This
work was started in collaboration with foreign experts. Very often tiny cracks
remain in the joints of pipes etc. Sometimes the joints are not secure enough.
As a result the liquid flowing through the pipes leaks out. Therefore it is
necessary to make use of X-rays. It is possible to detect the cracks using X-rays.
To take on the work of inspection, the company took the help of experts from the
well known American company, ‘X-ray Engineering International,’ situated in California
and started the work.
This
company had a laboratory well equipped with various instruments. To transport
the film to different places and carry out inspections they had a motorised van
with a dark room to develop the film on the spot. With this kind of equipment
and expert and knowledgeable engineers, this was the best company in India at
the time for this remarkable work.
The
field of activity of this company was vast. In addition to testing pipelines
they also tested large metal pressure vessels (Horton spheres) used for storage,
boilers, penstock* etc. During the eight years, from to 1963 to 1971, the main
companies for which they carried out testing were: Calcutta Gas Pipeline,
Gujarat Pipeline, Caltex Pipe Works, Burmah Shell, Tata Locomotives, Mukund
Iron, Ceat Tyres, Sindhia, Indian Oxygen, Alcock Ashdown, Richardson and Cruddas,
Walchand Industries, Skoda, Tastil Mazgaon Docks, Ordinance Factory, Nangal and
Trombay Fertilisers, Union Chemicals, Synthetic and Chemicals, Travancore
Fertilisers and Chemicals, Larsen and Toubro, Polychem, Nestor Boilers, Ri Hand
Scheme, Koyna Organisation, Gandarbal (Kashmir) Organisation, Andhra Power,
Altadhari (Maharashtra) Organisation, Neria Mangalam of Kerela, Paniyar and
Pothgal Kathu and in addition the thermal power stations in Chandni (Madhya
Pradesh), Uttaran and Dhuvaran (Gujarat), Trombay etc.
The
expert X-ray technicians had devised a method of carrying out the tests without
disturbing the work in progress, so that during the testing process water, oil
and other liquids could continue to flow and there was no need to stop the
work.
This
work was extremely delicate so many different instruments had to be used. Thus
the company’s laboratory was equipped with the latest instruments.
The
directors of this company were Shri Punamchand Kamani, Shri Rasiklal Kamani and
W. W. Oftner of X-ray Engineering International.
___________________________________________________________________________
*penstock: A regulator consisting of a valve or gate that
controls the rate of water flow through a sluice; conduit that carries a rapid
flow of water controlled by a sluice gate.
Along with the successful industrial
progress during these eight years, research and development in the company was
also moving ahead by leaps and bounds, so the future of the company seemed very
bright.
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