HANDSCAN

Small Manual MFL Corrosion Detection Floor Scanner

Operating Manual

Silverwing UK Ltd Clos Llyn Cwm, Swansea Enterprise Park, Swansea, SA6 8QY Wales, UK
t: +44 (0) 1792 798711 f: +44 (0) 1792 793481 e: support@silverwingndt.com w: www.silverwingndt.com
INTRODUCTION

Handscan is a Magnetic Flux Leakage (MFL) Device for detecting corrosion pitting in flat plate
and curved plate. The Handscan can be used to detect corrosion pitting in ferrous material with
wall thicknesses from 6 mm to 15 mm.
The HS100 Handscan head can also be used to inspect curved plates such as tank shells. The
minimum radius the Handscan is cable of operating on (circumferentially) is:
Internally – 1.5M radius (3M Diameter)
Externally – 2.5M radius (5M Diameter)

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

Handscan comprises two basic components, the Electronics Unit which operates from a
rechargeable 12 volt battery and the Scanning Head which is a powerful permanent magnet
with an array of Hall Effect transducers mounted in the sensor head between the poles of the
magnet. The scanning head is mounted on wheels to allow scanning. An extendable handle is
provided with the Handscan scanning head.

WARNING

The Magnets used in Handscan are extremely powerful and can cause serious
injury to hands and fingers if these become trapped between the scanning head
and ferrous material. The jacking handle must be used to lift and hold the
Handscan magnets away from the work surface as the scanning head is placed on
or removed from the plate.

Loose tools and ferrous material will be strongly attracted and may cause injury as
they move towards the poles. ALWAYS follow the operating and handling
instructions and BE CONSTANTLY AWARE OF THE DANGERS.

Powerful magnets are DANGEROUS to personnel using Heart Pacemakers who

should not be allowed to use or be in the vicinity of this equipment. Any form of
credit card, security pass, computer or programmed equipment may be
permanently affected if exposed to the powerful magnetic field of the unit. When
the unit is not in use a keep plate (fitted in the storage/transit case) should be
applied to the poles.

The detection of corrosion pitting is denoted by visual and audible alarms from the electronics
unit. A variable alarm sensitivity threshold control allows a minimum pit depth value to be
determined. Signals above this threshold value will trigger the alarms.

Doc Ref:OM-HS
Rev: 1.4
Date of Release: 25/09/09
Page 2 of 19
Fundamentals
Scanning direction – The Handscan system is direction sensitive. The Scanning head should be
moved in the same direction during the inspection as it was during the calibration procedure. i.e. - if
the Handscan handle was pulled during the calibration procedure, the Handscan handle should be
pulled (not pushed) during inspection.

Scanning Speed – The Handscan system is speed sensitive. The optimum scanning speed is
450mm per second. Acceptable results will be obtained when the Handscan is operated at speeds of
between 300mm and 500mm per second.

Scan Width – The scan width of the Handscan scanning head is 150mm.

Calibration – The Handscan must be calibrated on a suitable calibration plate of the same thickness
as the plate to be inspected. The Handscan calibration routine consists of passing the scanning head
repeatedly over the calibration plate and adjusting the alarm sensitivity threshold so that only pits over
a certain depth are detected. At the end of each calibration scan the unit must be turned through 180
degrees and the subsequent scan made in the opposite direction. This is to avoid building up a
residual magnetic field in the calibration plate which will prevent accurate calibration of the system.

Calibration Plate - The Handscan should be calibrated using a calibration plate manufactured in
accordance with the engineering drawings at the rear of this manual. Each of the artificial defects
should be accurately machined to the correct depth using a 22mm diameter Ball Nose cutter. If the
plate to be inspected has a coating thicker than 1mm, a non-magnetic sheet of the same thickness as
the coating must be placed over the calibration plate during the calibration process.

Inspection - The test piece should be scanned with the Handscan being moved in the same direction
as it was during calibration and at a speed of between 300mm and 500mm per second. Any defect
indications should be crossed checked with an alternative method (usually UT) to determine
remaining wall thickness.

Handling the scanning heads – Due to the powerful magnets care must be taken when handling
the Handscan Scanning Head(s). The scanning head should only be handled using the provided
Jacking handle. The jacking handle is used to lift and hold the scanning head magnets away from the
plate when placing the scanning head onto or removing the scanning head from the plate.

System Sensitivity
The thickness range of the Handscan system is up to 0.6" (15 mm). The typical defect sensitivity
within this range is as follows:

10% Wall Loss in 0.25” (6.4mm) Wall

40% Wall Loss in 0.5" (12.7 mm) wall
40% Wall Loss in 0.6” (15mm) Wall

NOTE
These results are based on artificial defects and have been proved on natural corrosion in the field.
However pipe type corrosion typical in Sulphur Reducing Bacterial (SRB) attack is naturally smaller in
volume than more common forms of corrosion and the above quoted sensitivities will not be
achieved.

Doc Ref:OM-HS
Rev: 1.4
Date of Release: 25/09/09
Page 3 of 19
THE HANDSCAN SCANNING HEAD

Doc Ref:OM-HS
Rev: 1.4
Date of Release: 25/09/09
Page 4 of 19
Figure 1 - The Handscan Scanning Head

Doc Ref:OM-HS
Rev: 1.4
Date of Release: 25/09/09
Page 5 of 19
 Adjustments
Magnet height (Lift off) - There is no adjustment for Handscan magnets.

Sensor head height (Lift off) - The sensor head is mounted into the scanning head via two linear
bearings. A spring is positioned on the drop arms between the sensor head and the under side of the
magnet bridge (Fig1,4). The drop arms pass through the linear bearings so that a threaded portion
projects above the magnet bridge. The adjusters (Fig1.7) are thumbwheel nuts which screw onto the
projecting drop arms and tension the sensor head against the springs. A second set of thumbwheel
nuts are used to lock the sensor head once the adjustments have been made.

The bottom of the sensor head should be 1mm above the surface to be tested. Adjust the
sensor head height as follows:

1. Place the scanning head on a flat area of ferrous plate (usually the calibration plate).

2. Unscrew the top “locking” sensor head adjusters (Fig1.7).

3. Turn the lower adjusters (Fig1.7) clockwise to raise the height well above the 1mm recommended
lift off.

4. Place the two yellow shims provided between the sensor head and the plate and lower the sensor
head evenly using the adjusters (Fig1.7) until the sensor head just 'nips' the shims.

5. Screw down the top “locking” thumbscrew nuts, remove the shims and the adjustment is
complete.

Doc Ref:OM-HS
Rev: 1.4
Date of Release: 25/09/09
Page 6 of 19
THE HANDSCAN ELECTRONICS UNIT

Doc Ref:OM-HS
Rev: 1.4
Date of Release: 25/09/09
Page 7 of 19
Figure 2 - Electronics Unit Control Panel

Figure 2 - Legend

1 On/off switch

2 Battery state indicator

3 Alarm threshold control

4 Visual warning indicators

5 Audible alarm

6 Audible alarm/ Remote earphone switch

7 Plate thickness selector switch

8 Probe cable input sockets

9 Remote earphone socket

Doc Ref:OM-HS
Rev: 1.4
Date of Release: 25/09/09
Page 8 of 19
CONTROL FUNCTIONS - See figure 2

1. On/off switch - This is a push for "on" / push for "off” switch. In the "on" position a green
indicator can be seen in the switch window.

2. Battery state indicator - An indication in the green sector shows that there is sufficient
charge to operate the equipment. Batteries should be recharged when the indication reaches
the red sector.

3. Alarm threshold control - A rotating dial reading from 0 - 999 is used to set the sensitivity
threshold to provide alarm signals above a chosen pit depth.

A low threshold value represents a more sensitive alarm; a high threshold value represents a
less sensitive alarm. The threshold control may be locked in position using the locking lever.

4. Visual Warning indictors - There are six red LED’s which indicate the presence of a pit
equal to or greater than the threshold depth. The left hand indictors are triggered by any
sensor detecting a pit to the left of the scanning head centre line and the right hand indicators
are triggered by any sensor detecting a pit to the right of the centre line.

5. Audible alarm - an audible alarm sounds if either visual warning indicator is activated.

6. Audible alarm/ remote earphone switch - up for remote earphone, down for audible alarm.

7. Plate thickness range selector - This is a three position switch which allows the operator to
select the nearest position to actual plate thickness and thus maintain an equivalent
sensitivity over a range of thicknesses. The switch positions are:-

1 6.4mm(1/4").
2 12mm (1/2")
3 15mm (0.6")

8. Probe cable input sockets - Two 11-way connectors should be connected as described in
the Method of Operation section.

9. Earphone socket - socket for a remote audible warning earpiece. There is also an additional
socket for the remote earphones on the scanning head lead box.

Doc Ref:OM-HS
Rev: 1.4
Date of Release: 25/09/09
Page 9 of 19
Charging the Battery
1. Undo the battery compartment screws on the rear of the Electronic Module to gain
access to the battery compartment.

2. Remove the battery from the rear of the electronic module.

3. Disconnect battery from electronic module at the white connecting block.

Doc Ref:OM-HS
Rev: 1.4
Date of Release: 25/09/09
Page 10 of 19
4. Connect the battery charger to the battery using the white connector block.

5. Connect the battery charger to a suitable mains power supply (95 – 277 Volts AC).

The battery will be charged in 4 to 5 hours.

The right hand light will illuminate while the battery is charging.
The left hand light will illuminate when the battery is fully charged.

Doc Ref:OM-HS
Rev: 1.4
Date of Release: 25/09/09
Page 11 of 19
METHOD OF OPERATION

Doc Ref:OM-HS
Rev: 1.4
Date of Release: 25/09/09
Page 12 of 19
Electronics Unit Setup
1. Switch unit "On" by pressing the On/Off switch (Fig.2, 1.)
2. Check that the battery state indicator (Fig. 2, 2) is in the Green sector.
3. Ensure the sensor head height is correctly set for the surface to be scanned as
described in the Adjustments section of this manual.
4. Connect the scanning head leads to the Handscan unit as follows:-
5. One connector (marked 1) into the forward socket on the scanning head, and the other
connector (marked 1) into the left hand socket on the electronics module.
6. One connector (marked 2) into the rear socket on the scanning head and the other
connector (marked 2) into the right hand socket on the electronics module.
7. Allow the unit to warm up and stabilise for 10 minutes.
8. Select the nearest thickness range to the wall thickness of the plate to be tested, using
the selector switch (Fig. 1, 7).

The switch positions are:

1- 6.4 mm (1/4")
2- 12 mm (1/2")
3- 15 mm (0.6")

System Calibration - HS100 (Flat Scanning Head)

Follow the steps described in the Adjustments and Electronics Unit Setup sections above
before calibrating the Handscan.

The following describes the steps required to calibrate the Handscan system to detect 40%
corrosion pitting. The same procedure can be used to set the detection level for other
percentage loss thresholds taking into account the detection sensitivity levels set out in this
manual.
1. Place the calibration plate onto a non magnetic substrate with the artificial defects at the
bottom. If required place the coating simulation sheet on top of the calibration plate (see
Fundamentals).
2. Place the scanning head onto a defect free region of the calibration plate, ensuring that
the handle is in the jacked position and fingers are away from the magnet carriage and
rollers. Lower the raised rollers onto the plate by means of the jacking handle ensuring
fingers are clear of the scanning head.
3. Set the alarm threshold so that the smallest defect on the calibration plate can be
detected. The lower the alarm threshold value, the more sensitive the alarm will be.
4. Scan the head over the artificial defects in the calibration plate and note which defects
cause the alarm to trigger. The scanner should be moved at a rate of between 300 and
500mm per second.
5. Repeatedly scan the head over the artificial defects in the calibration plate, adjusting the
threshold control upwards (to decrease alarm sensitivity) until the 40% pit is just detected
(audio and visual alarms will activate).
6. Increase the threshold setting by a further 5 points and check that the 40% pit is NOT
detected.
7. Decrease the threshold setting until the 40% pit is consistently detected. The unit is now
calibrated to detect pits from 40% upwards.
8. Push down on the jacking handle to break the leading magnet pole, and remove the
scanning head from the calibration plate.
NOTE - At the end of each scan the unit must be turned through 180 degrees and the
subsequent scan made in the opposite direction. This is to avoid building up a residual
magnetic field in the calibration plate which will prevent accurate calibration of the
system.

Doc Ref:OM-HS
Rev: 1.4
Date of Release: 25/09/09
Page 13 of 19
 System Calibration – HS200 (Curved Scanning Head)

The HS200 should NOT be calibrated on a flat calibration plate.

To avoid the requirement of curved calibration plates the following procedure
should be followed:

The following describes the steps required to calibrate the Handscan system for use with the
HS200 (curved) scanning head to detect 40% corrosion pitting. The same procedure can be
used to set the detection level for other percentage loss thresholds taking into account the
detection sensitivity levels set out in this manual.

1. Place the calibration plate onto a non magnetic substrate with the artificial defects at the
bottom. If required place the coating simulation sheet on top of the calibration plate (see
Fundamentals).
2. Place the HS100 scanning head onto a defect free region of the calibration plate,
ensuring that the handle is in the jacked position and fingers are away from the magnet
carriage and rollers. Lower the raised rollers onto the plate by means of the jacking
handle ensuring fingers are clear of the scanning head.
3. Set the alarm threshold so that the smallest defect on the calibration plate can be
detected. The lower the alarm threshold value, the more sensitive the alarm will be.
4. Scan the HS100 head over the artificial defects in the calibration plate and note which
defects cause the alarm to trigger. The scanner should be moved at a rate of between
300 and 500mm per second.
5. Repeatedly scan the head over the artificial defects in the calibration plate, adjusting the
threshold control upwards (to decrease alarm sensitivity) until the 40% pit is just detected
(audio and visual alarms will activate).
6. Increase the threshold setting by a further 5 points and check that the 40% pit is NOT
detected.
7. Decrease the threshold setting until the 40% pit is consistently detected. The HS100 unit
is now calibrated to detect pits from 40% upwards.
8. Push down on the jacking handle to break the leading magnet pole, and remove the
scanning head from the calibration plate.
9. Disconnect the HS100 scanning head from the Electronics Module and connect the
HS200 scanning head.
10. Attach the HS200 scanning head to the curved test piece, and adjust the sensor head
gap to 1mm as described in the Adjustments section of this manual.
11. The HS200 unit is now calibrated to detect pits from 40% upwards.

NOTE - At the end of each scan the unit must be turned through 180 degrees and the
subsequent scan made in the opposite direction. This is to avoid building up a residual
magnetic field in the calibration plate which will prevent accurate calibration of the
system.

Doc Ref:OM-HS
Rev: 1.4
Date of Release: 25/09/09
Page 14 of 19
Inspection
1. Transfer the scanning head to the test piece. Lower the magnet carriage onto the test
piece as described above.
2. Scan the test piece using the sideways leverage of the jacking handle to steer as
required. The test piece MUST be scanned in the same direction used during the
calibration.
3. When an indication above the alarm threshold is encountered there is an audible signal
and one or more of the six LED’s is illuminated.

Defect Detection and Confirmation

1. When an indication above the threshold value is encountered there is an audible signal
and one or more of the six LED’s is illuminated. Note which LED’s illuminate.
2. Move the scanning head backwards and forwards over the affected area until the centre
of the sensor array is over the detected pit.
3. Mark the position of the centre line of the sensor array on the plate and move the
scanning head away from the area.
4. Mark the position of the channels that have illuminated with short paint lines transverse
to the line in (3.) above. Left-hand LED indicators display defects found on the left half of
the scanning head and right-hand indicators for the right half.
5. Carry out Ultrasonic examination across the width of the affected half and for 50 mm in
front of and behind the line in (3.) above.
6. Record the position and depth of the located pits.

Doc Ref:OM-HS
Rev: 1.4
Date of Release: 25/09/09
Page 15 of 19
 Doc Ref:OM-HS
Rev: 1.4
Date of Release: 25/09/09
Page 16 of 19
 Doc Ref:OM-HS
Rev: 1.4
Date of Release: 25/09/09
Page 17 of 19
 Doc Ref:OM-HS
Rev: 1.4
Date of Release: 25/09/09
Page 18 of 19
 Doc Ref:OM-HS
Rev: 1.4
Date of Release: 25/09/09
Page 19 of 19