HAZARDOUS AREAS & SAFETY
EXTENDING THE LIFE OF CRITICAL ASSETS
Cygnus discusses the importance of managing corrosion in hot, hazardous and aging process assets, and outlines the solutions available
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cross the process industries, corrosion remains one of the most persistent threats to safety, reliability and productivity. Whether in refineries, chemical plants, power stations,
food processing facilities or water treatment sites, aging infrastructure is increasingly being asked to operate beyond its original design life. At the same time, operators face mounting pressure to maximise uptime, maintain compliance and control maintenance costs. Obtaining reliable corrosion data becomes an even greater challenge when inspections must be performed on hot equipment or within hazardous areas where flammable gases, vapours or combustible dusts may be present. Taking critical assets offline for inspection can be costly, while cooling periods and permit requirements can significantly extend maintenance schedules. Yet early detection of wall loss remains critical for preventing leaks, failures and costly unplanned outages. As a result, many operators are adopting ultrasonic inspection technologies that allow condition monitoring to take place while assets remain in service.
Cygnus 1 Ex: Safe Inspection for Zone 0 For inspections in hazardous environments, the Cygnus 1 Ex ultrasonic thickness gauge is fully certified for ATEX Zone 0 operation, allowing safe use in all hazardous gas and mine Zones (0, 1 and 2). It also holds certifications for safe use in combustible dust environments in Zones 21 and 22. This broad certification makes it suitable for oil and gas facilities, petrochemical plants, chemical processing sites, grain handling operations, mine infrastructure and other potentially explosive environments. The gauge achieves this through an intrinsically safe design that limits available energy and prevents sparks, arcs or dangerous surface temperatures, even under fault conditions. Anti-static construction, redundant safety systems and low-energy circuitry allow essential inspections to be conducted safely without introducing ignition risks.
A significant benefit for plant operators is the 32 PROCESS & CONTROL ENGINEERING | JULY/AUGUST 2026
ability to perform in-service inspections without Hot Work permits or shutdowns. This helps minimise disruption while maintaining visibility of asset condition and remaining wall thickness. When paired with the Cygnus High Temperature
Ex Probe, the Cygnus 1 Ex can measure assets operating at temperatures up to 300°C. This enables inspection of hot pipework, pressure vessels, steam systems and process equipment while they remain online. Operators can obtain accurate corrosion data without cooling delays, production interruptions or additional safety compromises.
The system also incorporates Cygnus Multiple- Echo technology, enabling accurate metal thickness measurements through coatings up to 20 mm thick without removing protective layers. This reduces inspection time, preserves coatings and lowers maintenance costs. While hazardous-area discussions often focus on flammable gases, combustible dust presents a major risk across many process industries. Facilities involved in food production, grain storage, pharmaceuticals, recycling, wood processing and chemical manufacturing can all generate
potentially explosive dust clouds. The Cygnus 1 Ex’s certification for both gas and dust hazardous areas offers flexibility for operators managing a variety of process environments. Using a single certified inspection platform helps simplify maintenance procedures while supporting compliance with hazardous-area safety requirements.
Cygnus 6+ Pro for Non-Hazardous Locations Many corrosion surveys take place outside hazardous areas, where inspection teams require advanced measurement capabilities and robust data collection. For these applications, the Cygnus 6+ Pro provides a corrosion monitoring solution. Designed for professional inspectors, the instrument features a large colour display, Measurement Stability Indicator (MSI), live A-scan and B-scan views, manual controls and comprehensive data logging capabilities. It has a compact, IP67-rated and shatter-resistant design suitable for demanding industrial environments. The Cygnus 6+ Pro can also be used with high- temperature probes for inspection of hot assets in non-hazardous environments, allowing operators to assess equipment condition without waiting for cooling periods. Like the Cygnus 1 Ex, it can measure through coatings up to 20mm thick and requires access from only one side of the component. Corrosion monitoring is only one aspect of asset integrity management. Seal failures can also create operational, environmental and safety concerns. Cygnus Hatch Sure provides a fast ultrasonic method for detecting leaks and verifying watertight or airtight seals, helping maintenance teams identify issues quickly without the inconvenience of traditional hose-testing methods. Together, the Cygnus 1 Ex, High Temperature
Ex Probe, Cygnus 6+ Pro and Hatch Sure provide a practical inspection toolkit for managing corrosion, supporting compliance and extending the operational life of critical process assets.
Cygnus
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