Boroscopy is the technique where high resolution images or videos are recorded for inspection of stainless steel pipes, transfer lines, large vessels & clean in place lines & equipment to inspect internal surfaces & welding joints which are difficult to see with naked eyes.
Boroscopy is the type of non destructive visual inspection technique where internal surfaces are inspected without dismantling or opening.
Instrument Used For Boroscopy
The instrument used for boroscopy is known as borescope.A borescope is a portable device where its working length is inserted into holes for inspection.
Components Of Borescope
Borescope consist of following main parts,
- Working Length
- Light Source
- Optical System
- Display
Working Length
The main extended component of boroscopy is its working length which may be rigid or flexible.It is part of a borescope which is inserted into any hole or into pipes for inspection.
Light Source
Light sources send light to the target site to illuminate it for better capturing of images or videos.
Optical System
Optical system is the eye of a borescope & it may be a relay lens system,rod lens system,fiber optic image system or camera.
Display
It is the part which assists to watch or see the images & videos.
Types Of Borescope
General term borescope is used for this instrument but there are following 3 types of borescope
- Rigid Borescope
- Flexible Borescope
- Video Borescope
Rigid Borescope
As the name indicates it’s working length is rigid like a rod.It is used where a straight insertion is required.
Image of the object is taken by the lense, sent to the relay system & real time image can be seen by eye piece.
Flexible Borescope
Flexible borescope is also known as fiberscope.Object image is taken by the lens & sent to the relay system by optic fibers.The image can be seen by eye piece or it has the option to connect eyepiece with camera & this camera displays image on screen.
Videoscope
Videoscope is the advance type of borescope & it resembles with fiberscope.The main difference between these two is that the videoscope has a small camera for image capturing & it is also capable of recording videos.
Why Boroscopy Is Performed
We know that various types of
transfer pipes,transfer lines & CIP lines are used in pharmaceutical industries for cleaning & transferring water or products from one place to another.
Many storage tanks & equipment have some narrow internal structure which are difficult to observe with the naked eye.
Product compliance & quality is the main aim of any pharmaceutical industry so all blind structures are inspected with borescope for following reasons.
- To check internal surface defects like pitting corrosion or cracks.
- To check the quality of welding joints.
- To inspect any blisters on the internal surface.
- To inspect the peeling of the internal surface.
- It is the regulatory requirement to have inspection documents of all the pipelines in pharmaceutical industries.
Procedure Of Boroscopy
- Make sure that the pipeline to be checked is easily accessible & clean.
- Turn Borescope on & insert its working length for inspection.
- Take a 360° view of the internal surface & observe for any defect.
- Carefully observe all the welded joints & save a picture of each joint with identification number.
- In case of any defect in the internal surface portion or joint, mark it as failed & retest after rectification.
- All the pictures & videos are saved with location,name & ID numbers for easy traceability.