A common question while getting ready to inspect heat exchanger tubes is, “Is the tube clean enough?”  Often, the answer only comes once the IRIS, eddy current and/or RFT probes get stuck in the tubes.  Trying to solve the bottleneck, Bryan Potter and Adam Bazzi from IRISNDT developed a 3D printed mock probe for verifying tube cleanliness.  The mock probe is scrubbed through the tubes to verify their cleanliness as shown in the image in the post.  Cleanliness is assessed and further cleaning, if needed, can be scheduled before starting the tube inspections leading to more efficient inspections.

Questions about the process or needing a dummy probe to test cleanliness before IRISNDT personnel arrive?  Please send your questions to Bryan.Potter@irisndt.com and/or Adam.Bazzi@irisndt.com.