Hexagon Digital Wave to supply ultrasonic examination equipment for Type III composite cylinders

Hexagon Digital Wave (Centennial, Colo., U.S.) a business of Hexagon Composites ASA (Alesund, Norway) signed a contract with a U.S.-based Type III composite cylinder manufacturer to supply ultrasonic examination (UE) equipment for its cylinders intended for the aerospace industry. The UE equipment will enable the testing of the interior metallic liners for structural integrity and manufacturing flaws prior to completing the composite overwrap.

“We feel privileged to deliver our first aerospace UE installation and have our equipment chosen for such a technically advanced industry,” says Keith Fountain, UE International sales manager. “The non-destructive testing [NDT] attributes play a vital role in the design to ensure operational flight safety.”

UE uses advanced electronics and sensors that assess the structural integrity of high-pressure metallic cylinders for overall safety. UE has reportedly been the market leader in periodic testing for high-pressure seamless metallic cylinders for 15 years and allows customers to test their cylinders without venting the gaseous contents. 

The UE machine will be delivered in the second quarter of 2021.