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Aerial NDT · Okanagan

Pulsed Eddy Current (CUI) in Kelowna, BC

Corrosion-under-insulation screening through cladding — pulsed eddy current by drone reads wall thickness through up to 100 mm of insulation and weather jacket. No stripping. Flown by Transport Canada-certified RPAS pilots serving Kelowna and the Okanagan region — since 1999 as BC's leak detection and inspection specialists.

≤ 100 mm
Max lift-off (insulation)
3–18 mm
Wall range (carbon steel)
0 m²
Insulation removed to screen

Free phone consult · No pressure · Mon–Sat 8am–6pm PT

Flying Kelowna: local context

YLW control zone under authorization; lakefront towers, wineries, and solar uptake drive a diverse aerial book.

Local asset profile: Lakefront estates with pools and extensive irrigation, orchard and vineyard parcels, and a fast-rising downtown tower skyline.

Typical pulsed eddy current (cui) work around Kelowna

  • Tower envelope thermography
  • Winery and solar array scans
  • Insulated piping and vessels (CUI)
  • Aluminum-jacketed assets
  • Tank insulation systems

How the Kelowna survey runs

  1. 1

    CUI risk mapping

    Operating temperature bands and insulation condition identify the highest-probability CUI zones — screening starts where the odds are worst.

  2. 2

    Through-cladding scan

    The PEC sensor reads relative wall thickness through insulation and jacket — up to 100 mm of lift-off — while the asset stays fully dressed.

  3. 3

    Anomaly grading

    Wall-loss indications are graded and ranked; clean areas are cleared without a single jacket screw turned.

  4. 4

    Targeted verification

    Only graded anomalies get insulation windows opened for direct UT verification — removal budgets shrink to the spots that matter.

Kelowna questions, answered

What is corrosion under insulation and why is it such a problem?

CUI is external corrosion on insulated piping and vessels, fed by moisture trapped against the steel — invisible until the jacket comes off or the wall fails. It is among the most expensive integrity threats in process industries precisely because finding it traditionally meant stripping and reinstating insulation on spec.

How does PEC see through insulation?

Pulsed eddy current induces a decaying electromagnetic field in the steel through the non-conductive insulation and thin jacket; the decay rate corresponds to remaining average wall thickness. It reads through up to 100 mm of lift-off on 3–18 mm carbon steel walls — screening data with zero removal.

Is PEC a replacement for UT?

No — it is the screening layer. PEC grades relative wall loss through cladding fast; direct UT then quantifies the graded spots through small inspection windows. The pairing typically cuts insulation removal budgets by an order of magnitude versus strip-and-inspect.

What jacket materials can you scan through?

Aluminum and stainless weather jackets over standard insulations are the designed use case. Thick galvanized jackets reduce sensitivity and get flagged at scoping. The aerial platform adds the part rope teams hate: elevated insulated lines and vessel tops without scaffolding.

Can you legally fly drones for inspection in Kelowna?

Yes — our pilots hold Transport Canada RPAS certification with advanced-operations capability, and Kelowna operations run under whatever airspace authorizations the location requires. YLW control zone under authorization; lakefront towers, wineries, and solar uptake drive a diverse aerial book. Flight planning, NOTAM checks, and authorizations are part of the service, not your problem.

How does Kelowna weather affect scheduling?

Aerial inspection flies in defined weather windows — wind, precipitation, and (for thermal work) the right temperature differentials. Kelowna sits in our standing Okanagan coverage, so we schedule against the local forecast and typically land the survey within days of booking rather than weeks. Mon–Sat, 8am–6pm Pacific.

What does pulsed eddy current (cui) cost in Kelowna?

Province-wide pricing — no regional premium for Kelowna. Single-asset thermal surveys typically start in the high hundreds; NDT campaigns and multi-asset programs are quoted by scope. The free phone consult (604-239-9934) produces a firm number in about five minutes.

Need pulsed eddy current (cui) in Kelowna?

Free phone consult — asset, access, airspace, and a firm quote in five minutes. No pressure.

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