The best way to prevent these kinds of disasters is to spot their potential long before they have a chance to occur. With the help of a skilled team of ILI specialists using industry-leading tools and technology, your mains can avoid costly issues and allow you to stay on top of operations with peace of mind and clarity. As a North American leader in the pipeline inspection industry, PICA Corp is proud to maintain a robust roster of leading In-Line Inspection (ILI) Tools to provide our clients with accurate pipeline condition information. Our technology, coupled with our decades of in-field experience gives PICA, as well as our clients the leading edge when it comes to avoiding pipeline disasters, one inspection at a time.
Learn more about a few key tools we use for in-line inspections below.
Quality You Can Count On
At PICA Corp, quality is always our top focus, no matter the size or scale of the investigation we’re conducting. In order to provide you with the most reliable data and recommendations, our team uses high-end leading equipment that provide ample data sets to pull from. Among our inventory of tools, you’ll find:
SeeSnake-RAFT Tools
RAFT (Restricted Access Flexible Tool) is a newer device that has been specifically designed by our sister company, Russell NDE systems, to provide ILI information using non-destructive electromagnetic inspection technologies to assess steel cylinders and reinforcing wires within concrete pipes. RAFT units are completely self-contained with onboard battery power, data storage, and distance tracking all integrated within the tool itself. RAFT Tools are suitable for 36″ to 48″ pipes, and provide fast results that you can count on.
SeeSnake-EMIT Tools
EMIT Tool (Electromagnetic Inspection Technology) is perfect for assessing large diameter pipes with high-resolution results, thanks to its unique design that allows it to be inserted through small access points like manways. As a result, the need for excavation or pipe cutting is removed, minimizing costs and interruption to your line in the long haul.
SeeSnake Chimera Tools
The Chimera model of SeeSnake covers the size range 20″ to 36″ (soon to include 42″). They are multi-channel Tools that provide high-resolution condition analysis of trunk mains.
With industry-leading technology like the ILI units described above, PICA Corp is able to provide unparalleled data that allows you to make informed decisions when it comes to caring for your lines and avoiding issues caused by undetected damage.
Why EM Tools are better than UltraSonic (UT) Tools
UT Tools are limited in their ability to inspect pipes that have tuberculation or deposits in them. They will work through thin cement liners but not other liners such as HDPE. They also rely on the ultrasound entering the pipe at 90 degrees. If the pipe material is grainy, such as in cast-iron, the UT reflects off the grains, producing a very noisy signal. If the UT Tool tips slightly inside the pipeline, the UT will not reflect to the sensors. Lastly, UT Tools have a minimum thickness limit of about 0.250″. Below this thickness, they will not work.
EM Tools, are not sensitive to alignment of the coils, or the distance of the coils from the inside of the pipe. They can measure through grainy materials and can measure down to zero remaining wall. While UT Tools have their place, they are generally not an improvement on EM Tools
Partner with PICA Today
Since our formation in the early ’90s, PICA is proud to have become an industry leader and preferred inspection provider across North America and beyond. With a dedication to exceptional results, we are proud to regularly add new resources to our long list of products and services. Protect your water mains and pipelines from costly damage by contacting PICA today!