The Near Drum Inspection System is an automated ultrasonic scanning system designed primarily to measure near drum wall thickness of generating tubes in power and recovery boilers. The system consists of a computer controlled robotic scanner capable of a scanning resolution of .008 inch, or up to 90,000 individual thickness measurements per linear inch of tubing.

Scanning resolution is controlled by the operator and can be adjusted in .001 inch increments as tube conditions dictate. Scans can be measured in metric measurements. The ultrasonic data is stored and used to display the 256 color image (C-scan) as the tube is being scanned. Coloring of the scan is controlled by the operator by simply scrolling the mouse. The C-scan allows for immediate identification of thickness measurements which are at or below a predetermined flag value. Should the minimum value be changed the color spectrum can be adjusted immediately. In addition to the C-scan image that is displayed while scanning, B-scan (cross section), Spreadsheet (numerical measurements), and 3-D views are also available for more detailed scan analysis. Upon completion of a scan, the mouse can be used to scroll around and display the thickness as well as the waveform. With a click of the mouse, the probe can be returned to any spot on the scan where the actual waveform and the stored waveform can be compared for verification of indications. Within minutes of the completion of the inspection a number of color reports displaying the results can be printed for the customer. The data from the examination as well as the color graphic software can also be installed on the customers computer for further review and analysis.

The OmniScan system has proven to be a fast, accurate, and reliable tube inspection system through several years of use and many thousands of tube scans throughout the US, Canada, Europe, and South America.

Upon completion of a scan, the operator immediately analyzes the scan for minimum thickness and/or localized near drum corrosion. A spreadsheet of the thickness measurements located in the zoom box is displayed in the top section. The mouse can be used to scroll the spreadsheet and view the waveform. The actual waveform of the selected minimum thickness is also saved.