MATECH's Revolutionary EFS Technology Detects 0.01 in. Cracks
Posted: 2009-10-27
MATECH Corp. (OTCBB: MTCH) (www.matechcorp.com) is pleased to announce that the Company's breakthrough Electrochemical Fatigue Sensor is currently the only nondestructive method on the market able to detect growing cracks as well as subsurface cracks as small as 0.01 inches in steel bridges, significantly surpassing the sensitivity of other inspection technologies. MATECH's EFS™ has proven its efficacy on over 35 bridges in 10 different states across the nation, as well as several railroad bridges.
MATECH's EFS™ technology is based on proven electrochemical principles. When a bridge is under load, new metal is exposed at the tips of growing cracks; the metal oxidizes, producing a corrosion-like film. With the EFS™ system, an electrochemical sensor is installed on a bridge surface which polarizes the inspection area. If, when the bridge is under load, new oxidation products form in the area of a growing crack, the sensor signal changes. A receiver senses the changes in signal frequency and magnitude, indicating that a growing crack exists.
EFS™ software then filters the data and summarizes the results graphically. Interpreting the results is similar to reading an EKG printout. By comparing the EFS™ inspection data to "normal" (no crack) EFS™ data, bridge inspectors can detect growing cracks and qualitatively assess their rate of growth.
MATECH's Electrochemical Fatigue Sensor System performs the following functions:
-- Accurately detects growing fatigue cracks in metal structures under
cyclic loads.
-- Detects remarkably tiny cracks -- as small as 0.01 inches.
-- Reliably identifies both surface and subsurface cracks.
-- Reports data in an easy-to-understand visual format.
-- Eliminates the subjectivity of visual inspections alone.
About MATECH
MATECH Corp., founded in 1983, is an engineering, research and development company based in Los Angeles, CA. The Company specializes in technologies to measure microscopic fractures in metal structures. MATECH is now marketing its patented Electrochemical Fatigue Sensor (EFS) and other advanced crack-detection technologies to bridge asset managers, railroad companies, and governmental agencies across the United States and internationally. To learn more, please visit: www.matechcorp.com.
MATECH's EFS™ technology is based on proven electrochemical principles. When a bridge is under load, new metal is exposed at the tips of growing cracks; the metal oxidizes, producing a corrosion-like film. With the EFS™ system, an electrochemical sensor is installed on a bridge surface which polarizes the inspection area. If, when the bridge is under load, new oxidation products form in the area of a growing crack, the sensor signal changes. A receiver senses the changes in signal frequency and magnitude, indicating that a growing crack exists.
EFS™ software then filters the data and summarizes the results graphically. Interpreting the results is similar to reading an EKG printout. By comparing the EFS™ inspection data to "normal" (no crack) EFS™ data, bridge inspectors can detect growing cracks and qualitatively assess their rate of growth.
MATECH's Electrochemical Fatigue Sensor System performs the following functions:
-- Accurately detects growing fatigue cracks in metal structures under
cyclic loads.
-- Detects remarkably tiny cracks -- as small as 0.01 inches.
-- Reliably identifies both surface and subsurface cracks.
-- Reports data in an easy-to-understand visual format.
-- Eliminates the subjectivity of visual inspections alone.
About MATECH
MATECH Corp., founded in 1983, is an engineering, research and development company based in Los Angeles, CA. The Company specializes in technologies to measure microscopic fractures in metal structures. MATECH is now marketing its patented Electrochemical Fatigue Sensor (EFS) and other advanced crack-detection technologies to bridge asset managers, railroad companies, and governmental agencies across the United States and internationally. To learn more, please visit: www.matechcorp.com.
