INSIGHTS FROM THE PROCEQ EVENT IN ZURICH, BY KARTHIK SUNDARAM, PROGRAM MANAGER, IIOT
Proceq SA (hereafter referred to as Proceq) has for many years been a very strong player in the production, manufacturing, and distribution of technology products for non-destructive testing (NDT). Proceq is a part of the Tectus Group, a family-owned multinational business headquartered in Switzerland with diverse operations and investments across six market segments—engineering and construction, real estate, IoT and sensing, digital health, and entertainment and lifestyle. The company is a leading a solution provider in the field of high-quality portable NDT instruments for materials such as metal, concrete, rock, paper, and composites. Interestingly, Proceq also happens to be one of the very few companies that provide a complete and comprehensive product and solutions portfolio for NDT. The company’s largest set of customers are the world’s major automobile manufacturers, steel mills, oil and gas players, civil engineers, contractors, and universities.
On September 20th 2017, Proceq hosted an event in Zurich for its customers and the wider industrial community. The event, entitled “The Future of NDT”, showcased Proceq’s perspective on the industry’s future and, more importantly, set the narrative for NDT 4.0. In this article, we endeavour to collate key insights from the event that could potentially kick-start an evolution into the next phase of NDT.
Proceq is focussed on fortifying its position as an advanced NDT solution provider. The company has introduced the Proceq Live Products portfolio that includes Internet of Things (IoT), featuring highly accurate measuring sensors utilising wireless connectivity via Bluetooth / wireless LAN to mobile devices and securely connecting these mobile platforms through the Web. This Live set-up facilitates features such as unique handling of wireless sensors, intuitive apps running on mobile devices for data processing and artificial intelligence, real-time sharing and collaboration amongst inspectors, supervisors, and clients, and the fastest ever report generation. This system further offers modular and exchangeable components, huge processing power, and virtually unlimited storage options.
Below is a list of key product additions announced at the event.
- Equotip Live: This is the world’s first IoT-enabled hardness testing solution. Proceq has announced the incorporation of a wireless UCI probe into the Live Equotip ecosystem, in addition to the free Equotip Live app with a wireless Leeb probe announced last year. The Equotip app has features–such as one-click reporting and customisable conversion curves–that help in the testing and verification of special materials in line with international standards. The product also has a logbook feature that enables users to trace all probe information, data, and settings changes and store them into the Equotip Live app, thus ensuring 100% traceability. The Equotip Live app allows ultimate portability and is compatible with the Apple Watch. Combining IoT, cloud computing, and wireless technologies, Equotip Live is truly revolutionising the face of NDT today.
- Proceq Flaw Detector Live: This new addition fills the gap between Zonotip (Proceq’s ultrasonic thickness gauge) and Proceq Flaw Detector 100 (Proceq’s high-tech ultrasonic inspection instrument) that was introduced last year. This tool provides users with ultimate flexibility allowing device updates through applications. This product is very economical and easy to use.
- Original Schmidt Live: Schmidt is used in the concrete, rock, and paper industries to measure the strength of sample materials. Original Schmidt Live is a solution that gathers all the information and creates reports, allowing users to communicate with customers in a very effective manner. Unlike traditional rebound hammer devices in the market, which take about 1.5 hours to prepare, measure, and create reports, Original Schmidt Live performs the same activities in 16 minutes, thereby saving time and increasing productivity.
- Pundit: The previous Pundit portfolio consists of Pundit Lab, Pundit Lab , and Pundit 200, which cover all the applications required for concrete ultrasonic pulse velocity testing. To address the challenge of E-modulus measurement, the company has announced a new addition called Shear Wave Transducers in its specialist transducer portfolio. E-modulus measurement is important in the construction world as it gives a measure of the resistance to deformation from loading.
During the event, there were further product announcements in the tomography instrument arena. Proceq has been on the NDT scene for more than 60 years and has the most comprehensive portfolio for concrete tomography in the market.
- Pundit Live Array: Pundit 200 Pulse Echo, introduced in 2013, made one measurement at a time. In 2016, the Company announced Pundit 250 Array, making 56 measurements at a time, generating 8 images at once (28x faster than the previous instrument). Now, Proceq has announced the addition of Pundit Live Array in its tomography product range. In addition to multichannel technology and real-time measurement, Live Array enables 3D imaging grid line scanning along with Artificial Intelligence (AI) user support. Pundit Live Array provides measurement in real time and stitches images together, allowing users to scan a 6-metre-long area in less than a minute. This product is highly compact, can be easily controlled, and has an expanded unit up to 16 channels. This product enables real-time tomography, AI user support and positioning, and increased productivity for a very affordable price.
- Profometer Live Array: This product delivers superior accuracy and works well in congested areas. This new development combines the wide area scanner, the best of tablet technology along with AI support. This is an easy-to-use product enabling single one-directional scanning whilst capturing all the information one had to capture in many more bidirectional scans in the past.
- Proceq GPR Live: Proceq GPR Live is a handheld device connected wirelessly to an IOS tablet. This product has innovative hardware, advanced software, and a user-friendly interface. It brings with it superior live handling and a lightweight telescopic rod for overhead solutions. Proceq GPR Live is a one-man application, enabling real-time scanning, detecting ground clearance, and is fitted with chargeable and replaceable AA batteries.
Proceq has also announced that it is working on the introduction of Augmented Reality (AR) into GPR Live and all their other Live products by 2018. A video was shown that made AR not only comprehensible in NDT, but also demonstrated the huge value it could add to inspectors in the near future.
On the whole, the event was very well-organised and clearly showcased the company’s passion and capability for making a strong impact in the NDT world. It is one thing to ‘talk the talk’, but quite another to ‘walk the walk’. However, it appears that Team Proceq is not simply walking along the NDT 4.0 path, but striding out boldly with total confidence and conviction.
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