Services/Digital Radiography (DR & CR)
Digital RadiographyDR, CR and RTR — an interpretable radiograph on screen in minutes, with no darkroom in the loop.
Prime Inspections runs the full range of radiography — conventional film RT, digital radiography (DR), computed radiography (CR) and real-time radiography (RTR) — matched to the weld, the material and the schedule. This page is the digital half of that programme.
Digital radiography captures the image directly on a digital detector for immediate viewing. The radiograph is interpreted against the same code acceptance criteria as film, and it is a digital record from the moment it is taken.
- DR
- CR
- RTR
- Flexible detector panels
- Crawler systems
Techniques
Digital radiography is not one setup. These are the ones our crews order and run.
DR with an X-ray tube
A digital detector panel with an X-ray tube — the tube is switched on only for the exposure, so there is no isotope on the job and the exclusion boundary is smaller.
DR with an isotope source
Where a tube will not fit the geometry or the access, the same digital panels are shot with a gamma source. Iridium-192 covers up to about 2.5 inches of penetrated steel; past that the work moves to cobalt-60 or a linear accelerator.
Flexible detector panels
Conformable (bendable) panels that wrap the curve of the pipe instead of standing off it — for curved surfaces and tight access on pipeline work.
Computed radiography (CR)
A reusable phosphor imaging plate, exposed like film and then scanned into a digital image — flexible enough for awkward geometry, with no chemical development.
Real-time radiography (RTR)
A live radiographic image during exposure rather than a single static shot — fast screening and access-limited components, with immediate feedback.
Crawler systems
Automated radiography for mainline pipeline girth welds, shot from inside the line.
EdgeFlex in the field
EdgeFlex is one of the digital radiography systems our crews run on the right-of-way: a digital panel and an X-ray tube carried on the band around the joint, so the exposure and the image both happen at the weld.
The image, at the weld
The radiograph comes up on screen at the job, not an hour later out of a darkroom.
Image-quality indicators and weld identification are read on the same image that goes into the record. Density and contrast can be adjusted on screen without re-shooting, the accept or repair call is made against the governing code, and the file is archived and shared as a digital record — no film to file, lose or re-scan later.
Digital vs conventional radiography, weld by weldWhy crews ask for it
On a representative 24" weld: about 10 minutes to a usable digital image, against roughly 57 minutes for film — 12 minutes of exposure plus 45 minutes of development.
No darkroom in the loop
Every conventional exposure adds 45 minutes of film development before the image is usable. Digital has no development step, and the crew never stops for a darkroom.
Faster accept or repair calls
The weld is interpreted on screen on the same shift, so repairs are identified while the crew and the equipment are still at the joint.
Smaller exclusion boundaries
Lower source strength and smaller exclusion boundaries mean less radiation exposure for crews and the public, and less of the spread shut down during shots.
A record that stays digital
Images are stored, retrieved and shared as digital records instead of film that has to be handled, archived and scanned to be reviewed again.
What we inspect
Certified Level II and Level III technicians, the right radiographic technique for the weld in front of them.
Pipeline girth welds
Field DR and CR on new-construction and tie-in girth welds, delivering same-shift interpretable results.
Process piping & pressure vessels
DR on process piping circuits, vessel seams and nozzle welds to ASME B31.3 and Section VIII acceptance criteria.
Structural & fabrication welds
Radiographic inspection of structural and fabricated steel welds during shop and field construction.
Fabricated components
CR and DR on fabricated components where internal soundness must be verified before service.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between conventional RT, DR, and CR?
Conventional RT exposes film that is chemically developed; digital radiography (DR) captures the image directly on a digital detector for immediate viewing; computed radiography (CR) uses a reusable phosphor plate scanned into a digital image. All three produce a radiograph interpreted against the same code acceptance criteria.
What is real-time radiography (RTR)?
RTR streams a live radiographic image during exposure rather than producing a single static shot — useful for fast screening and access-limited components where immediate feedback speeds decision-making.
Do you shoot digital with an X-ray tube or an isotope?
Both. A tube is switched on only for the exposure, which keeps the exclusion boundary smaller and puts no isotope on the job; where the geometry or the access rules a tube out, the same digital panels are shot with a gamma source.
How thick a wall can radiography cover?
Iridium-192 covers up to about 2.5 inches of penetrated steel. Past that the work moves to cobalt-60 or a linear accelerator — or, on heavy wall, to automated ultrasonics, which does not slow down as the wall grows.
Do you use flexible detector panels?
Yes — conformable panels that wrap the curve of the pipe, used where a rigid panel cannot sit against the surface or the access is tight.
Is digital radiography accepted by the governing code?
The radiograph is interpreted against the same acceptance criteria as film — API 1104, ASME B31 or ASME Section V/VIII as your specification calls out. Techniques are run to the procedure qualified for the project.
Do we still get a permanent record?
Yes. The digital image is the record: stored, retrieved and shared as a digital file, reviewable again later without handling or scanning film.
Can you do digital radiography and film on the same project?
Yes. We run film RT where it is specified or preferred, digital DR/CR for speed and RTR for fast screening — we do not force one technique on every job.
How do I get a quote?
Use our contact form or call (281) 944-3840 with the line, the pipe size and wall, and the governing code, and our team will follow up.
Related services
Radiography on your schedule?
Tell us the line, the pipe size and wall, and the code — we will put a digital crew on it.