Magnetic Rope Testing (MRT): INTRON PLUS' Global Technology for Wire Rope Inspection, Now Available Through Petrolift
A steel wire rope can look perfectly sound on the outside while serious defects develop deep inside it: internal corrosion, broken wires, or advanced wear that leaves no visible trace on the surface. When these hidden defects reach a critical stage, the result is a sudden, unexpected failure that puts people, equipment, and operations at serious risk.This is exactly the challenge that Magnetic Rope Testing (MRT) solves.
Petrolift is now adding MRT to its inspection service portfolio in partnership with INTRON PLUS, a global leader in the development and manufacturing of non-destructive testing (NDT) equipment for steel wire ropes, steel-cord conveyor belts, and storage tanks. INTRON PLUS' technology is patented in several countries, with representatives in more than 30 countries and 7 authorised service centres worldwide. Petrolift is the authorised distributor of INTRON PLUS products and services in Egypt and the region.
What is Magnetic Rope Testing (MRT)? |
MRT is based on the Magnetic Flux Leakage (MFL) principle: a magnetic head fully saturates the rope with a magnetic field, and any discontinuity — internal or external — creates a flux leakage that is instantly detected and recorded, without stopping the rope from operating or causing it any damage.The core instrument is INTROS, an MFL flaw detector for steel wire ropes that measures:- Loss of Metallic cross-sectional Area (LMA) — a quantitative value, expressed as a percentage.- Local Flaws (LF) — such as broken wires, broken strands, and pitting corrosion — a qualitative value.
INTROS conforms to the international standards ASTM E1571, ISO 4309, EN 12927, and IMCA LR 004, which specify MRT as an essential element for wire rope integrity and safety.
System components |
- Magnetic Head: available in a wide range of sizes covering rope diameters from Ø6 mm to Ø175 mm, suiting everything from thin ropes to the heavy ropes used on offshore cranes and suspension bridges.- Basic Unit: a portable data logger used on site.
- Climber Unit: a remote device for actuating INTROS along inclined ropes.
- Wintros software: handles instrument re-calibration, combining several recorded traces, noise filtering, automatic marking of located defects, quantitative comparison between successive inspections, and automatic generation of the final inspection report.
The Wintros-RTV package additionally allows real-time online viewing during inspection.For continuous monitoring rather than periodic inspection, Petrolift also offers INTROS-AUTO, an automatic condition-monitoring system for steel wire ropes that displays results as a simple "traffic light" indicator — green (rope in working condition), amber (approaching discard), red (rope must be discarded) — based on the number of broken wires, the percentage LMA, and the speed of rope degradation.
Why MRT outperforms traditional visual inspection |
Traditional visual inspection — the "rag-and-eye" method — relies on manually examining the surface with strong lighting and a magnifying glass. It is useful, but limited: it only detects surface flaws, cannot cover the entire rope surface, cannot measure LMA, and remains a subjective assessment rather than documented, objective data.MRT, by contrast, detects internal and external defects simultaneously, producing a quantitative, documented inspection report that can be compared against future inspections. Inspection data can even be used to assess the residual breaking strength of the rope, forecast its remaining service life, and determine the date of the next inspection.
Direct benefits for your operations |
1. Higher safety: early detection of corrosion and broken wires prevents sudden failures and protects both people and equipment.
2. Cost reduction: replacement decisions based on actual rope condition rather than a fixed schedule, avoiding unnecessary replacements.
3. Extended safe service life: ropes are used to their full safe capacity without compromising safety standards.
4. Data-driven decisions: detailed, comparable inspection reports support better maintenance planning.
5. Higher operational efficiency: fewer unplanned shutdowns and better-optimised maintenance schedules.
Where is MRT used? |
- Aerial cableways
- Cranes
- Offshore heavy lifting
- Elevators
- Guyed structures and flare stack guy ropes
- Drilling rigs
- Civil engineering (e.g., suspension bridge cables)
- Mining, including underground mines
Petrolift and INTRON PLUS also cover non-destructive inspection of steel-cord conveyor belts (using the eddy-current based INTROCON scanner) and inspection of the floors and walls of above-ground storage tanks (using the MFL-based INTROCOR M-150 scanner).
A new service, backed by Petrolift's commitment to safety
By adding Magnetic Rope Testing, in partnership with INTRON PLUS, to its inspection portfolio, Petrolift — accredited by TUV, LEEA, ABS, and OPITO — continues to bring more advanced inspection solutions to its clients across the oil & gas and heavy industries sectors, raising safety standards while reducing operating and maintenance costs.
To learn more about integrating Magnetic Rope Testing into your equipment's periodic inspection plan, get in touch with the Petrolift team.
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