Eddy Current Testing (ECT) is the best way of inspecting tubing made of non-ferrous materials such as austenitic stainless steel, brass, Inconel®, titanium, and copper, for example.
However, air conditioner tubing applications are slightly different as, by design, they use integral fins to dissipate the heat, rendering it susceptible to circumferential cracking. Furthermore, they use un-finned section (land area) to insert the bundle support plate, increasing inspection challenges.
ECT bobbins are the best solution to inspect the straight integral finned tube section though they remain very limited on circumferential crack detection and at the support plate since the probe signal is drastically affected by the large liftoff variation.
For these reasons, we have developed dedicated AC probes, with the best AC coil configuration combined with highly durable materials and easy-to-use detachable probe heads. These new sensors allow optimal circumferential crack detection combined with a low liftoff variation impact, enabling detection at the support plate and tubesheet locations, delivering reliable and accurate data.