UniWest Announces Next-Generation Eddy Current Testing Technology

Oct. 21, 2015
UniWest’s New EVi with the ECS-3S Scanner Brings Previously Inaccessible Surface Areas into View with Real-Time Surface Imaging.

Pasco, Washington – In keeping with its mission to continuously improve non-destructive testing technologies, industry leader UniWest has introduced the new EVi eddy current testing system. Developed in response to industry demand for a portable, high precision, operator-friendly eddy current system, the EVi augments UniWest’s best-in-class signal to noise ratio technology with real-time imaging of the surface under inspection.

The result is a surface flaw detection system that provides conventional eddy current charts, graphs or plots, in multiple display modes, alongside a real-time visual image of the surface area under inspection. For operators, the easily accessible on-screen information speeds discernment of surface conditions at the same time it greatly improves detection of cracks and other discontinuities.

The EVi system is fully compatible with all UniWest scan probes and accessories as well as many other compatible devices.

In addition to accelerating process speed and improving ease of use, the EVi offers a set of heretofore unavailable capabilities for bolt-hole, surface, flush-rivet, weldment and interface scanning.

When used in conjunction with UniWest’s ECS-5 Bolt-Hole Scanner, the EVi enables full surface imaging bolt-hole inspection of previously inaccessible surface areas, including complex,

multi-stack and multi material stack-ups. Together, the EVi/ECS-5 provide rotary and linear scan-motion indexing at scan resolutions between 3 and 30 mil in one mil increments. Scan motion indexing can be applied at rotations between 500 to 3000 RPM, adjustable in 10 RPM steps, at constant torque throughout the speed range.

When used with UniWest’s ECS-3S Handheld Scanner the EVi enables full-surface scanning of previously inaccessible, remote and obscure surface areas. Ergonomically designed for comfortable handling and rapid inspection of small and hard to reach areas, the ESC-3S scanner provides a constant, high-speed scan of the surface. The ECS-3’s contour-following sensor assembly allows inspection of variable surface gradients, including detection of cracks and other discontinuities around flush-rivets and fasteners, as well and under paint. The ECS-3S provides surface scanning of friction stir-welds and surface weldments as small as .75 in. at frequency ranges between 20 kHz and 10 MHz.

Designed to minimize human intervention, the EVi eliminates operator setup and calibration with automatic connect-and-scan functionality. The unit automatically recognizes operating parameters of scanners and accessories. Accessory parameters such as motor voltage and encoder resolution are set automatically upon connection.

Fully connectable by virtually all communication and network protocols, EVi data is distributable via USB, Ethernet, VGA via USB adapter, OSB/OTG, Multi I/O, Analog X/Y or USB Keyboard.

The EVi display accommodates multiple display modes including surface imaging, impedance planes, oscilloscope, strip charts and many other data display formats.

UniWest CEO, Mark Gehlen, called the EVi, "A crowning achievement in UniWest's commitment to ever-increasing levels of precision for non-destructive testing. The UniWest family of owner-employees is delighted to offer this next-generation technology to our existing customers as well as to the rest of the world," Gehlen said. To find more about the EVi, go to www.uniwest.com/evi/

About UniWest

Since 1985, employee-owned UniWest has engineered and manufactured eddy current testing solutions and instruments with unparalleled flaw detection capabilities for safety-critical and high-performance components in industries around the globe.

Now the new, EVi System raises UniWest’s standard of excellence for portable eddy current testing instruments to new levels of precision and efficiency, as well as the financial realities, of the non-destructive testing industry. The EVi, along with its companion scanners and accessories, serves to ensure the physical integrity and performance demands of critical components in industries ranging from service and maintenance providers, to original equipment manufacturers, to aerospace, energy and infrastructure development enterprises.

Engineered by the UniWest Eddy Current Testing solutions team, and manufactured in the United States, the EVi system matches the technical strengths of eddy current inspection with a previously unavailable set of options and features for optimal flaw detection.

In addition to the EVi’s unmatched performance, UniWest’s company-wide commitment to personalized customer service makes the EVi line the most logical, and cost-effective choice for portable, non-destructive testing of safety-critical components and high performance applications available anywhere in the world.

For further information, photos, videos, and products visit UniWest’s web site at www.uniwest.com or for interviews contact Bryan Leach at 509-544-0720, [email protected]