A method of non-destructive detection of surface and near surface abnormalities in a metallic product. The method comprises positioning a sample having a surface under a source of an incident radiation. The surface of the sample is then irradiated with the incident radiation from the source. A scattered radiation is detected and a radiation pattern from the detected scattered radiation is produced. Said radiation pattern is then analysed and the output indicative of the scattered radiation from the sample is produced. Said produced output is then compared with a threshold value, the threshold value indicative of a maximum acceptable detected surface abnormality. Finally, the presence of a surface abnormality is identified when the output exceeds the threshold value.

A method of inspecting a component for anomalous regions includes recording a plurality of sensor readings using one or more sensors, each reading corresponding to a different region of the component; determining an appearance metric for each reading; and determining a nominal appearance metric based on individual values of the appearance metric for a first subset of the readings. The method includes, for a particular sensor reading outside the first subset: determining a difference between the nominal appearance metric and the appearance metric of the particular sensor reading; updating the nominal appearance metric based on the particular sensor reading; and, based on the difference exceeding a threshold: determining that the particular sensor reading is anomalous and corresponds to an anomalous region of the component, and recording additional sensor readings of the anomalous region using one or more sensing parameters that differ from those used to record the anomalous sensor reading.

A repair welding device includes an inspection result acquisition unit configured to acquire an appearance inspection result including information about a defective portion of a weld bead of a welded workpiece produced by a main welding that is executed by a welding robot, and a robot control unit configured to instruct the welding robot to execute a repair welding on a position of the defective portion using the appearance inspection result based on a relationship between the position of the defective portion and a predetermined width related to the weld bead.

A repair welding device includes an inspection result acquisition unit configured to acquire an appearance inspection result including information about a defective portion of a weld bead of a welded workpiece produced by a main welding that is executed by a welding robot, and a robot control unit configured to instruct the welding robot to execute a repair welding on a position of the defective portion using the appearance inspection result based on a relationship between the position of the defective portion and a predetermined width related to the weld bead.

Methods of processing a data signal obtained from a sensor sensing a dynamic signal to detect a structural anomaly event are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes obtaining signal components attributable to fluid flow at a location within an operational pipeline network; processing the data signal to extract one or more features; characterising the one or more extracted features; and detecting an indication of a structural anomaly event proximal the location depending on the characterisation; wherein the structural anomaly event includes an occurrence and/or further development of a structural anomaly.

Methods of processing a data signal obtained from a sensor sensing a dynamic signal to detect a structural anomaly event are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes obtaining signal components attributable to fluid flow at a location within an operational pipeline network; processing the data signal to extract one or more features; characterising the one or more extracted features; and detecting an indication of a structural anomaly event proximal the location depending on the characterisation; wherein the structural anomaly event includes an occurrence and/or further development of a structural anomaly.

A method is provided for analyzing a weld seam formed by a laser welding process, said method including thermally exciting the weld seam by radiating at least one laser pulse onto the weld seam, acquiring a decay characteristic of a thermal radiation emitted by the weld seam, and determining whether a welding defect is present based on an evaluation of the acquired decay characteristic. Furthermore, a laser machining system for analyzing a weld seam formed by a laser welding process between at least two workpieces is provided.

A method is provided for analyzing a weld seam formed by a laser welding process, said method including thermally exciting the weld seam by radiating at least one laser pulse onto the weld seam, acquiring a decay characteristic of a thermal radiation emitted by the weld seam, and determining whether a welding defect is present based on an evaluation of the acquired decay characteristic. Furthermore, a laser machining system for analyzing a weld seam formed by a laser welding process between at least two workpieces is provided.

A plate specimen is extracted from a qualified HIC resistant material having a Heat number. The plate specimen is supported on a female die of a guided bend system and a force is applied with a male die of the guided bend system to a predetermined middle portion of the plate specimen to develop a U-shaped bent portion in the plate specimen. A curved sample is extracted from the predetermined middle portion having the U-shaped bent portion, the curved sample simulates a cold forming ratio of a line pipe having a particular pipe diameter that is to be subsequently manufactured from the qualified Heat number. A standardized HIC test on the extracted curved sample. Respective values of Crack Length Ratio (CLR), Crack Sensitivity Ratio (CSR) and Crack Thickness Ratio (CTR) are calculated for the curved sample subsequent to the standardized HIC test on the curved sample. The qualified Heat number is validated for manufacturing the line pipe having the particular pipe diameter in response to determining that the calculated respective values of CLR, CSR, and CTR not greater than the corresponding predetermined maximum threshold values for the CLR, CSR, and CTR.

In a nondestructive inspection of a defect of a welded portion of a pipe or a pipe member, work efficiency of a radiation transmission test is improved by reducing a burden on a worker, and an inspection accuracy is improved. Imaging data is acquired by transmitting radiation through a welded portion of the pipe to be inspected. Processing of associating determination data indicating a result of determining a defect of the welded portion of the pipe to be inspected based on a distribution of a transmission intensity of the radiation obtained from the imaging data with image data showing the distribution of the transmission intensity of the radiation is performed. As a result, through use of the imaging data, image data and determination data associated with the image data can be obtained, and the burden on the worker can be reduced.