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Onsite Testing &
PMIServices
Portable OES, XRF, hardness, in-situ metallography, coating inspection, and NDT at your facility. No need to cut samples. No production downtime.
Featured Service
Positive Material Identification (PMI)
Alloy grade verification on installed equipment — piping, vessels, heat exchangers, valves — without cutting, without downtime. Per API RP 578, ASME PCC-2, and client-specific PMI procedures.
Portable OES
Mobile spark optical emission spectrometry delivering full chemistry including carbon, sulphur, nitrogen, and boron. The only field method that quantifies carbon in low-alloy steels and stainless grades with lab-equivalent accuracy.
- C, S, N, B included
- Full chemistry
- ISO/IEC 17025:2017
- Field Emission
Applications : Grade verification of installed piping, pressure vessels, and critical components where carbon content is essential for NACE compliance.
Handheld XRF
Rapid alloy sorting and grade identification with a portable XRF analyser. Ideal for incoming material inspection and high-volume sorting where speed is the priority.
- Most elements
- No C, S, N
- ISO/IEC 17025:2017
Applications : Rapid alloy sorting, incoming material verification, mixed material identification — stainless, Ni alloys, duplex SS, carbon steel, low-alloy.
LIBS
Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy enables carbon quantification in low-alloy steels in the field — bridging the gap left by XRF where carbon verification matters.
- C in low-alloy steel
- Non-contact
- Field use
Applications : Field carbon verification for NACE sour service compliance, grade confirmation where P-number carbon limits must be verified on installed hardware.
| Method | Instrument | Elements / Capability | Applications |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portable OES | Mobile spark OES | Full chemistry incl. C, S, N, B | Grade verification of installed piping, pressure vessels |
| Handheld XRF | XRF analyser | Most elements except C, S, N | Rapid alloy sorting, incoming material inspection |
| LIBS | Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy | Including C in low-alloy steels | Field carbon verification, NACE sour service compliance |
Positive Material Identification (PMI)
- Carbon Steel Low Alloy Steel Stainless Steel (300 series)
- Duplex SS (2205, 2507) Super Duplex SS
- Ni Alloys (Inconel, Monel, Hastelloy) Copper Alloys Titanium
- Aluminium Alloys
What You Get
- Element composition with uncertainty values
- Grade confirmation against the referenced specification
- Equipment tag / heat number cross-reference
- Test certificate — accepted by TPI bodies
- Non-conformance flagged with recommended action
Standards basis: API RP 578 (Material Verification Program for New and Existing Alloy Piping Systems), ASME PCC-2, client-specific PMI procedures. Tests performed on installed equipment without cutting or removal. No production downtime.
Onsite Testing
Portable Hardness Testing
UCI, Rebound/Leeb, and TIV methods — covering everything from large castings and forgings to thin-walled components and post-weld hardness surveys for sour service qualification.
| Method | Standards | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Portable Hardness (UCI) Ultrasonic Contact Impedance |
ASTM A1038, DIN 50159 | HV, HRC, HRB, HB scales. Suitable for fine-grained components, welds, and heat-affected zones where probe access is limited. Minimal surface preparation required. |
| Portable Hardness (Rebound / Leeb) Equotip |
ASTM A956 | Large components, castings, and forgings where UCI probe geometry is impractical. Multiple impact directions. Converts to HRC, HRB, HV, HB, N/mm². |
| Portable Hardness (TIV) Through-Indentation Viewing |
— | Optical measurement of Vickers indentation for small, thin, or coated parts where rebound methods give unreliable results. True HV measurement. |
| Post-Weld Hardness Survey | NACE MR0175, NACE SP0472 | Systematic hardness traverses across weld metal, HAZ, and parent material. Sour service acceptance criterion: max 248 HV10 / 22 HRC. Mandatory for H&sub2;S-containing service per NACE MR0175. |
| Heat Treatment Verification | — | Before-and-after hardness comparison to confirm effectiveness of PWHT, normalising, annealing, or case hardening. Results documented against target hardness window. |
Onsite Testing
In-Situ Metallography & Field Replica
Microstructure evaluation of installed equipment without cutting a single sample. An engineer reviews the replicas — not just photographs.
Field Replica Metallography
Surface preparation, etching, and acetate replica taking on installed equipment. The replica is returned to the lab for examination under optical microscope and SEM. Microstructure evaluated without removing the component from service.
- ASTM E1351
- No sample removal
Applications
Remaining life assessment of boiler tubes and pressure vessels. Creep damage staging (cavity nucleation, growth, and linkage per API 579 classification). Carbide precipitation and sensitisation in stainless. Sigma phase detection in duplex SS. Graphitisation in carbon steel. Decarburisation depth.
- Creep cavitation staging
- Remaining life
- Fitness-for-service
Interpretation & Standards
Replicas reviewed by a qualified engineer with microstructure interpretation report — not just an image file. Findings correlated to fitness-for-service criteria where requested.
- ASTM E1351
- API 579-1 / ASME FFS-1
- Engineer sign-off
Standards: ASTM E1351 (field metallography), API 579-1 / ASME FFS-1 (fitness-for-service). Damage mechanisms covered: creep cavitation, graphitisation, decarburisation, sigma phase embrittlement, sensitisation/carbide precipitation, temper embrittlement, hydrogen damage.
Onsite Testing
Coating & Surface Inspection
Full suite of field coating inspection per SSPC, NACE, ISO, and ASTM — from surface preparation assessment through DFT, holiday testing, and adhesion testing.
Portable DFT gauge for onsite coating thickness measurement
| Test | Instrument / Method | Standards |
|---|---|---|
| Dry Film Thickness (DFT) | Magnetic / eddy current gauge | ASTM D7091, SSPC-PA 2 |
| Surface Roughness / Profile | Profilometer, replica tape (Testex) | ASTM D4417, ISO 8503 |
| Surface Cleanliness | Visual comparator | ISO 8501-1 (Sa 2.5, Sa 3, St grades) |
| Holiday / Porosity Test | Low-voltage wet sponge / high-voltage spark tester | ASTM D5162, NACE SP0188 |
| Pull-Off Adhesion (Dolly Test) | Portable adhesion tester (Elcometer / PosiTest) | ASTM D4541 |
| Soluble Salt Detection | Bresle patch, conductimetric analysis | ASTM D4940, ISO 8502 |
| Dew Point & Climate | Digital psychrometer / hygrometer | ISO 8502-4 |
Scope: Pre-application surface condition verification, inter-coat and final DFT survey, holiday / porosity survey, pull-off adhesion testing, soluble salt determination, and ambient condition logging — fully documented to SSPC-PA 2 and NACE inspection requirements.
Onsite Testing
Non-Destructive Testing (NDT)
Level II NDT inspectors. ASME, IS, and ISO standards. Field-deployable to refineries, power plants, fabrication yards, and construction sites.
| Method | Abbreviation | Standards | Applications |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ultrasonic Testing | UT | ASME V, IS 3664, ISO 17640 | Wall thickness measurement, flaw detection, weld inspection, lamination check |
| Dye Penetrant Testing | DPT / LPT | ASME V, IS 3658, ISO 3452 | Surface-breaking crack detection in welds, castings, forgings — all materials |
| Magnetic Particle Inspection | MPI / MT | ASME V, IS 3703, ISO 9934 | Surface and near-surface defects in ferromagnetic materials — welds, shafts, structural |
| Visual Testing | VT | AWS D1.1, ISO 17637 | Weld profile and geometry, surface condition, dimensional acceptance |
| Radiographic Testing | RT | ASME V, IS 1182, ISO 17636 | Internal defect detection — porosity, slag, lack of fusion in welds and castings |
| Ferrite Measurement | — | ASTM A800, WRC-1992 | Duplex SS ferrite number, austenitic stainless overlay welds, phase balance verification |
Inspector qualifications: ASNT Level II certified inspectors for UT, DPT, MPI, RT, and VT. All NDT reports issued with inspector certification details. Radiographic testing conducted with appropriate source and radiation safety protocols.
Onsite Testing
Additional Onsite Services
Dimensional Inspection
Vernier caliper, micrometer, height gauge, bore gauge, and depth gauge deployed to site. Component dimensional verification against drawing — OD, ID, wall thickness, flange face, bolt hole pattern.
Surface Roughness
Portable contact profilometer for Ra and Rz measurement on machined components, bearing surfaces, sealing faces, and flange faces. Results compared to specified roughness classes per ISO 1302.
Vibration Analysis
Portable vibration meter for rotating equipment condition monitoring — pumps, motors, gearboxes, compressors. Velocity (mm/s RMS), displacement, and acceleration. ISO 10816 acceptance limits.
Thermal Imaging
Infrared thermography for hot spot detection on electrical panels, refractory lining integrity, insulation integrity on process piping, and heat loss mapping. IR images supplied with temperature profiles.
Positive Material Verification (Shutdown)
Full PMI sweep of installed piping systems, pressure vessels, and heat exchangers during turnaround or shutdown. 100% PMI or statistical sampling per API RP 578 Tier 1 / Tier 2 requirements.
- API RP 578
- Turnaround support
Weld Inspection
Combined field weld inspection: visual examination (VT) per AWS D1.1 / ISO 17637, dye penetrant (DPT), magnetic particle (MPI), and ultrasonic testing (UT) for field-fabricated and repair welds.
- VT + DPT + MPI + UT
- Field welds
Industries Served
Wherever Your Equipment Is, We Can Get There
Oil & Gas
Refinery turnarounds, pipeline construction and inspection, process plant PMI, NACE sour service hardness surveys, coating inspection on storage tanks and pipelines.
Power Plants
Boiler tube remaining life assessment via in-situ metallography, turbine component hardness testing, creep damage evaluation, refractory thermal imaging, weld inspection during overhaul.
Petrochemical
Reactor vessel and heat exchanger PMI, stainless and Ni-alloy grade verification, sigma phase detection, post-weld hardness survey, coating inspection in aggressive environments.
Offshore & Marine
Platform and subsea equipment inspection, hull and ballast tank coating inspection, structural weld NDT, corrosion mapping by UT, marine structure visual and DPT/MPI.
Construction & Infrastructure
Structural steel grade verification by PMI, rebar alloy check, weld inspection for structural connections, coating DFT survey on structural steelwork, hardness testing of critical fasteners.
Manufacturing & Production QC
Incoming material PMI before fabrication begins, in-process hardness verification, heat treatment confirmation, weld inspection in fabrication shops — no dispatch to the lab required.
Shipping & Marine
Hull plate UT thickness survey, ballast tank coating inspection (DFT, holiday, salt detection), structural weld NDT, IMO coating standard (PSPC) compliance documentation.
Field Readiness
Mobilisation capabilities and service boundaries
24–48 hrs
within Tamil Nadu
48–72 hrs
pan-India
Portable OES · XRF · Hardness
instruments
Screening vs. Lab Confirmation
- Field screening (PMI, hardness): Provides immediate grade/property indication. Sufficient for sorting and triage. Not a substitute for full accredited testing.
- Lab confirmation: Samples extracted in the field are transported to our laboratory for full characterisation — chemistry, mechanical, metallography. Accredited results within standard turnaround.
- Geography: Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana. Other locations by arrangement — contact us for mobilisation planning.
Why Microlab
Why Choose Microlab for Onsite Testing?
We are not a hire-and-send equipment company. We are an accredited testing laboratory that deploys to site — with the certification, qualifications, and technical depth to back it.
Portable OES & XRF
Our portable OES and XRF are validated in accordance with ISO/IEC 17025:2017 requirements. Reports follow International Standards — accepted by Lloyd's, BV, TUV, and DNV without further validation.
Qualified Level II NDT Inspectors
ASNT Level II certified for UT, DPT, MPI, RT, and VT. Not subcontracted. Our own inspectors, our own liability, our own certificate.
Engineer-Accompanied Inspections
Field replicas, creep damage assessment, and failure investigation visits are attended by a qualified engineer — not just a technician. Technical decisions are made on-site, not passed back to the office for interpretation.
Rapid Mobilisation
24–48 hour deployment for most onsite assignments. Equipment and personnel are ready — no long lead times, no equipment hire queues. Particularly suited to turnaround windows where time is the constraint.
Reports Accepted by Major TPI Bodies
Test certificates accepted by Lloyd's Register, Bureau Veritas, TUV Rheinland, DNV, and all major Indian third-party inspection bodies — without re-testing or supplementary verification.
Pan-India Coverage
Six laboratory locations across South India with field deployment capability covering major industrial clusters — Visakhapatnam, Chennai, Mumbai, Pune, Surat, and project sites nationally. No site is out of range.
Onsite Service Categories
Field testing organised by deployment scenario
Shutdown / Turnaround Support
Planned maintenance windows
PMI verification (XRF/OES) of piping, vessels, and heat exchangers during planned outages. Hardness surveys, replica metallography, and dimensional checks. Rapid screening to prioritise lab-confirmation samples.
Incoming Material Verification
Warehouse / receiving inspection
Grade confirmation of incoming raw materials, pipes, plates, and fittings at your facility. Portable OES/XRF and hardness testing. Prevents material mix-ups before fabrication begins.
Failure Triage
Unplanned failures / incidents
Rapid field assessment of failed components — visual examination, PMI, hardness, and sample extraction for lab analysis. Preliminary findings within hours, full RCFA report to follow from laboratory.
Asset Integrity Assessment
Remaining life / fitness-for-service
In-situ hardness mapping, replica metallography, thickness measurement, and sample extraction from ageing infrastructure — boilers, reactors, columns, piping. Data feeds into API 579 / FFS assessments.
5–7 Days
Standard Turnaround
2–3 Days
Express Available
ISO 17025
Reports
Related Services
Metals Testing
Mechanical, chemical, and metallographic testing of ferrous and non-ferrous metals
Metallography & Failure Analysis
Microstructure examination, root cause failure analysis, and fractography
Weld Qualification
PQR and WPQ testing per ASME IX, AWS D1.1, EN ISO 15614, and API 1104
Metrology & Calibration
Validated dimensional, mechanical, thermal, and pressure calibration
Need Onsite Testing or PMI at Your Facility?
Tell us your location, scope, and timeline. We will confirm method, mobilisation date, and turnaround within one working day.