Eddy Current Testing in Chicago
Eddy current testing, or ECT, is a way to identify surface or near-surface defects in conductive materials. It uses electromagnetism as the basis for performing inspections. This is a completely nondestructive form of testing that produces no harmful radiation or hazardous chemicals. Thanks to the portability of eddy current testing equipment, it can be used to inspect conductive components of complex shapes and sizes without difficulty.
If you require eddy current testing at your Chicago facility, please call Murphy & Miller, Inc. at 1-312-427-8900 to schedule services.
Purpose of Eddy Current Testing
A single ECT tool can provide a variety of inspections and measurements useful to your facility. With the proper settings on the testing equipment, eddy currents can detect:
- Minuscule cracks and pits that indicate wear and tear
- Uneven material or coating thickness that could impact performance
- Heat damage
- Case depth deterioration
Advantages & Limitations of Eddy Current Testing
Several nondestructive electromagnetic testing methods are used to detect flaws in conductive materials. If you opt for eddy current testing from Murphy & Miller, you enjoy these advantages:
- Sensitivity to the smallest cracks, pits, and other surface defects
- Ability to detect flaws below the surface
- High portability to allow for testing of complex components
- Immediate results from a probe attached to a test instrument screen
- Minimal preparation required prior to testing
- No need for the probe to touch the component being tested
As with all the other electromagnetic testing methods, ECT has some limitations:
- Only conductive materials can be tested
- The surface must be accessible to the probe
- More skill and training is needed to perform ECT compared to other electromagnetic testing methods
- The finish and roughness of the surface may interfere with testing
- Setup requires reference standards
- Penetration depth is limited
Applications for Eddy Current Testing
Eddy current testing works best on non-magnetic metallic alloys, including stainless steel, aluminum, titanium, and various other conductive materials. ECT can also be used on magnetic materials such as nickel, Ferralium, and Monel if the technician employs magnetic saturation techniques. Some typical applications for eddy current testing include:
- Crack detection in surface inspections
- Tube and wire testing
- Commercial air conditioning condenser tube inspections
- Commercial furnace heat exchanger tube inspections
- Weld testing
- Heat treatment inspections
- Coating thickness measurements
How Eddy Current Testing Is Performed
When you choose Murphy & Miller for eddy current testing, a technician with specific training in this area arrives at your facility to perform the test. In the case of tube testing, an inspection probe is inserted down the length of the tube, and the eddy current response is monitored on the attached test instrument screen. Coils in the probe produce an electromagnetic field. Any changes in the tube wall, such as a crack or change in thickness, shows up on the screen.
The results from an eddy current test combined with expert advice from your technician allow you to garner valuable information that you can use to make repairs and adjustments before the problem causes inconvenient equipment failure.
Contact Murphy & Miller for Eddy Current Testing in Chicago
Due to the complexity of eddy current testing, it’s important to hire an experienced technician for the job. At Murphy & Miller, we have over 80 years of experience serving many industries that require ECT to ensure safe, efficient operation. We are pleased to have a long-standing list of satisfied customers that return to us time and again for all their mechanical and technical service needs.
If you want to keep equipment breakdowns to a minimum by employing eddy current testing, please contact Murphy & Miller today. We have been serving industrial customers in Chicago since 1936.
Our commercial HVAC company is based in Chicago and offers eddy current testing services throughout the areas of Arlington Heights, Bloomington, Chicago, Cicero, Des Plaines, East Chicago, East Peoria, Elk Grove Village, Evanston, Lansing, Naperville, North Chicago, Oak Lawn, Oak Park, Peoria, Rockford, Rosemont, and West Chicago, Illinois. We also service Gary, Indiana.