Calibration
& Service of CAT & Genny Pipe & Cable Locators
Cable avoidance and detection tools use signals to scan the
ground for underground pipes or cables to avoid injury or damage to the pipes
or cables. Before any excavation, cable locators or ground penetrating radars
are used to pinpoint exactly where the utilities are underground. Magnetic
power fields, buried loaded power cables, and VLF radio signals travelling
through metallic lines such as water and gas pipes are all detected using
CATs.They are also referred to as CATs, Utility Locators, Cable Locators, or
Gennies.
We calibrate SPX Radiodetection CAT2, CAT3 & CAT 4, Cscope cable avoidance testers, Ezicat, Ezitrace, Amprobe CATs, and other leading brands.Some models, such as the SPX Radiodetection C.A.T4 and C.A.T4+, necessitate the use of additional calibration software and are thus more expensive.
Why choose us?
We can also perform full diagnostics on your CAT and Genny,
alerting you to the presence of any faults. We can then fully repair and
restore your equipment to full working order with your approval.
Thousands of professionals have chosen as their calibration
house. Our lightning-fast service, competitive prices, and ever-expanding fleet
of equipment make us the ideal solution for all of your calibration needs.
More information on CAT and Genny calibration can be found
here.
Cable and Pipe Location
Since the early nineteenth century, when Michael Faraday
made his discoveries, the fundamentals of electromagnetic induction have been
understood. Electromagnetic induction was being used, as this picture
demonstrates, to find underground cables not long after the year 2000. The
picture was most likely taken in Germany around 1910.
These days, pipe locators and electromagnetic cables are
accurate, dependable, and portable thanks to advancements in technology. They are employed all over the world to
locate pipes and cables that are buried. These notes are meant to provide an
understanding of the fundamentals of electromagnetic detection to those
involved in the day-to-day challenges of cable and pipe location. For the
successful operation of radiodetection equipment, no theoretical training or
expertise is required. but the addition of some understanding of what is
actually going on in this invisible world of magnetic fields will help to
increase the user’s confidence. Included
in this guide is:
Using the Earth/Ground stake,Active vs. Passive signals,Induction
mode vs Clamping,Using Sondes,Measuring depth,Measuring current,Using current
direction for congested cables
It is an excellent resource for both advanced practitioners
and students.
Digging holes in the ground is an essential part of
construction as well as the installation and maintenance of buried utilities.
Unfortunately, every time ground is broken, the risk of damaging buried
services increases. Damage can be both costly and dangerous, and it can also
have a negative impact on a company's reputation. Excavation safety is a
fundamental skill for utility companies, their contractors, and the
construction industry. Fortunately, there are a variety of well-established
techniques that can be used to reduce these risks in a cost-effective
manner.It's a big problem with some serious consequences
It is dangerous to damage underground utilities: news
reports from around the world describe serious injury or death to workers and
bystanders as a result of striking buried electricity cables or gas pipelines.
Damage is also costly: the utility must be repaired, productivity is reduced,
reputations are harmed, and compensation must be paid. In many countries,
workplace injuries can result in criminal charges and large fines. Insurance
companies will consider damage rates when determining premiums. Cable strikes
can cost more than £20,000 per event in some countries.
What to do?
There are four main reasons why damage occurs:
There are no detection tools used.
Using inferior tools
Working practises are insufficient or are not understood.
On-the-job behaviours do not accurately reflect desired
working practises.
Fortunately, simple solutions to each of these issues have
been adopted by customers all over the world.
Use detection tools.
This is the most basic and crucial step. Excavate only after the area has been scanned
and marked up by trained personnel using dependable location tools. Use tools in conjunction with maps (if
available), but never rely solely on maps.
There are two approaches to using electromagnetic locators
to find buried services: avoidance and precision locate. Radio detection’s C.A.T and Genny tools
provide simple-to-use but powerful tools for locating buried services in the
avoidance approach. They are intended for use by excavation teams as part of
their excavation process.
Radiodetection's 8100 locator series is designed for use by
professional utility locators and survey professionals for precision location;
it offers a much broader range of modes and frequencies for the precise
identification of individual services.
Use the best Available Technology
Use the best technology you can to detect buried services.
Choose products that have been designed with the user in mind and which have
modern features to make locating easier. For example, high accuracy and
sensitivity, protection against interference from strong nearby power sources,
selectable or multi-frequency signals, and warnings to the user for common
incorrect use patterns.
Implement good working practices and training
Many countries offer recommended or mandatory practices for
underground location and safe excavation.
One such is the UK’s guidance from 2014 (HSG47 2014) which contains
procedures for planning excavations, locating buried services and safe
excavation; similar guidelines are available in several other countries.
Forward-looking companies use these guidelines as the basis for their own safe
working procedures.
Effective training in safe working and in underground
location is extremely important. Training can be vendor-delivered, in-house or externally
provided. Whichever route is chosen, they must be experts in both the tools you
have chosen and the practicalities of underground cable and pipe location.
Training can be supplemented by material on vendors’ website and by
instructional videos.
Change on-site behaviours.
Even when the first two elements are in place, they will not
be effective unless the tools are actually used, and used correctly, and unless
procedures are properly followed. Radiodetection’s locators support customers
in this task by recording what is done with our C.A.T tools and our RD7100 and
RD8100 precision locators. This data-logging functionality records key locator
parameters every second and stores the logs in on-board non-volatile memory.
The locator stores what mode was being used, what signal was being detected,
the sensitivity setting of the locator, the depth of the located service and
many more parameters. We also have built-in GPS on selected models in our range
which is also stored in the logs.
With the data that is logged, supervisors can check if
locators were used, if they were used correctly, and assess the compliance to
procedure. For GPS-enabled locators, the location where the locate was
performed can also be retrieved. This information can then be used to identify
training needs.
The future
Our customers tell us that they particularly value the
ability to see how their teams are using their locators and to address any
weakness found as soon as possible. To meet this need, we are rolling out our
new on-line logging and analysis product – C.A.T Manager Online. For users of
our gC.A.T product – our avoidance tool with in-built GPS – C.A.T Manager
Online provides a cloud-based, near real-time view of their fleet of locators.
The data from each locator is uploaded to the cloud where it can be visualised
and analysed by the customer to measure compliance and further reduce utility
damage and harm.
Damaging underground pipes and cables when excavating is a
serious and expensive problem of growing importance. By focusing on three key
straightforward steps companies can significantly reduce the risk of damage and
harm:
Use the best cable detection tools
Develop excellent working procedures and ensure that people
are trained
Change on-site behaviours by effective supervision and
monitoring
This will allow best-practice to be driven into the business
and will help reduce utility strikes.
We offer calibration on the following underground cable
locators, and a lot more:
Types of CAT & Genny Equipment,
CAT & Genny,
Cable Avoidance Tool,
SPX,
Radiodetection
CAT2, CAT3, CAT4,
Radiodetection SPX CAT & Genny range C.A.T & Genny
1, 2 ,3, CAT 4, eCAT4,
Tomkat,
Radiodetection RD400 / RD4000 Series,
Radiodetection RD7000 / RD8000 Series,
Radiodetection RD7100, RD8100 Series,
Leica Ezicat,
Seba Easyloc,
Vivax vScan, vLoc,
C.Scope Cable Avoidance Tools CXL, DXL, MXL
RADIODETECTION PRODUCTS
CABLE AND PIPE LOCATORS RD7200®,
CABLE AVOIDANCE TOOLS C.A.T4® & GENNY4®,
CABLE, PIPE AND RF MARKER LOCATOR RD8100®,
CABLE, PIPE AND RF MARKER LOCATOR RD7100®,
PIPELINE CURRENT MAPPER SYSTEM PCMX™,
NETWORK ANALYSIS TOOLS 6100 SERIES,
TIME DOMAIN REFLECTOMETER LEXXI™ T1660,
GROUND PENETRATING RADAR RD LMX100™ & RD LMX200™,
PORTABLE VIDEO INSPECTION SYSTEM FLEXIPROBE™ P540C,
MODULAR CRAWLER SYSTEM FLEXITRAX™ P550C,
CABLE AND PIPE LOCATORS RD8200®,
Fluke 2042 Cable locator,