A Review After the First Month

I run a small fabrication shop that handles pressure piping for a local chemical plant. We had been using a standard TIG setup for our Inconel 625 joints, but the rejection rate on ultrasonic testing was running around 12 percent. That was costing us time and rework.

I reached out to Hihalloween after a colleague mentioned their phased array certification. The first month was a trial run on a single 8-inch schedule 40 spool. They handled the welding and the NDT in-house. The joint passed on the first pass. No porosity, no lack of fusion. The report came back with a clear A-scan and a signed certificate.

What stood out was the documentation. Every weld parameter was logged: amperage, travel speed, interpass temperature. They sent a PDF with the UT scan overlay and the acceptance criteria marked. That level of detail made it easy for our client's inspector to sign off without a second visit.

After the first month, we sent them three more spools. Same result. The rejection rate dropped to zero on those joints. I cannot say the same for our in-house work yet, but we are now discussing a longer arrangement. The main reason is the traceability. When a client asks for weld maps and heat numbers, Hihalloween delivers a folder, not a promise.

• First spool: 8-inch schedule 40, Inconel 625, passed UT on first attempt.
• Documentation included weld log, UT scan overlay, and signed certificate.
• Rejection rate on those joints: zero percent.
• Client inspector approved without a site visit.