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How IPEC Is Expanding Asset Integrity Services with HandySCAN EVO
Introduction
Founded in 1973, IPEC brings over 50 years of experience. IPEC has built its reputation as one of Ireland’s specialist providers of non-destructive testing and inspection services. What began with pipeline NDT work has evolved into a broader offering spanning general and advanced NDT techniques, including phased array, ultrasonic testing, leak testing, paint inspection and gas surveys.
Today, IPEC supports critical infrastructure and industrial operators across Ireland, including longstanding work associated with Gas Networks Ireland. Operating in sectors where safety, asset integrity and service continuity matter, the company has continued to invest in the skills and technologies needed to deliver dependable, technically robust inspection services.
That commitment to innovation is central to IPEC’s approach. Rather than standing still with conventional inspection methods, the business is focused on giving clients access to better data, better visibility and better decision-making through the adoption of more advanced technologies, including 3D scanning.
Objectives
IPEC had already been using 3D scanning for several years, originally investing in the technology to support one of its largest customers and to close a capability gap in advanced pipeline integrity assessment. At the time, the goal was to provide a more precise method for evaluating corrosion, quantifying metal loss and supporting safer decisions around pressure ratings and pipe condition.
More recently, the company upgraded to the Creaform HandySCAN EVO, supplied by Measurement Solutions, with a broader objective in mind: not only to improve the efficiency and usability of its 3D scanning workflows, but also to expand the technology into new sectors and applications beyond straight pipe sections.
For IPEC, the objective is not innovation for innovation’s sake. It is about helping clients monitor assets more effectively, using technology to provide a more complete and consistent picture of condition than is typically possible with basic spot checks alone.
Application Areas
IPEC is using the HandySCAN EVO to support corrosion mapping, integrity assessment and condition monitoring across industrial pipework and related assets.
While pipeline inspection remains a core application, the latest software capabilities have broadened the scope considerably. Instead of being limited mainly to straight pipe sections, IPEC can now apply 3D scanning to more complex geometries, including:
- Curved surfaces
- Elbows
- Tanks
- Vessel heads
- Irregularly corroded areas
- Localised defect zones requiring more detailed evaluation
The system is also being used as part of a wider inspection workflow rather than always as a standalone service. For example, IPEC may first use digital radiography to identify hidden corrosion beneath lagging or insulation. Once an area of concern has been exposed, the HandySCAN EVO can then be used to create a detailed 3D map of the affected section, quantify corrosion loss and generate a clearer picture of the weak points that may need monitoring or replacement.
This makes the technology particularly valuable for clients looking to move from reactive maintenance towards more informed condition monitoring programmes, where asset deterioration can be tracked over time using consistent digital data.
Challenges
One of the biggest challenges IPEC sees in the Irish market is that many industrial sites still rely on relatively basic maintenance checks when assessing pipework condition. Conventional ultrasonic thickness checks can be useful, but they only provide point-by-point readings. In practice, that means an inspector may take a good reading in one location and another good reading a short distance away, while significant degradation remains hidden between those points.
According to IPEC, this is where the gap lies. In parts of the UK and Europe, more structured and advanced approaches to integrity management are more established. In contrast, in Ireland, the market is still catching up in terms of the routine adoption of higher-resolution inspection methods.
That does not mean Ireland lacks regulation altogether. Irish dutyholders are still subject to pressure-system and major-accident safety requirements, including statutory examinations and the management of ageing and corrosion risks, but IPEC’s experience is that there is often more room for interpretation in how operators monitor pipework in practice. In the UK, pressure systems legislation requires a written scheme of examination and defined examinations, which creates a firmer framework around inspection planning.
Commercially, that creates another challenge: clients may understand that corrosion exists, but still hesitate over the added cost of advanced inspection if replacement seems simpler, or if they have not yet seen the value of condition monitoring over time. In some cases, 3D scanning is easiest to justify when pipework is borderline, when there is a need to extend asset life safely, or when a client wants evidence-based decisions rather than broad assumptions.
There were also practical limitations with IPEC’s previous 3D scanning system. The earlier scanner was more affected by ambient light, which made outdoor work more difficult and sometimes required pipes to be covered with a tarp to achieve reliable results. Workflows were also less streamlined, and the scanning process demanded closer coordination between the operator and a second technician watching the laptop.
Solution
By upgrading to the HandySCAN EVO, IPEC has been able to modernise and simplify its 3D scanning capability while opening up more advanced inspection opportunities for clients.
The new system gives IPEC a more flexible field-ready solution for corrosion mapping and asset integrity work. Compared with the previous scanner, the EVO is faster, easier to use on site and better suited to real-world inspection environments, including brighter conditions where the older system struggled.
The front display on the scanner has made a particularly noticeable difference. Operators can now see what they are scanning directly on the device, reducing the need for a second person to monitor progress from the laptop and call out missed areas. The workflow is also more efficient, allowing raw scan data to be captured and then processed within different software modules afterwards, rather than forcing everything through a more rigid start-to-finish sequence.
For IPEC, the value of the solution is not just the scanner hardware itself, but the wider integrity software ecosystem that enables more meaningful analysis. The newer integrity modules have expanded what can be assessed and reported, turning 3D scanning from a niche capability into a more versatile service offering.
“We want to give our clients a clearer, more reliable understanding of their assets. With 3D scanning, we can properly assess pipework condition and track how it changes over time, something that simply isn’t possible with more basic inspection methods.”
James Murphy, Technical Manager, IPEC
Benefits
The move to the HandySCAN EVO has delivered several practical and commercial benefits for IPEC.
First, it has improved usability in the field. The scanner is more intuitive to operate, quicker to deploy and better suited to site conditions than the previous system. This matters in industrial environments where access can be awkward, time is limited, and equipment needs to work reliably without excessive setup.
Second, it has improved mobility and efficiency. The system is easier to handle on-site, and the updated workflow makes it simpler to capture and save scan data for later analysis. That flexibility helps IPEC work more effectively across a range of projects and locations.
Third, it has broadened the service offering. With the newer software modules, IPEC can now assess more than just straight pipe sections. This creates more opportunities to support clients with complex assets, supplementary inspections and future condition monitoring programmes.
Finally, the technology strengthens IPEC’s market position. In a specialist Irish market with relatively few comparable providers, the ability to combine advanced NDT expertise with modern 3D scanning gives IPEC a strong point of differentiation. It allows the company to demonstrate that it is investing in the latest inspection technologies, not just to follow industry change, but to help clients make better maintenance and integrity decisions.
Results
Although it is still relatively early in IPEC’s adoption of the HandySCAN EVO, the business is already seeing clear signs of value.
The most immediate result has been improved practicality and efficiency compared with the previous scanner. Outdoor scanning is now less affected by sunlight, scanning is faster, and the on-device display makes the process more self-contained for the operator. These improvements reduce friction on site and make the system more usable in the kinds of environments where IPEC needs to work.
Just as importantly, the upgrade is helping IPEC generate new opportunities. A recent demonstration and follow-up site work at a major pharmaceutical facility showed how the scanner could be used to quantify corrosion and support a more informed assessment of deteriorating pipework. By combining digital radiography with 3D scanning, IPEC was able to offer not just defect detection, but detailed measurement and mapping of material loss.
That ability to quantify corrosion volumetrically is a major step forward from conventional spot checks. Instead of relying on isolated thickness readings, IPEC can provide clients with a digital record of condition, clearer evidence of weak points and a stronger basis for future monitoring and maintenance planning.
Over time, this opens the door to one of IPEC’s key long-term goals: building condition monitoring programmes where the same assets can be rescanned after several years and directly compared against previous datasets. That gives clients a more transparent and repeatable way to understand how deterioration is progressing and where intervention is really needed.
Final Outcome
For IPEC, the HandySCAN EVO is more than a replacement for an older 3D scanner. It is a platform for delivering a more advanced, more consistent and more forward-looking inspection service.
By upgrading to the latest Creaform technology, IPEC has improved the speed, usability and flexibility of its scanning workflows while strengthening its ability to support clients with corrosion mapping, asset integrity assessment and longer-term condition monitoring.
The investment also reflects the company’s wider philosophy: to remain innovative, adopt technologies that genuinely improve service delivery, and offer clients more than the basics. In a market where advanced integrity assessment is still gaining traction, IPEC is positioning itself at the front of that shift, helping Irish industry move towards better-informed maintenance decisions, stronger asset management and more consistent inspection outcomes.
“A lot of inspection methods are still quite basic. With 3D scanning, we can give clients a much more complete picture of what’s actually happening, and that makes a big difference when it comes to decision-making.”
James Murphy, Technical Manager, IPEC
