A review of the development of the alternating current field measurement technique for subsea inspection

The alternating current field measurement (ACFM) technique was produced at the request of representatives of the offshore industry in the late 1980s as a technique, which would be able to inspect complex weld node geometry in the structure of an offshore installation. This technique was developed for underwater use but eventually surfaced, completed its metamorphose and came to shore at a later date. Today, the ACFM electromagnetic technique is becoming widely accepted as an inspection technique and hopefully will reach the same level of acceptance as, for example, ultrasonic inspection and radiography.