NDT (Non Destructive Testing)
NDT - Non Destructive Testing
TTI testing now has it's own website:
TTI Testing (Rope, chain, cable and yarn testing)
We design tests to help manufacturers and users quantify the performance of a rope or cable.
Our forensic service helps establish the root cause of accidents and failures.
OSCAR (Optical Scanning Apparatus for Rope) is TTI’s non destructive rope testing method. Developed under a Smart Award and as an EU funded Craft Project, Oscar is a patented System based on an Optical Fibre Method using Brillouin Scattering, Bragg Gratings or Microwave.
See also:
Rope Selection Calculator, select rope construction and yarn
Software
Fibre Rope Modeller, modelling program for rope design and performance prediction
Services
Expert Witness, Marine Accident Investigation
Special Transducer built
into or attached to the
rope
The system, invented by TTI and the University of Strathclyde, detects changes in rope elongation in real time along the rope length. This information is used to detect local damage in a rope, which can be caused by an accident; for example during rope installation. It can also be the result of long term rope fatigue.
A Special Transducer built into or attached to the rope allows the system to be used in high elongation polyester ropes
The transducer consists of lose tube optical fibres cabled at a high helix angle. This gives a gearing between the optical fibre and the transducer elongation as shown in the figure below.
System tests at the National Engineering Laboratory have demonstrated Oscar’s capability to detect damage. Cuts in a polyester parallel strand ropes showed clearly identifiable peaks in the optical fibre response as shown in the figure below.
Scan of the strain profile in the fibres with a 7.5 ton load applied
A complete system is available from the OSCAR Consortium
TTI’s OSCAR Consortium partners:
BPP – System Integration
http://www.bpp-tech.com
Bexco Ropes – Manufacturer of Large
Fibre Parallel Strand & Wire Rope Constructions
http://www.bexco.be/
University of Strathclyde – Advanced
Optical Fibre Measurement Technology
http://www.eee.strath.ac.uk/research/group-oss.asp
Leuveco – Manufacturer of Special
Marine Terminations
E-mail : sales@leuveco.nl
Selantic - Manufacturer of high performance slings http://www.selantic-marine.com
