AXS NDT was established in Mackay in December 1993 as a Non-Destructive Testing Facility to service the Bowen Basin Coal Industry.

Specialising in all major methods of NDT including radiography, ultrasonics, eddy current inspections, magnetic particle & liquid penetrant inspections, AXS NDT was granted NATA NDT Accreditation (No. 10826) in 1995.

A burgeoning NDT market in Queensland saw AXS NDT open a second full-time branch in Rockhampton in 1996 primarily to cover contacts with Stanwell Corporation and Joy Mining Underground Maintenance Services.

From 1995 AXS NDT underwent a rapid expansion in client base and types of service supply requirements moving into the oil, petrochemical, aviation and power energy areas.

The 1996 Transfield refurbishment of the “moth balled” Collinsville Power Station required AXS NDT to provide virtually round the clock services for 14 months, marking the first serious increase in staff size. As part of the their supplied services, hydrostatic testing of pressure vessels, hoses and pipe sections were included in the scope of the NDT NATA Accreditation for hydrostatic testing.

To gain NATA Accreditation for hydrostatic testing of underground pipelines, AGL’s Graham Gentles provided technical help and information, allowing Peter Nelson of AXS to observe a live test on a Ring Main Line in Canberra late 1996.

NATA Accreditation - hydrostatic testing

The overall aim was and still is to combine NDT and hydrostatic testing to provide clients with a one-stop pipeline testing service.

The problem was how to get the required training and complex technical knowledge needed to carry out hydrostatic testing and gain NATA Accreditation. Shane Clements of NATA (Brisbane) was able to put the company in touch with one of the Australian pipeline industry’s most knowledgeable characters, Marcus Henningsen. Marcus came to Mackay and imparted a plethora of theories, formulas, and technical information pertaining to pipeline testing.

Between Marcus, Shane and Brian Trevina, AXS was given NATA Accreditation for Hydrostatic Testing of Underground Pipelines in July 1999 (NATA Accreditation No. 12649).

AXS NDT has since carried out numerous hydrostatic pipeline tests in Queensland, Victoria, South Australia, Northern Territory, Solomon Islands, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Fiji.

Due to the expanding client base and diversity of location AXS NDT purchased a Twin Engine 6 Seat Piper Aztec Aircraft (‘The AXBUS’) in 1998. From AXS NDT’s Mackay base technicians can be in Alice Springs with NDT and hydrostatic test equipment within five hours.

The fully IFR Aircraft is rated to carry dangerous goods, enabling carriage of Gamma Isotope Cameras amongst other equipment, and with two technician pilots, AXS is able to relocate personnel and equipment quickly and efficiently over vast distances. Technicians are NDT qualified through the AINDT Certification Scheme and hold Level 2 and 3 Certifications in all methods.

AXS NDT operates two mobile darkroom facilities and two mobile hydrostatic test huts. The hydro test huts are designed as stand-alone units with all monitoring, instrumentation, piping and electronics self contained to ensure rapid set up on arrive at site. They also utilise satellite modem communications with data loggers to enable instantaneous retrieval of temperature data from remote areas on long spread pipelines.

Low frequency eddy current

AXS utilises the only commercially available Testex Falcon 2000 (LFET) Unit currently in Australia.

LFET detects wall losses and pitting in pipelines by injecting a low frequency magnetic field and measuring the distortion in the resultant magnetic field occurring over and around a flaw. The unit is capable of measuring up to 32 mm wall thickness in steel pipelines and the images are displayed in a 3D format. AXS has recently carried out extensive pipeline testing in Rockhampton and is currently negotiating a large scale similar test in Auckland, New Zealand.

Specialist ‘B’ Scan

AXS has developed a specialist 3D imaging program to further enhance standard Ultrasonic ‘B’ Scan Report presentation reports. This imaging allows 3D zoom capability on individual flaw areas and gives a ‘C’ or overheads view of large section of pipeline. Individual runs can be aligned to give extremely accurate defect positions and loss data.

The presentation format can be changed to suit specific client requirements with alarm thresholds and colour coded wall loss areas being highlighted.

This technique has been used extensively for Oil and Gas clients in both the Northern Territory and Queensland.

NQGP Pipeline

AXS NDT was invited by Ben Rees and Rick Boreham of NQGP in May 2004 to provide hydrostatic testing services on the Moranbah to Townsville Gas Pipeline. The 380 km line required testing in 7 main sections ranging from 22 to 146 km in length and 24/48 hours in test duration, as well as three river crossings and a number of small above-ground tests.

With Mick King and his NQGP crew carrying out the pre-cleaning, gauging, pigging, filling and dewatering, AXS technicians commenced hydrostatic testing of main line section 1 in July 2004 and completed final testing of main line section 7 (Stuart Lateral) in October 2004. “This was one of the most well organised projects we have worked on in the last eight years,” said Peter. AXS NDT said that the organisation, corporation, helpfulness and attitude of Ben, Rick and all the NQGP Team made their part of the project flow exceptionally smoothly as evidenced by the fact that the job came in ‘on time and under budget’. AXS NDT is proud to have been invited to participate in this project.