Engineering and project delivery firm Hatch has launched LayerSense, an ultrasonic inspection technology designed to detect hidden corrosion, cracks and structural deterioration within multi-layered industrial assets while they remain in operation.
The technology is designed to address inspection challenges associated with ageing industrial infrastructure across sectors including mining, ports, transport and aviation. Hatch said LayerSense can assess structures up to 600 mm thick and measure individual layers as thin as 10 mm, with accuracy of up to 2 mm for individual layers.
Ultrasonic Inspection Through Multi-Layered Structures
LayerSense uses low-frequency ultrasonic pulses that travel through multi-layered structures. By analysing the returning signals, engineers can assess internal layers and identify conditions such as corrosion, cracks and wall-thickness loss.
The technology is designed for structures containing three, four or more layers, where conventional ultrasonic inspection systems may face limitations. Its ability to inspect through complex structures allows asset condition to be assessed without requiring shutdowns or access to internal areas.
Simon Nitschke, Managing Director of Technologies at Hatch in Brisbane, highlighted the challenges associated with extending the operating life of large industrial assets.
“In critical industries such as mining, shipping and transport, asset replacement cycles have lengthened,” Nitschke explained. “But we’re often talking about machines that weigh thousands of tonnes and were designed for very different operating conditions when they were first built.”
“The engineering challenge is no longer simply keeping assets running longer. It’s understanding how those assets are ageing while they remain in operation. Extending their lifespan can only be done safely if operators understand how materials and components are degrading over time.”
According to Hatch, the technology builds on more than a decade of development and field experience with its StaveCheck system. StaveCheck has been used in the steel industry to monitor operating blast furnaces by measuring the thickness of furnace cooling staves through the steel shell and refractory lining from outside the furnace.
Extending Non-Destructive Inspection Capabilities
LayerSense combines ultrasonic testing with structural monitoring and data analysis to provide information on the condition of internal layers without damaging the inspected structure.
The system transmits low-frequency ultrasonic pulses through dense, multi-layered materials and analyses the returning signals to establish information about internal wall conditions.
Hatch said the technology is intended to provide greater visibility into deterioration occurring beneath the surface of critical industrial assets, including corrosion, cracking and material degradation.
Afshin Sadri, Technical Lead for the project and inventor of LayerSense at Hatch, said the technology could also help operators coordinate maintenance activities with planned shutdowns.
“If operators can better predict when equipment needs repair, reinforcement or replacement, they can align equipment downtime with planned shutdown activities,” Sadri explained.
“Across heavy industry, operators are being asked to get more life out of increasingly complex and ageing infrastructure. The challenge for engineers is ensuring those assets can continue operating safely, reliably and efficiently while giving operators greater visibility into what is happening beneath the surface.”
Sadri noted that LayerSense differs from conventional industrial ultrasonic systems through the way its ultrasonic pulses are generated and received, enabling inspection through structures containing multiple layers.
The launch expands Hatch’s ultrasonic inspection capabilities for in-service assessment of complex industrial structures, with the technology focused on supporting condition assessment while assets remain operational.
