{"id":823,"date":"2015-12-04T16:53:22","date_gmt":"2015-12-04T16:53:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.bergeng.com\/blog\/?p=823"},"modified":"2023-12-21T19:04:19","modified_gmt":"2023-12-21T19:04:19","slug":"the-ge-dm5e-critical-thickness-measurement-for-oil-and-gas-industries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bergeng.com\/blog\/the-ge-dm5e-critical-thickness-measurement-for-oil-and-gas-industries\/","title":{"rendered":"The GE DM5E: Critical Thickness Measurement for Oil and Gas Industries"},"content":{"rendered":"

We\u2019ve written before about the importance of NDT (nondestructive testing) in the oil and gas industries\u2014particularly in our wildly popular infographic on the subject<\/a>. Today, we\u2019re zooming in to focus on one tool in particular that helps NDT technicians create a safer world: the GE DM5E Basic Ultrasonic Thickness Gauge Unit<\/a>. This test unit is a bit of an unsung hero in the oil and gas industries, and it deserves a profile.<\/p>\n

So what exactly does the GE DM5E do? In a word, it performs thickness tests on pipes and tanks that hold oil and gas. This is one area of public safety which owes everything<\/em> to NDT. Without test equipment like the DM5E, technicians would have no ability to detect invisible flaws in oil and gas pipes and tanks. Undetected flaws could lead to devastating ruptures, fires, and explosions\u2014as they have historically.<\/p>\n

Pipeline Flaw Detection: Critical to Public Safety<\/h2>\n
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Photo courtesy of Brocken Inaglory<\/a>. Licensed under Creative Commons 3.0 Attribution-Share Alike.<\/a><\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In 2010, faulty welds in a 30\u201d gas pipe caused a massive explosion and fire in San Bruno, CA. While we can\u2019t say that the DM5E could have prevented this explosion\u2014many factors led to it\u2014we\u2019re fairly certain that this section of pipe was not <\/em>tested for flaws. It\u2019s possible that testing of the pipe with a thickness gauge unit (like the DM5E) could have alerted technicians to the growing fault in the pipe. In the future, we hope more gas companies will adopt technologies like the DM5E to detect flaws before lives are lost.<\/p>\n

The DM5E: Unsung Hero of Pipeline NDT<\/h2>\n

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In the hands of NDT technicians, the DM5E is detecting pipeline flaws every day. That means countless dangerous situations aren\u2019t even happening\u2014all because of the proper use of NDT equipment. The more NDT is practiced comprehensively in the oil and gas industry, the safer our world becomes.<\/p>\n

The DM5E: Straight from the Source<\/h2>\n

Let\u2019s listen to Mike Bezemer of GE as he explains the DM5E from inside the company. This video is a good overview of the DM5E. For more information, read the full description of the GE DM5E on our website<\/a>.<\/p>\n