Rapid growth in videoprobe hire

Speculating on the reasons behind this development, Stewart says: “We believe the recession is impacting the market in two ways. Firstly, financial constraints are forcing companies to extend the working lives of their plant and machinery, which generates a greater requirement for preventative maintenance, and secondly, instrument hire is usually more financially attractive than purchase.”

The Ashtead fleet now includes over 20 videoprobes with probe lengths varying from 3m to 9.6m and with probe diameters ranging from 4mm to 6.1mm. The latest additions include the IPLEX UltraLite videoscope and the IPLEX LX videoscope.

As its name implies, the IPLEX UltraLite is small, lightweight (only 700 grams) and designed for portability, enabling multiple field inspections. The combined control and display unit fits in the palm of one hand which frees the other hand to guide the probe insertion tube. Observed images can be stored in a connected SD or SDHC card as high-quality JPEG still images and MPEG-4 movies.

The IPLEX LX is also portable and lightweight, but includes a larger (165mm), rugged, daylight view monitor which can be worn, stood upright, or fastened to a tripod or mounting arm for operation in practically any environment. The LX also features a unique image processing capability which brings out detail in shadowed and highlighted areas to produce bright, contrast-balanced images across the entire depth of field. Still and movie images are stored on a USB flash drive.

Summarising, Ashtead Technology General Manager Alan Hasson says: “One of the main reasons behind the success of these instruments is the experience and expertise of our staff which ensure that users get the most out of the equipment, and the ability to rent means that the technology is available to a far wider group.”