Tritex NDT Ltd

Tritex NDT have for many years been manufacturing ultrasonic thickness gauges and are now established as one of the leading companies offering multiple echo gauges. Multiple echo technology means that thickness measurements can be taken through 6mm thick coatings, only the metal substrate is measured. It doesn’t matter whether the coating is paint, epoxy or bitumen, it is completely ignored. This has huge advantages over having to remove coatings, both in time and money. It also has a big advantage when developing a drone thickness gauge.

Taking thickness measurements at height has always been a requirement, and up until recently this has been done using scaffolding or rope access techniques. However, with the Tritex Multigauge 6000 dedicated Drone Thickness Gauge, first developed over three years ago, this is now a lot safer and cost effective than before.

Tritex NDT are leading the way in this application and are the only company worldwide with a dedicated thickness gauge to mount onto drones. In excess of 100 systems have so far been sold, with repeat orders coming from major petrochemical companies and class societies. The gauge and technology have been improved over three years of development in response to customer’s feedback and requirements.

The Multigauge 6000 consists of three parts, which includes the gauge, a gel dispenser and a probe holder for the correct alignment of the probe. The single crystal probe ensures accurate measurements on curved surfaces, such as storage tanks and pipelines. Thickness readings are transmitted wirelessly up to 500 metres, using its integrated RF transmitter, to a dedicated software that allows the operator to record measurements, set up templates and to remotely control the gel dispenser before touching the probe onto the surface.

The gauge can mount onto any ‘work class’ type drone, with the most popular being the DJI Matrice 210 or 300. Tritex NDT have also developed their own custom drone, the Multigauge 6500, specifically designed to provide a complete solution. The Multigauge 6500 ‘Flying Thickness Gauge’ has eight rotors to provide redundancy, as well as propellor guards so that it can be easily used inside tanks.

Tritex NDT is a leading manufacturer of thickness gauges and are at the forefront of using drones for high level inspections. All gauges are designed and manufactured in the United Kingdom and supplied as complete kits, ready to use, with a 3-year warranty and free annual calibration for the life of the gauge

Dorchester based, Tritex NDT have launched a new ultrasonic metal thickness gauge specifically designed for mounting onto drones for high level inspections. The gauge uses multiple echo to completely ignore coatings up to 20mm thick and the single crystal probe ensures accurate readings on curved surfaces, such as storage tanks and pipelines. Remaining metal thickness and corrosion levels can be quickly and more easily checked without the need for scaffolding or rope access.

The Multigauge 6000 Drone Ultrasonic Thickness Gauge OEM transmits real time measurements wirelessly up to a distance of 500 metres using its integrated RF transmitter. The readings are displayed and stored on dedicated Communicator software within templates in a grid or string format.

The gauge weighs just 45 grams and the plastic probe weighs only 15 grams. “Keeping weight down to a minimum without losing performance has been essential,” says Jon Sharland, Sales Manager at Tritex NDT Ltd. “I believe we are leading the field in this new application. We have already had a number of successful installations over the past three years and now we are pleased to have the first commercially available dedicated drone thickness gauge, which has been developed in response to customer’s feedback and requirements.”

Dry couplant membranes reduce the weight further as couplant, and a means to deploy it, are not required. The Multigauge 6000 Drone Ultrasonic Thickness Gauge is supplied as a complete kit for OEM installation onto drones. It accepts an input of 8Vdc – 35Vdc for complete versatility.

The probe has Intelligent Probe Recognition (IPR), which automatically adjusts settings in the gauge when connected, resulting in a perfectly matched probe and gauge for enhanced performance. Also, the Automatic Measurement Verification System (AMVS) used with multiple echo ensures only true measurements are displayed, even on the most heavily corroded metals.

Tritex NDT is a leading manufacturer of thickness gauges. All gauges are designed and manufactured in the United Kingdom and supplied as complete kits, ready to use, with a 3 year warranty and free annual calibration for the life of the gauge.