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Inspection of tube-to-tubesheet welds

Most heat exchangers used in thermal and nuclear power plants, as well as in the chemical industry, are shell-and-tube heat exchangers. When welding tubes to tubesheets, a high level of reliability is required, making inspection of these components essential. There are various types of welds between tubes and tubesheets. With the VX Exchanger series, Vision in X has developed several systems for the radiographic inspection of tube welds without the use of radioactive substances — tailored to the wide range of requirements involved in inspecting both internal and external tube-to-tubesheet welds. Thanks to the use of specialized X-ray tubes, all systems provide drastically improved image quality while significantly reducing operating costs and increasing productivity — all without isotopes.

Inspection of external tube-to-tubesheet welds

The inspection of external tube-to-tubesheet welds presents a particular challenge within the field of NDT. Until now, this process was only possible using isotopes, which is both time-consuming and costly. The X-ray film required for this method represents a significant cost factor. VX Exchanger XL was specifically developed for this application and serves as the digital alternative to the conventional method using film and isotopes, offering an unparalleled increase in both productivity and image quality.
The VX Exchanger RT system provides a cost-efficient solution for inspection tasks with lower testing volume, where analog inspection and exposure on X-ray film or imaging plates are still required. A specialized X-ray tube replaces the use of isotopes and delivers a significant improvement in image quality.

Inspection of internal tube-to-tubesheet welds

The conventional isotope-based inspection of internal tube-to-tubesheet welds in heat exchangers is time-consuming and costly, while only providing poor image quality. The VX Exchanger IBW system enables an isotope-free inspection process. By utilising a specialised X-ray tube, it delivers a significant improvement in image quality, greatly simplifies radiation protection (with a small controlled area, no mobility restrictions, and the possibility of performing inspection parallel to production), and ultimately allows for a much higher throughput and increased cost efficiency.

ISee! Professional - the universal software platform

All VX Exchanger systems are supplied with the powerful control and evaluation software ISee! Professional, which provides application-specific image enhancement functions and efficient image analysis tools, and is also suitable for other radiographic inspection tasks. Thanks to its manufacturer-independent support of various NDT devices, our customers enjoy maximum flexibility in choosing their equipment, whether investing in new hardware or continuing to use existing systems.
For more information about the software, please visit:

Variants

VX Exchanger XL – for the digital inspection of external tube-to-tubesheet welds

VX Exchanger RT – for the inspection of external tube-to-tubesheet welds with lower inspection volume

VX Exchanger IBW – for the inspection of internal tube-to-tubesheet welds

In addition to customer-specific VX Exchanger solutions, we also offer a combined system for the inspection of both external and internal tube-to-tubesheet welds. Please feel free to contact us directly if you are interested.

Further technical and sales information

If you have any further questions, we are happy to assist you using the following contact options:

Email:
Tel: +49 163 9135650 or +49 30 9653 4837