TESTING

Testing Services

At Thornhill Australia, we understand the requirements and the importance of accountable testing procedures. We provide a complete range of testing services, with every test being carefully monitored with the results packaged to suit your auditing requirements.

Our different types of testing services include:

Gas Integrity Testing
Holding Time Tube Test
Hydrostatic Testing
NDT Clean and Crack Testing

Thornhill Australia’s Extensive Research

We have spent many years collecting relevant data on the servicing and testing of plate heat exchangers. Currently, our extensive database has over 1000 machines listed, with over 85% being in the dairy, food and beverage industry.

The information we’ve collected on service reports and history, gas integrity tests, crack tests, and holding time tests, enables us to remain experts in the field and to understand the kinds of questions that our customers need answered. We electronically store the machine details, including important information such as the plate type, thickness, and quantities of plates. We also maintain all the other information we need to help us service plate heat exchangers.

Our fully equipped service departments and factory trained technicians are accessible to you from both our Victorian and Queensland branches. All Thornhill instrumentation and equipment is calibrated in accordance with the relevant Australian standards and every test performed is carefully monitored with the results packaged to suit your auditing requirements. We are ISO9001, 14001, and 45001 certified.

We also offer factory and on-site services:

Need assistance with finding the right service? Contact us and we’ll guide you in the right direction.

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Gas Integrity Testing

Thornhill Australia pioneered the gas system of integrity testing of plate and tubular heat exchangers in Australia, and has brought the new generation testing method – the Gas Integrity Test System (GIT) – into Australia. The Gas Integrity Test System is an in-situ test method that allows for the heat exchanger, plate or tube, to be tested while still in one piece on your factory floor.

Gas testing is the fastest growing test method in Europe, Australia and the USA and can be used in all industry sectors, from food to chemical, because of its inherent accuracy and safety.

Advantages of Gas Integrity Testing

As the test uses an inert gas, it is non-invasive and has no effect on gaskets. From a food safety aspect, it is completely safe, as it leaves no residue. Being an inert gas test, it doesn’t have the disadvantage of charged ions, which can have difficulty passing through small holes, making its accuracy the best of all the testing methods. As the test is carried out in a dynamic way with the gas flowing between the plates, residue liquid is not an issue.

Holding Time Tube Test

Thornhill Australia technicians are fully trained to perform a simple and efficient method of measuring short time pasteurisation holding period, in accordance with Australian Standards for the pasteurization of milk and other liquid dairy products.

Hydrostatic Testing

A hydrostatic test is a way in which pressure vessels can be tested for internal and external leaks. The test involves filling the heat exchanger with water and pressurising it up to the units individual test pressure, to ensure the units integrity.

Clean and Crack Test

If a machine fails its gas test or a customer has identified cross contamination, we always recommend following up with a full in house UV dye penetrant crack test. Once complete, we will issue you the relevant certification and all findings are recorded on the certificate of test and service report.

The seven-step process involves:

Disassembling the machine on site and removal of plates
Engraving of plates (numbers are etched onto plate to indicate plate pack order)
Removal of gaskets
Chemical cleaning of plates (2 part heated chemical baths)
UV Dye Penetrant Crack detection and visual inspection of plates
Installation of gasket (if glue in type gasket the glue is oven cured)
Re-installation of plates and assembly of machine.

Not sure which service you need?

Get the technical help you need with our Factory Heat Exchanger Servicing

Our Service Centres in Melbourne and Brisbane are among the best equipped of their kind in Australia and are staffed by expert technicians to deliver quality servicing, testing, and replacement parts. Find out more.

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Maintenance Made Easy through Thornhill’s Asset Management Program

We believe that customers should get the best value from their maintenance budgets by avoiding and additional costs of unplanned equipment downtime. We’re passionate about the work we do and have accumulated over twenty years service data on the plate heat exchangers we’ve worked on. This valuable insight enables us to identify patterns and relationships to predict maintenance schedules and keep track of your equipment servicing needs.

Find out more about the benefits of our Asset Management Program for your business.