calibration solutions backed up by worldwide support and a focus on new product development.”

Ruska, founded in 1944, is a leading global manufacturer of precision laboratory instrumentation, offering highly accurate primary pressure standards, transfer standards, and air data test sets. Ruska also offers calibration services for virtually any pressure device. Pressurements products, originally from Pressurements, Ltd in the UK, include a comprehensive series of instruments for the accurate measurement of pressure. Versatile, easy to use, and extremely accurate, these instruments include hydraulic deadweight testers and combined pressure and vacuum deadweight testers.

"Fluke Calibration is a strong fit for our product lines and we are excited to be joining their team,” said Kirk Mosher, Site Leader, Ruska/Pressurements. "They understand the value we bring to customers and are committed to investing in our growth and future innovation. Together, our technology and expertise will provide a full suite of calibration solutions for our customers.”

There are no immediate plans for changes in staffing and facility location. "Our top priority is our customers and meeting their needs,” said Girard. "Our goal is for the transition to be as seamless as possible.”

Fluke Corporation is a global leader in professional electronic test tools and precision calibration standards. Fluke customers are technicians, engineers, electricians, metrologists and building diagnostic professionals who install, troubleshoot, and manage electrical and electronic equipment and calibration processes for quality control, as well as conducting building restoration and remediation services.

Fluke is a registered trademark of Fluke Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners. The company's international headquarters are in Everett, WA, USA, with European sales and service headquarters located in Eindhoven, The Netherlands. For more information contact Fluke Corporation, P.O. Box 9090, Everett, WA USA 98206, call (800) 44-FLUKE, fax (425) 446-5116, or visit www.fluke.com

Wunstorf, Germany - April 21, 2010 - The phoenix|x-ray product line of GE Sensing & Inspection Technologies is presenting two innovations to optimize the effectiveness of its reflexion and transmission micro- and nanofocus X-ray tubes. Compared with closed X-ray tubes, which have to be replaced at the end of their lifetime, open tubes offer the advantage of nearly unlimited lifetime. GE´s advanced open tube technology significantly enhances the productivity and reduces the costs of ownership of its high-resolution 2D X-ray inspection and 3D computed tomography systems used in non-destructive testing and 3D metrology.

long-life|filament:
Up to 10 times longer filament life for high emission current CT

Computed tomography performed with high emission currents stress conventional hairpin filaments and reduces their lifetime. To ensure long-term stability and minimize system downtimes due to replacements of filaments, phoenix|x-ray offers its new long-life|filament. It is now available for all phoenix|x-ray 2D inspection and 3D CT systems equipped with reflexion type microfocus X-ray tubes up to 300 kV / 500 W. This new technology leads to an increased filament life up to a factor of 10 compared with conventional filaments. The customer benefits from time and cost effectiveness due to a significant lower frequency of filament replacements especially at high emission current CT scans. Additionally, GE´s long-life|filament increases the reliability in high throughput CT applications because of enhanced long-term stability.

diamond|window:
High output X-ray inspection with 2 times faster image acquisition

At higher applied power for X-ray generation the wider the focal spot has to be in order to prevent the target material from melting. Therefore, inspection of small features within high absorbing materials with traditional transmission micro- or nanofocus tubes is limited either by power (almost no penetration resulting in noisy images or very long image acquisition time) or by resolution (increasing focal spot with power resulting in blurred images). To controvert this, phoenix|x-ray introduces its new CVD diamond|window ­– for the full range of its transmission X-ray tubes up to 180 kV/20W. Due to its high thermal conductivity, the non-toxic diamond|window allows higher power in a smaller focal spot. This ensures high resolution even at a high output. The customer benefits from as much as 2 times faster image and or CT data acquisition with no degradation in image quality.

Billerica, MA, USA —March 1, 2010 - Flash! Filters from GE Sensing & Inspection Technologies provide one-click image optimization resulting in faster image enhancement and streamlined inspection workflow. Flash! Filters are available for weld and casting inspections, two core applications for digital X-ray inspections. A plug-in module for GE’s Rhythm® Review, Flash! Filters automatically apply enhancements with one button mouse click, eliminating time previously spent adjusting the brightness and contrast settings to obtain the sharpest image. Flash! Filters can also convert flat digital images into a film-like image.

“We analyzed hundreds of weld and casting images from various scanners, sources and environment conditions to develop the most optimized solution, providing the fastest image enhancement while decreasing analysis time,” said Rick Cuscino, Product Manager for Digital Conversion at GE Sensing & Inspection Technologies.

Following the DICONDE standard, the filters are applied as layers on the image, giving operators the ability to always revert to the raw image, ensuring reliability of the data.Using Flash! Filters saves approximately 10 seconds of analysis time per 5 inches of weld. GE’s Rhythm suite of user-friendly software offers advanced image review tools and data management for Remote Visual Inspection, X-ray and Ultrasonic testing methods. Rhythm accepts data and provides application tools for analysis, enhancement, measurement, reporting and storage of received data.

> Learn more about Flash! Filters

The 13 lb. device provides immediate imaging capability through laptop for a range of applications

Billerica, MA, USA —February 9, 2010 - Weighing just 13 lbs (6 kg), the DXR250V is the latest lightweight and portable digital radiography tool from GE Sensing & Inspection Technologies. In the past, the use of digital radiography (DR) has been limited due to size, weight and connectivity of the equipment. With DXR250V, DR users have the benefit of shorter shot times and minimal radiation exposure, in applications that were previously limited to computed radiography or film. The DXR250V can easily connect to a laptop computer and produce images for instant review with GE’s Rhythm® software, providing significant gains in productivity. Key applications include field inspections in the oil and gas, aerospace and power generation sectors.

“The benefits of digital radiography, such as eliminating the chemicals and reducing radiation exposure through shorter exposure times can now be used in a much wider range of applications with the DXR250V,” said Shana Telesz, product manager at GE Sensing & Inspection Technologies. “The ability to use digital radiography in areas where it was previously impossible is an important step in the conversion from film to digital radiography.”

The DXR 250V uses a 200µm pixel pitch detector and has one of the largest active areas at 16in x 16in (41cmx41cm). When used in conjunction with the Rhythm DR acquisition software, several frames can be taken and averaged to reduce noise and display a crisp, premium image on the laptop screen. The inspector can also take advantage of other Rhythm features by printing a report on-site through Rhythm Report or transmit the data to a remote Rhythm Review station for analysis by another expert. If image retention is required, users can take advantage of Rhythm Archive for long-term storage and archiving of large numbers of digital radiographs. The new detector outputs DICONDE compliant data with all technique information and details of location, date and time and inspector is saved with the image. With no moving parts, the DXR 250V requires minimal service.

> Learn more about DXR250V direct radiography detector