CoreStar is a leading manufacturer of eddy current products and software. Our goal is to provide solutions for your eddy current testing needs. We have been selling products into the eddy current inspection market for over 15 years, and each of our three principals has over 25 years’ experience in the eddy current inspection market.
CoreStar manufactures a complete line of test instrumentation, probes, software, and accessories. We have become a major player in the tubing inspection industry by listening to our customers, selling technically excellent products, and providing timely and helpful support.
ID tubing probes
CoreStar supplies a complete line of ID tubing probes, from steam generator inspection probes to barnacle scrapper probes for main condensers to rotating probes that are helically scanned through the tubing for the ultimate in eddy current information.
Our EddyFLEX probes are a direct replacement for the standard poly shaft probes used in much of the industry. This design permits a variety of probe sizes to be used with the CoreStar long-life cable technology. The EddyFLEX probe will last several times longer than conventional BS probes due, in part, to the rugged head construction and the long-life shaft’s resistance to kinking.
In addition, the interchangeable head greatly reduces inventory requirements and costs normally associated with maintaining a large selection of probe sizes necessary to perform heat exchanger inspections. If desired, we can supply standard poly shaft probes as well.
Test equipment for steam generator inspection
Our OMNI-200 Tester-In-Pusher has become the leading test instrument for steam generator inspection in the nuclear industry. Westinghouse has moved to our instrument for almost all of their inspection needs. The OMNI-200 Tester-In-Pusher is a full featured eddy current test instrument packaged in the hub of our TD-200 probe pusher. One piece of equipment now replaces five boxes and the only requirements are air, power, and an Ethernet cable. The data quality is much improved since the instrument rotates along with the probe and no slip-ring noise is introduced into the system.
The OMNI-200 remote system has become the industry standard in the US balance of plant market due to its reliability, data quality, support, ease of use, and the excellence of the CoreStar EddyVISION32 software products. It is packaged in one box; RFT support is optional, all in one package.
Eddy current testing software
Our most mature product line is the EddyVISION32 software. Data acquisition, data analysis, and DBMS / mapping / reporting software are available.
The data acquisition software is included with the purchase of any instrument. It controls the OMNI-200 and the TD-200 probe pusher and implements other features including automated data acquisition. This feature automatically detects air on the near and far side of the tube and slows the probe accordingly. The result of this motion control system is increased probe life and increased inspection speed.
The data analysis software has all of the typical features such as curves, mixes, auto-location, user configurable screen layout, report generation, and filters. It also has context-sensitive help, reads most third-party data formats, and can be configured to show historical indications from previous outages. Additional modules are available for analyzing CSCAN data, and automated data analysis.
DBMS is a mapping and reporting software package with an ACCESS compatible database. Results are imported from the data analysis software and displayed according to their row / tube position as defined by the heat exchanger’s tube-sheet layout. SQL queries can be performed on the inspection data and the results are displayed on the tube sheet map. Written reports can be generated as well.
Probe pusher
The TD-200 Track Drive probe pusher is controlled by the EddyVISION32 software via an Ethernet connection. The drive force on the probe is applied by a grooved drive belt pressing against a roller plate. The pressure between the two sides is applied via an air platen; the air pressure is software regulated.
Anti-slip controls are implemented by controlling the air pressure while monitoring the motor encoder and the poly shaft encoder. If there is a discrepancy, the pressure is automatically increased to avoid probe slippage. Controlling slippage and other motion control features increase probe life and improve the functionality of the automated acquisition software.
Software control for probe pushers
The Multi-Function Motor Controller (MMC) permits software control of many third-party probe pushers. The MMC is connected to the control computer via Ethernet and is physically connected to the probe pusher. This allows our software to control many third-party drive systems in use today.