Indoor air quality.

As a Health Safety and Environmental Consultant, Matthew Brown has experienced increased numbers of enquiries from organisations looking to investigate indoor air quality because of its effects on staff health and performance. Such work involves the monitoring of multiple parameters, and in a recent example Matthew rented a TSI QUEST EVM-7, one of the latest indoor air quality monitors from Ashtead Technology.

In response to health complaints from staff in a three-storey office complex containing approximately 800 staff, Matthew was approached and asked to investigate any possible effects from indoor air quality. “In the past, it would have been necessary to operate several instruments simultaneously,” Matthew explains. “But the QUEST EVM is able to monitor almost all of the pollutants of greatest concern, so the investigation work was significantly quicker and easier.”

With no natural ventilation in the building, air quality was controlled by a heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system, and Matthew spent around 6 hours surveying the locations most likely to present air quality problems. Some of the staff had suggested that they may have received infections from the air, so in addition to the data provided by the instrument, Matthew also took samples for subsequent microbiological analysis.

The TSI QUEST EVM-7 is able to run from an internal rechargeable battery for up to 8 hours, monitoring Temperature, Relative Humidity, Air Velocity, Particulates (PM2.5, PM4, PM10 or TSP) Carbon Dioxide and VOCs. A separate toxic gas sensor provides the option of Carbon Monoxide, Chlorine, Ethylene Oxide, Hydrogen Cyanide, Hydrogen Sulphide, Nitric Oxide, Nitrogen Dioxide, Oxygen or Sulphur Dioxide. The instrument also features an internal datalogger and a sampling pump if offsite analysis is required.

A large display with intuitive control enables rapid set-up; choosing logging and averaging rates for example. The display also allows the user to view trend graphing for measurements.

As a Gold Channel Partner for TSI Instruments, Ashtead Technology operates a fully equipped service and calibration laboratory from its facility in Sandy, Beds. As a result, Ashtead is able to ensure that these instruments, including the QUEST range, operate to their full capability.

Data from the instrument were compared with workplace exposure limits and were found to be acceptable; as were the microbiological results reported by the laboratory. However, Carbon Dioxide levels rose during the day, so it was recommended that flow rates should be increased in the afternoon. The building itself was 15 years old, so it was recommended that an assessment should be undertaken to check that the building management system was designed for, and able to cope with, the current level of occupancy. It was also recommended that the operation, maintenance and cleaning of the building management system should be better documented so that the organisation could demonstrate defensible processes if called to do so.

Commenting on the advantages provided by the QUEST EVM-7, Matthew says: “I know that Ashtead offers this instrument for sale, but for me it was more cost-effective to rent the unit for this small project.

“The instrument arrived clean, calibrated and ready for immediate use with an easy-to-use start-up procedure, and the ability to monitor such a wide variety of parameters with one lightweight instrument, meant that the whole job was simple to perform.

“With the benefit of the instrument’s data we were able to present a very professional report; appeasing the concerns of staff and recommending future actions for management.”

@ashteadtech #Environment @_Enviro_News 

Clean bill of health for steel vessel after Eddy Current Tests

James Fisher NDT  was called in by a chemical manufacturer in the North West of England, when it became necessary to inspect a large stainless steel vessel. The contents of the vessel were typically saline and varied between 50 and 100 Deg C, so the site managers were concerned that stress corrosion cracking might be a possibility in the vessel material.

Conveniently, JF NDT’s Mohan Kang (level 3 NDT practitioner) had recently attended an Ashtead Technology training event which featured the Eddyfi Ectane Surface Inspection System, and Mohan believed that Eddy Current Testing with the Ectane would be ideal for this application, so an Ectane was taken to the customer’s site to provide a demonstration.

In order to test the Ectane’s ability to detect stress corrosion cracking in 10mm stainless steel, the client provided a test sample for inspection, and a flaw was correctly identified. As a result, JF NDT was awarded a contract to inspect the vessel and an Ectane was hired from Ashtead specifically for this purpose.

The Ectane is a multi-technology test instrument, and in addition to Eddy Current Testing, it is also able to perform Eddy current array (ECA), Remote-field testing (RFT), Near-field testing (NFT), Magnetic flux leakage (MFL) and Internal rotating inspection system (IRIS) ultrasonic tube testing.

Commenting on the vessel inspection project, JF NDT’s Ian Moore says: “The external inspection of the vessel took around 2 hours and covered a surface area of around 16m2. Happily, the vessel was found to be free from any detectable stress corrosion cracking and the client was of course delighted.

“We have been very pleased with the Ectane; eddy current testing worked very well and at just 7Kg and battery powered, the instrument has been well designed for field applications. Our engineers wore rubber boots, gloves and goggles, but the Ectane was still simple to operate, partly because it can be run independently of a computer. Once the work was complete, the instrument was connected to an office PC and ‘Magnifi’ software, that is supplied with the instrument, provided a quick and easy method for analysing the data and helping to produce reports.

“In the past, following a project such as this, we would have purchased the instrument. However, it is much easier to rent the equipment from Ashtead Technology, and doing so provides substantial cost savings that we are able to pass on to the client, so instrument rental is now our preferred option.

“As a result of the successful vessel inspection, we are confident that we will receive more work from this client and from others in similar industries.”

Tube and surface inspection!

Ashtead Technology, has been appointed ‘preferred rental partner’ for the Ectane® tube and surface inspection system by the Canadian instrument manufacturer Eddyfi NDT Inc.

The Ectane is a high-performance surface array and multi-technology tube inspection system employing ultrasonic, eddy current and electromagnetic technology for the detection and assessment of flaws such as cracks or corrosion in conductive materials. Ashtead’s NDT Market Manager Neil Harrap says: “As a compact, lightweight, battery-powered instrument offering high levels of accuracy and performance, the Ectane is an important addition to our portfolio.

“It is significantly more advanced than anything else on the market, which means that the Ectane delivers a better assessment of the application – enabling users to conduct faster, easier, more effective inspections and therefore to make better decisions.”

The Ectane has become hugely popular around the world, but this is the first time that it has been available to rent in Britain, and typical applications include manufacturing, power generation, oil & gas, aerospace, research and higher education.

The instrument is available from Ashtead in a variety of configurations with almost any combination of conventional eddy current (ECT), array (ECA), remote field/near field/magnetic flux leakage (RFT/NFT/MFL), and internal rotating inspection system (IRIS) techniques. By combining two or more techniques, the requirement for additional instruments is reduced or eliminated.

Each instrument is supplied with Magnifi® acquisition and analysis software for multi-technology surface and tube inspections, so the Ectane is ideal for work that demands data storage and/or advanced analysis. In common with all of Ashtead Technology’s products, technical support is available to help choose the most appropriate technology and configuration for every application.

Inspection camera adapted for anaerobic digestion tank

When a British local utility company needed to conduct a routine surveillance check on one of its anaerobic sludge digesters, the specialist company Hayes GFS  contacted Ashtead Technology in its search for an intrinsically safe-rated inspection camera. Following discussions with Ashtead Technology’s engineers a suitably certified push-rod camera was deployed from a customised access point that enabled the Hayes’ staff to produce comprehensive images and videos showing the condition of the digester’s roof and walls.

Anaerobic digestion (AD) is becoming increasingly popular in Britain because it diverts biodegradable wastes from landfill, reduces emissions of greenhouse gases and generates biogas, which can be used as an energy source. This has resulted in a significant growth in business for Hayes GFS Ltd, a specialist provider of Glass-Fused-to-Steel Tanks and ancillary items.

GFS is a unique tank finish that has been used widely in the agriculture and water industries for decades. The two materials are fused together to achieve the best properties of both – the strength of flexibility of steel combined with the corrosion resistance of glass. GFS is therefore ideal for aggressive environments such as those inside anaerobic digesters with high temperature, high humidity, methane and hydrogen sulphide. However, this also presents a significant challenge for internal inspection.

Most of Ashtead Technology’s push-rod cameras and remote-control crawlers are employed for the inspection of drains, culverts and pipes. However, these environments can also be potentially explosive due to the accumulation of methane, so Ashtead also stocks intrinsically safe instruments and a Pearpoint P374 camera system in conjunction with a digital video recorder, was recommended for the AD application.

Commenting on the success of the project, Hayes GFS Managing Director Stephen Skinner said: “The camera which Ashtead Technology recommended proved to be ideal for this job. We built a customised ‘launch tube’ on one of the purge points on the roof and attached nylon to the camera tip so that we could video every surface once the probe was lowered into the ‘live’ digester.

“We were delighted with the results of the survey because we were able to demonstrate the condition of the tank very effectively, without having to decommission the digester.

“We were very impressed with Ashtead Technology because they ensured that we utilised exactly the right kit, and it was delivered and collected very quickly, which helped to keep our costs to a minimum.”

Hidden pigeons revealed by thermal camera

Juvenile Pigeon in Recovery

Following an alert from a member of the public, staff from Seahaven Bird Rescue rushed to a library in Newhaven (GB) in an attempt to rescue a number of trapped pigeons. However, some of the birds were hidden inside a wall cavity, so an infrared camera was hired from Ashtead Technology in order to investigate the extent of the problem.

The eggs were no longer alive!

After releasing the trapped birds, the rescuers used the hired Flir i60 thermal camera to inspect the cavity and were surprised to find three nests containing eggs, and that the cavity was a lot larger than first thought. The infrared camera also enabled the rescuers to determine that the eggs were no longer alive.

Ashtead Technology’s staff were delighted that the camera had made a significant contribution to the success of the operation. Josh Thomas said: “Our range of infrared cameras is often employed to investigate walls and cavities; this is usually to find areas of water leakage or poor insulation, but we were very happy to be able to help with this unusual application.”

In addition to the assessment of buildings. thermography is also employed for the inspection of vital equipment such as pumps (to check overheated connections and fuse problems), valves (leakage), storage tanks (sludge levels) and conveyor belts (overheating bearings). Motors and other machinery components can also be easily inspected and potential problems quickly identified and resolved.

At the entry level and weighing just 0.58kg, the compact i60 camera represents excellent value for customers wanting a lightweight thermal camera with many of the features found in high-end imaging equipment. Designed for easy, one-handed operation the high-resolution i60 provides a temperature survey range of -20°C to +350°C and is perfect for small-scale industrial applications and building inspections. Because of its size, the i60 is also the ideal choice for inspecting hard-to-reach machinery and equipment while the 1GB memory allows for the storage of around 1,000 images at any one time.

Commenting on the success of the project, Carrie Grace, founder of Seahaven Bird Rescue said, “The i60 arrived self-calibrated, which meant that we just had to turn the camera on, aim and click. We also found that the flashlight on the camera was really useful because our inspection went on late into the evening.
“The thermal camera dramatically improved the effectiveness of our investigation and the ability to hire this technology is a major advantage.”

Engine inspections

Pic: Courtesy of Olympus 

Recent months have seen a surge in demand for hired video borescopes and many of these instruments are being used for engine inspection. Ashtead Technology’s Josh Thomas believes this is happening for three reasons: “Firstly, borescopes enable inspection without the cost and delay of dismantling engines. Secondly, instrumentation technology has advanced considerably recently and the latest video borescopes are very light and easy to use, but provide extremely high quality images. Thirdly, we now stock a wide range of the latest inspection equipment so that clients can rent the most appropriate equipment for each job.”

Borescope inspections are undertaken wherever internal components are difficult to access, and on both installed and uninstalled engines. For example, engine and gearbox manufacturers use them as part of their quality control procedures. “A number of motorsport teams, including Formula 1, have recently hired borescopes to help improve engine efficiency, and they have employed our high speed cameras to assess gearbox performance. However, we also have customers in other sectors including all sections of the automotive sector and clients with industrial engines and turbines.”

One of the latest additions to Ashtead Technology’s fleet of NDT inspection instruments is the Olympus IPLEX UltraLite. Weighing just 700 grams, it incorporates a combined control and display unit that fits in the palm of one hand and frees the other hand to guide the probe insertion tube. Observed images can be stored on a memory card as high-quality JPEG images and MPEG-4 movies.

App for thermographers

To celebrate the recent launch of the FLIR Tools Mobile App, Ashtead Technology will be giving away a free Apple iPad 2 with every FLIR thermal camera purchase (E-series and above) invoiced before 31st December 2012.

The new app allows users to remotely control their thermal camera by importing, analysing, managing, and sharing thermal images whilst connected wirelessly to FLIR's new T620, T640, and E-Series (E40, E50, and E60) cameras. This creates the opportunity for users to monitor from a distance and see what the camera is seeing as it happens. Additionally, users could use the app to incorporate images into professional reports, and then send them from the field to colleagues by email.

Ashtead Technology stocks a wide range of the latest thermal imaging cameras from FLIR so that customers can choose the best instrument for every job, covering applications as diverse as condition monitoring, predictive maintenance, energy efficiency, leak detection, tank level monitoring, gas detection and research.

Rendering landfill sites safe!

Part II A of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (GB) sets the minimum standard for contamination when land is redeveloped - as a minimum, sites must not qualify as contaminated land once they have been developed.

The utilisation of brownfield sites therefore necessitates environmental investigation work, but Matthew Penfold from Geotechnical and Environmental Assessment Associates (GEA) says “Made ground and greenfield sites can also reveal surprising levels and types of contamination. For example, site investigation can reveal problems that were not anticipated following a desktop study. Similarly, gas can migrate from an old landfill site and affect nearby development, and if this issue is not identified at an early stage, it can result in substantial extra costs later in the project.”

Site investigation is a key aspect of GEA’s work, so the company owns a number of portable gas analysers including PID detectors for the measurement of volatile organic compounds and a landfill gas analyser for a range of common gases. However, the company’s in-house instruments are regularly supplemented by gas analysers rented from Ashtead Technology. Matthew believes that this provides GEA with a high degree of flexibility; “Hiring instruments when we need them means that we can use exactly the right instruments, just for the time we need them and no longer, which saves costs and ensures that we have the best kit for every job.”

Ashtead Technology operates a large fleet of the latest environmental testing and monitoring instruments, which are maintained and calibrated in-house so that they can be delivered ready for use at any European location within 48 hours. The landfill gas analyser routinely rented by GEA is a Geotech GA2000, capable of measuring CH4, CO2, O2, CO and H2S. However, Will Russell, one of Ashtead’s technical support engineers says “We are delighted to announce the introduction of the new GA5000 into our fleet, which is not only Ex approved but also provides highly accurate readings (+/-0.5% for CH4 and CO2) in half the time of its predecessor. It is smaller and lighter with a new colour screen that works in all light conditions and features new intuitive menus, with a choice of languages, which guide users through the measurement process.”

As a result of the technical support, service and calibration facilities that Ashtead Technology provides, the company has been appointed as a rental partner for Geotech, the manufacturer of the GA5000. This is welcome news for Matthew Penfold who says “The release of a new landfill gas analyser exemplifies the benefits of instrument hire because it provides continuous access to the best available technology.”

What volcanic dust?

Advanced borescopes employed to investigate effects of volcanic dust

As volcanic dust once more creates havoc in Northern European airspace, controversy reigns over the levels of dust in which air travel is safe. As one of the measures to assess the effects of the ash, airlines and engine manufacturers are therefore looking to be able to assess the internal components of engines.

Speaking in a BBC interview and clutching a vial of volcanic ash (to demonstrate the low levels involved), Willie Walsh (right) explained that a BA plane has flown though the 'red zone' for about 45 minutes at different altitudes. The aircraft then returned and video borescopes were employed to examine the engines and found no evidence of volcanic ash. (Item in BBC Radio news programme  25th May 2011)


Alan Hasson from Ashtead Technology says "The latest video borescopes are ideal for this purpose, because they provide users with a comprehensive evaluation of the internal components of an engine, without having to dismantle it, which would be costly and time-consuming."

Following the previous Icelandic volcano eruption in 2010, Ashtead Technology was contacted by an aviation maintenance firm looking to hire a high specification endoscope for emergency aircraft engine examinations.

Avalon Aero, based at Biggin Hill Airport in Kent (GB), performed internal inspections of engines following flights in the ‘red zone’; an area in which ash might be encountered, but was deemed safe to fly by the Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre.

Martin Darling, Avalon Aero’s Technical Director, explained: “Ashtead Technology’s engineers recommended hiring the Olympus IPLEX SAII Videoscope and the device proved extremely useful, providing quick and easy visual access to the internal components of aircraft engines. Our investigations did not find any ash within the engines and this evidence was of course extremely valuable to our clients.”

Alan Hasson believes that aircraft engine inspection is a perfect example of the benefits of instrument rental: "The latest technology can be expensive to own, so instrument hire provides fast access to the best available equipment, which is especially useful when unforeseen situations occur," he says.

Instrument financing!

New instrument finance schemes at Sustainability Live

Visitors to Sustainability Live 2011 (24/26 May 2011) are invited to discover why a limited budget does not necessarily mean limited access to the latest environmental monitoring instrumentation – speak to the Ashtead Technology experts to find out more.

Popular instrumentation from leading manufacturers such as Geotechnical Instruments, including the Inspectra Laser FID and the MiniRAE 3000 handheld Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) Detector from RAE Systems will be featured by Ashtead Technology on stand (R45) at Birmingham (GB).

The new financial packages include the ‘Perpetual Rental Program’ and the ‘Rent To Own’ plan, as Jay Neermul, the company’s Environmental Product Manager explains: “These new schemes help to meet customers’ differing financial needs, whilst retaining key features of the Ashtead Technology service such as full calibration and service.

“We are also able to provide replacement units during this time to ensure that monitoring activity is not interrupted.”

Drain inspection

With autumn just around the corner, thoughts turn to blocked drains caused by leaves and heavy rain, resulting in an increased demand for versatile and reliable equipment to undertake Remote Visual Inspection (RVI) of pipes and drains.

Pipes and drains come in all shapes and sizes, presenting a wide range of physical challenges to inspection equipment, and instrumentation specialist Ashtead Technology has developed one of the most comprehensive hire fleets of RVI instrumentation in Britain, covering every drainage inspection need.

Designed specifically to investigate pipes and tunnels ranging from 300mm to 1200mm in diameter, the iPEK Rovver 225 Crawler Inspection System is one of the most advanced instruments of its kind. It features a camera and lighting unit that can be remotely raised and lowered to ensure optimum viewing conditions in any investigation and is powered by two 40 watt motors driving all six wheels. The 225 is also fully operational even when submersed in up to 10 metres of water and is supplied with a DVD Recorder so that colour footage can be studied both during and after inspection work.

Also available is the smaller iPEK Rovver 125 which can be used in pipes with diameters from 150mm to 450mm. This system has proved highly popular for drain inspection because of its durability and low maintenance requirement.

A comprehensive range of pushrods and video pipeline inspection systems are also available for hire direct from Ashtead Technology to help provide a complete solution for any drainage inspection needs. In addition, GPR utility locators and personal gas detectors for confined space entry are available for hire during inspection work.

Alan Hasson, Ashtead Technology’s General Manager, said: “Not only can we provide the most comprehensive range of rental instruments, but we can also match this with a high level of support and technical expertise.

“Our fleet of iPEK crawlers and Pushrod inspection systems are extremely reliable and versatile and can be used in even the most demanding drains and pipelines. Hiring such instrumentation also avoids the excessive capital costs associated with purchase.”

Monitoring for Gulf clean-up

Rapid response required for monitoring disasters

Pic: © BP p.l.c.

Consultants and contracting engineers working on the Gulf of Mexico oil spill have drawn upon the vast equipment inventory that is available from specialist instrumentation rental company Ashtead Technology.

Speaking from the company's Baton Rouge facility in Louisiana, spokesman Randall Farr said, "Environmental disasters always necessitate a rapid, effective response from those responsible for monitoring the effects of such incidents. It is therefore essential that a wide range of the latest technologies is available at a moment's notice to ensure that this need is met. "Ashtead Technology provides a complete portfolio of monitoring equipment that is tested, calibrated and ready to go, so following the Deepwater Horizon explosion we were able to deliver the necessary equipment within a few hours of the first requests coming in."

Rental instruments have been utilised by several organisations both at the scene of the Deepwater Horizon rig and also along the affected shoreline. This equipment includes the TSI Sidepak AM510 Personal Aerosol Monitor to measure ambient air particulates that arise from gas flaring and RAE photoionisation detectors (MultiRAE, MiniRAE, and UltraRAE instruments) to measure benzene and other airborne organic pollutants. In addition, SKC Sidekick Pumps have been utilised for the sampling of gases and vapours.

Instrument rental lends itself to rapid environmental response for a number of reasons. For example, Randall Farr believes that renting ensures that the right instrument is chosen. He says, "The staff at Ashtead Technology are highly experienced with a broad range of technologies and as such they are able to recommend the best kit for the job, whereas clients that own their equipment tend to use what they've got whether it's appropriate or not. In addition, the experts at Ashtead Technology often provide technical assistance during the rental period to make sure customers get the best out of the equipment. "Major incidents generate a very large requirement for equipment so our ability to quickly mobilise a huge fleet of instruments is essential. For example, just last year, we supplied a large number of thermal cameras in response to an urgent request from organisations needing to assess the devastating effects of Hurricane Ike. In situations like this, rapid response teams tend to have a short-term requirement, so again, renting is the best option."

Ashtead Technology is a global business, but with facilities in Houston, Pasadena and Baton Rouge, the company is well placed to help with the aftermath of the Gulf of Mexico disaster.

Expert advice at show!

Visitors to Ashtead Technology’s stand (R45) at Sustainability Live will be able to speak with experts from leading instrumentation manufacturers, Crowcon and RAE Systems, at this month’s event.

Ashtead’s own team of environmental monitoring instrumentation experts will be joined by Crowcon on Tuesday (20th) and by RAE Systems the following day (21st) on Stand R45 at Sustainability Live 2010, held at Birmingham NEC (GB).

Popular rental instrumentation from Crowcon includes the Crowcon LaserMethane Mini Gas Leak Detector while the MiniRAE 3000 from RAE Systems is the most advanced handheld volatile organic compound (VOC) detector on the market.

Alan Hasson, Ashtead Technology General Manager, said: “We are delighted that specialists from Crowcon and RAE will be available to provide advice and information about their products. The event will also provide an opportunity for us to explain the benefits of our 'Perpetual Rental Plan' (PRP) for long term instrument hire and how the 'Rent-To-Own' (RTO) scheme combines the benefits of renting with instrument ownership.”