Where Your Pipe Dreams Come True

Thinking you might need a fiberscope rental but not sure what a fiberscope is or how to use it? Do you have questions about the difference between a rigid borescope and a fiberscope and videoscope?  Watch our short video introduction What is a fiberscope on the Atlas Inspection Technologies website and find out the answer to these and several other questions you may have. Darren Billings, President of Atlas Inspection Technologies makes seeing and understanding this topic easy to follow.  See what components make up a fiberscope and learn basic terminology, care and use in less than 3 minutes.

Whether you call it a fiberscope, fiber scope, flexible borescope, bore scope, or boroscope, Atlas’ application assistants can help you sort through your application needs and help you determine what is the right kind of remote visual inspection equipment for you. 800.281.0650 or 206.774.8704. info@atlas-inspection.com www.atlas-inspection.com

We’ve lowered rental pricing on our infrared camera rentals. IR camera rentals now start at $175/day.  We’ve also added FLIR i-Series and T-series cameras to our rental inventory, both of which now save images in .jpg format; no more software required for simply transferring and viewing images on your computer!  The T-Series also has on board video recording, which is great when still image capture just isn’t enough.  Give us a call to discuss your application and set your rental up today!  800.281.0650 or 206.774.8704

Have you ever wondered exactly what is a videoscope or what the main parts are and what they do?  Not sure about a videoscope’s basic care and use? Atlas Inspection Technologies has developed a short video that answers the basic questions about videoscopes for those who find themselves needing a quick tutorial before moving forward on a decision to rent a videoscope, or are trying to decide if they need to buy a videoscope for a specfic application. Darren Billings does a terrific job of explaining this subject in simple and easy to understand terminology and clean visuals. If you have about three minutes to spend, roll down to the bottom of our videoscope rentals page and watch the video.  You’ll come a way with a good basic understanding on this topic. 

In addition to the What is a Videoscope video introduction at the bottom of the rent a videoscope page of our website there are several short videos of inspections from the camera’s eye that were done with a videoscope including inspection of exchanger tubes, a gas turbine inspection, a video inspection of a diesel engine plus a couple of others; all short and all interesting.

As a side note for newbies, the terms borescope, boro scope, boroscope, video scope, videoprobe,  and video probe are all interchangeable with the term videoscope much like the terms auto, automobile, and car all mean the same thing.

If you still have questions about videoscopes that aren’t answered in this basic introduction, give Atlas a call at 206.774.8704 or 800.281.0650.  Our applications assistants will  be able to help you out and assist you in determining if a videoscope is the correct tool for what you need to do.  Enjoy!

Recently we were called in by a fire sprinkler inspection company to do a remote visual inspection of an apartment complex’s standpipes -  the fire department’s outside hook up.  The complex included 15 buildings each with its own standpipe and check valve and each needed to be inspected visually in some way other than having the fire sprinkler inspection company dig up the pipes to get the visuals needed.  We used a 7/8” push camera and a 6mm IT concepts videoscope to cover the distance needed for the inspection.  We were able to easily and clearly capture the visuals that the customer needed of each pipeline and/or check valve and the entire project took only about 4 hours for myself and Eric Sullivan, another Atlas Inspection Technologies inspector, to do all 15 buildings. I have a background in this industry and I can tell you that this was definitely a much superior way to get the visuals needed.

At the end of the inspection we provided the fire sprinkler inspection company with a concise full report that showed images captured in still form via email and DVD formats, as well as video capture where needed. The customer was very pleased and was able to see that they had the visuals they needed for the property owner and fire department.

Just last week I was in a meeting with another fire sprinkler company that was interested in what we had to offer and I was explaining to them about the inspection we just did. He said he wished he would have known about us a couple of weeks before because they had a similar inspection where they had to spend multiple days and multiple workers  digging up and inspecting a customer’s standpipes and check valves for blockage.  Their job took them a couple days. We could have handled it in couple hours which would have saved their customer quite a bit of money and time. We’ve got that fire sprinkler inspection company’s  business for the future.

If you’re needing standpipe, interior check valve inspection or if your insurance company has approved a dry pipe inspection, Atlas Inspection Technologies has the superior inspection solution .  Call us at 800.281.0650, 206.774.8704 , visit our website, or email Atlas at info@atlas-inspection.com  for more information or a quote. 

Subscribers to the monthly industry magazine Municipal Sewer & Water will notice in the January 2010 issue an article

Eric Sullivan Operating Panoramo SI

titled “Down the Tube,” which discusses the benefits of the Panoramo SI 3D optical manhole scanner.  This should be required reading for all collections system personnel and sewer contractors as this camera is revolutionizing efficient and complete manhole inspection all over the world.  The article explains the technology and how it is used.  Important information about software integration and MACP reporting is also mentioned.

Hi, I’m Brian Wilson. I am the new Business Development Manager for Industrial Accounts at Atlas Inspection Technologies. Atlas is a great company with a fantastic business model.  You can buy, rent, get your repairs done on your remote visual inspection equipment, or hire Atlas to do your inspections.  Our extensive line of equipment and top notch technical experts can fill just about any need.

I have been in industrial sales for eight plus years working in the Pacific Northwest.  Previously I was with one of the world’s largest manufacturer of videoscopes, and borescopes.  I have had the opportunity to work with and build relationships with many different types of customers, from Fortune 500 companies, to military bases, to different Government entities, to small local business built from the ground up.  I have assisted or been a part of many different RVI applications and love the fact that every application is different and different obstacles can come up where are tools resolve the problem. I pride myself in understanding what it is the customer needs and applying this to our product offering.  I know Atlas Inspection Technologies has a great product line and services that no other company can offer and I am proud to be a part of the team. I hope I can help you in your Remote Visual Inspection questions and needs.

I am looking forward to my new adventure with Atlas Inspection Technologies and I am looking forward to working with you.  You can reach me at the Seattle main number at 800.281.0651, or you can call me on my cellular 206-913-3674. My email address is brian.wilson@atlas-inspection.com.  If your need involves a borescope, fiberscope, videoscope, push camera or pipe crawler, XRF analyzer, thermal camera, or infrared window, Atlas Inspection Technologies is the place call – we’ll take care of you - I will take care or you!

The CPSC announced today in a press release that they have found a strong correlation between presence of hydrogen sulfide and defective drywall. This will pave the way for more wide spread use of XRF Analyzers like we use at Atlas Inspection Technologies for the non destructive testing and accurate identification of defective drywall.  While defectiv drywall’s corrosive effects on copper pipes, electrical wiring and appliances is unmistakable, the many reported health issues have not yet been formally linked to it.  According to a recent CNN report, defective drywall coming from China appears to be contaminated with a filer that came from a single coal mine that is also a source of hazardous waste.

A large Class Action Suit has begun meeting in New Orleans but one of the big difficulties has been deciding who is ultimately responsible: The manufacturers? The suppliers?  The installing contractors?  Other groups like the BESI are working to develop a dependable protocol for the successful and permanent remediation of defective drywall as some of the earlier remediation work that contractors have done has failed.

In the meantime, the CPSC’s statement that the presence of hydrogen sulfide as a dependable indicator for identifying whether or not defective drywall is present was welcome news for us as we have found XRF Analyzers to be one of the best, safest, fastest, and most accurate methods for identification. A recent set of inspections done by Atlas’ certified inspector Curt Harke found that every home he was asked to inspect in the Palm Springs area tested positive. Atlas does only the inspections and does not participate in remediation efforts which we feel keeps the testing efforts free of any perceived conflict of interest. 

Sean Payton, head coach of the New Orleans Saints is one of the better known people that found his home to be built almost completely with the defective drywall.  His home is being completely gutted and their family has moved to another location to be free of the problems and potential health risks being associated with defective drywall. It can’t hurt to have someone so well known willing to speak out about this debacle and it shows that it is a problem that affects all classes of homes.

The CPSC is asking anyone whose home tests positive for defective drywall to please notify them – you may keep your identity confidential if you fear that your insurance company will drop you. But finding the breadth of the problem will help them work toward developing more information on how widespread the problem is and tracking whether there are any long term health risks associated with defective drywall as so many homeowners are sure is the case.

If your home or condo was built, or had construction done that included the installation of drywall, particularly (but not limited to) between 2004 and 2005 and you are suspicious that defective drywall was used, contact us for information on what is involved in our certified non destructive testing for defective drywall.  Stay tuned.  As more information becomes available we’ll post it to our blog and website

I just got back from the BESI Defective Dry Wall Conference in Florida (October 25-27 2009) which was well attended by builders, homeowners, inspectors and attorneys.  The conference was sponsored by Spiderman Mulholland, the owner of BESI and a leading figure in understanding the enormous defective drywall problem the US has on its hands.   He has been working to put together a set of protocols for correct inspection, remediation and follow on testing.

The conference started out with a panel of experts and also homeowners who are experiencing  problems related to defective drywall including health issues and damage to their homes and condos that has made them both unfit to live in, not saleable, and basically worthless or at least worth far less. One homeowner told how he bought a house and because it has defective drywall it has now lost most of its value and there are no buyers in sight. Some people bought homes that they knew had defective drywall in them and thought they could repair and replace the damage and resell the homes at a profit, but they were unable to correct the problems and so can’t sell the homes.  

The Defective Drywall Panel discussed what there is to this point to help homeowners, and gave guidance on where to go.  The bottom line from all of the discussion is that if you have defective drywall there is really nothing you can do to fix it at this point because there have been no protocols  developed  and put in place to fix it correctly.  On some homes where the original remediation has been done the people moved in but then had to move out because the work was not done right and the problems caused by the defective drywall still exist.

I also took part in a training program on a set of inspection protocols developed by Spiderman Mulholland which includes a certification process to ensure that BESI certified inspectors properly inspect and diagnosis defective drywall. Spiderman made sure everyone understood what needs to be done to protect our own safety such as the use of respirators.  Many earlier drywall inspectors did not use respirators and are now getting sick and suffering from many of the same health issues the owners of homes with defective drywall have.  Mulholland wants to be sure that inspections and repairs are done with the health and safety of everyone and the restoration of the home and its value as the end result.

Atlas Inspection Technologies does BESI certified defective drywall inspections and if you’d like more information give us a call at 800.281.0650 or 206.774.8704. We’re working on developing a page on our website with more comprehensive information which we’ll keep up to date and relevant as changes occur.  One of those changes in process is in the use of additional inspection tools.  While many companies are using videoscopes to do non destructive and remote visual inspection, XRF analyzers will probably become the choice for a more comprehensive test.  While videoscopes can see the damage and labeling on the drywall, our XRF analyzers can do non destructive tests on the drywall itself and read the levels of stromtium and sulpher which are a more reliable indicator of whether there is defective dryeall.  Niton is working to develop a reference standard for just this purpose.

Keep watching our site and blog, and we’ll keep adding new information as it becomes available.

IRISS infrared windows installed on Eaton VC-W metal clad switchgear recently underwent arc flash resistance tests by the KEMA Powertest Lab in Pennsylvania.  Model VPFR IR Windows were fitted into the switch gear and using the IEEE C37.20.7 (IEC 622271-200) standard, several 63 kA 15 kV 30 cycle arc resistance tests were successfully performed.  In each case the IR windows contained the effects of the arc blast and provided another example of how IRISS infrared windows, as a part of a certified system, can protect lives and assets from the destruction caused by electrical short circuits.

 We’ve been IRISS’ largest North American Distributor since its inspection and with our 24/7 applications assistance we continue to provide more companies with these 2”, 3”, and 4” industrial grade windows with a life time guarantees than any other. Using infrared windows as part of a safe practices electrical inspection program allows for closed panel inspections eliminating 99.9% of the arc flash triggers that occur during infrared electrical surveys and are an important part of meeting NFPA and OSHA mandates.  Give us a call at 800.281.0650 or 206.774.8704 to learn more or visit our website where you’ll find product images, specifications and dowloads, links to arc flash blast footage and the extremely well written and comprehensive free guide by IRISS designer and CEO Martin Robinson entitled “10 Things”.

This part two of a piece I blogged about earlier regarding the two gentlemen that found a very old, very small vase at a flea market in California in the 1970’s.  They knew it was very old, but the technology wasn’t available for them to look at what was written inside of it without damaging it.

We were able to  do a borescope inspection of the vase recently and one of the owners then took the recorded images and traveled to Great Britan to meet with the asian curator there. From the borescope images of the writing inside the vase it appears that this little vase is one of very few ever made like it.  It is imperial and probably made at the request of the Congzhen Emperor around 1643, one year prior to the fall of the Ming dynasty and Congzhe’s demise.

The writing inside the vase has been translated as “son of heaven of the great ming”.  Apparently it wasn’t a vase at all but a very small bottle and it probably held a powder which was possibly a poison or a drug. Plus a piece of Sanskrit was found and translated to “three jewels”.  There are three “jewels” embedded on the forehead of the dragon on this bottle, but the question remains as to why the addition of the Sanskrit writing? The experts are contemplating whether a priest was somehow involved with its design, creation, and contents.

It has been a fun story to follow, and Atlas Inspection Technologies’ ability do the inspection allowed the images to be recorded and forwarded across the world to the experts and has no doubt helped keep this little bottle safe and undamaged. At the end of this blog piece I’ve included a segment of the writing from inside the bottle for anyone that might be interested.

When we aren’t helping someone determine the origin and use of a piece of antiquity, we do many other kinds of inspections, including pipe, turbine, elemental analysis, vessel, thermal and more.  Give us a call if we can help you with your inspection.  800.281.0650. www.atlas-inspection.com.  I’ll blog again if we hear any more on this interesting story.

borescope inspection of ming bottle