New XL Go+ Offers Increased Probability of Detection GE Inspection Technologies

Improves Productivity and Efficiency of Remote Visual Inspection

With its innovative XpertSuite of features, the new XL Go+ portable VideoProbe from the Inspection Technologies business of GE Measurement and Control offers improved probability of detection (POD), to provide increased efficiency, reliability and productivity in a range of inspection tasks in confined, hard-to-reach locations. Developed from the company’s field-proven XL Go series of remote visual inspection (RVI) equipment and weighing just 3.8 lb (1.73 kg), the robust XL Go+ sets new standards of light output, image quality and precise steerability and incorporates powerful measuring tools. It will find application both as a trouble-shooting solution to determine the cause of unexpected breakdown and as a routine maintenance tool in the oil and gas and process sectors and, particularly, in the inspection of rotating machinery in aerospace and power generation.

“The XL Go+ has been developed to help ensure that the chances of missing a defect or an out-of-place artifact are greatly reduced,” say Melissa Stancato. RVI product manager at GE. “In turn, this will help to reduce the chances of catastrophic failures, while reducing maintenance costs. This is especially relevant in the case of compressors or gas turbines, where undetected flaws can eventually cause shut-down, which can lead to forced outage costs of the order of millions of dollars.”

The XpertSuite of XL Go+ consists of four performance-enhancing features. XpertSteer combines Servomotor All-Way® articulation with GE’s patented bump gesturing, which allows users to have precise control over navigation to provide probe articulation in small increments, permitting extremely precise steering for better defect visibility in tight applications. XpertLight uses a highly powered LED and an extremely efficient optical system to achieve significant improvement in lamp light output, greatly improving image quality and POD. XpertBright relies on an optical bonding of the LCD to remove any air gaps, minimizing light scatter and glare. This combines with the transreflectivity of the LCD, which uses ambient light to enhance its brightness, to provide ease of viewing even in bright sunlight. XpertVision introduces, for the first time with any portable VideoProbe, an ancillary battery-powered monitor, which can be easily connected to the XL Go+ to allow remote observation or additional viewing by a second inspector. This has particular application in turbine blade inspection, where a second inspector can now see how quickly he is turning the blades that his colleague is inspecting.

The rugged XL Go+, which is designed for operation in a wide range of harsh environmental conditions, features powerful operating, application and measurement software. Intuitive drop-down menus, combined with on-screen cues ensure user-friendly operation and the instrument can create data folders, recall files and copy and view thumbnail images. GE’s patented Menu Directed Inspection (MDI) is an optional add-on. This software tool helps guide inspectors through the inspection process and intelligently names saved images and videos and auto-generates reports. The latest version of MDI will be available for users to trial and this introduces new features such as characterization of specific components to speed up inspections, increased inspection detail and the ability to import reference materials in standard image forms. The range of measurement tools incorporated in XL Go+ includes ShadowProbe®, StereoProbe® and Comparison measurement capabilities.