The principal causes of loss at sea for ships, warships, submarines and auxiliary vessels sadly remain sinking and fire. For more than 30 years, Coltraco Limited has worked with Royal Navy Marine Engineers and maritime operators to develop ultrasonic testing equipment that supports safety, survivability and operational readiness at sea.
Coltraco is a British research-to-manufacture organisation specialising in defence and naval ultrasonic testing equipment for non-invasive measurement, watertightness testing and fire suppression monitoring.
We are proud winners of the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade, in both 2019 and 2022.
Coltraco Limited is an established research-to-manufacture organisation with over 30 years’ experience in dual-use technology applied in the naval and maritime sectors. Its defence ultrasonics and naval ultrasonics are used for non-invasive measurement, watertightness testing and fire suppression monitoring across naval vessels, submarines and commercial shipping.
Coltraco develops and sells instrumentation across its five core product ranges, which are widely employed on board naval vessels and commercial shipping. These instruments support routine inspections, operational safety and the structural soundness of key systems at sea.
Alongside this is Coltraco’s Services Division, offering bespoke research, product design and engineering solutions across all TRLs. This includes:
Coltraco operates the Durham Institute of Research, Development, and Invention (DIRDI), which houses 600+ academic fellows selected from laboratories at leading UK universities.
This gives Coltraco access to deep scientific expertise for consultation, specialised subject matter knowledge and further research and development.
Core fields of research expertise include electronic and mechanical engineering, electromagnetism, quantum, acoustics, systems and information engineering, analytical monitoring, and AI testing and development.
This allows Coltraco to offer advanced scientific analysis, testing and evaluation of low-TRL technological concepts for naval and maritime environments. Its work draws from both established relationships with leading scientific laboratories and more than 30 years of operational understanding in the naval and maritime industry..
We have developed the Portascanner® WATERTIGHT PRO. The Portascanner® WATERTIGHT PRO is an ultrasonic instrument used for the location and quantification of leak-sites in watertight compartments, Multiple Cable Transit Areas and Watertight Compartment Doors at sea, but more importantly and uniquely, we have designed the instrument with the capability to calculate the water flow rate through them in the event of compartment flooding, to enhance and advance Damage Control and Safety & Survivability in warships and submarines. We developed this with the purpose of contributing to the internal “damage control battle” of Naval warships to save the ship at the moment of damage.
The key advantages of the Portascanner® Watertight PRO are:
It is designed to be used to identify, measure, and remedy potential leak-sites in and around the personnel-carrying vehicle compartment, crew compartments, and the engine compartment. This platform can measure the leak area during inspection and calculate the total flow rates of water which would ingress under different water pressures and sea states. This allows a unique ability to quantify the risk to specific areas in a structure.
These are liable to slow seepage or accidental discharge; if the contents do not exist, the design concentration cannot be developed to extinguish a ship or submarine fire, and it is challenging to test at sea, where they are most necessary. Liquified Fixed Gaseous Extinguishing Systems, such as Halon, CO2, FM-200™ & NOVEC™ 1230, are gases stored at very high pressures, making them liable to slow seepage and accidental discharge; if the contents fall below their ability to deliver the design concentration required, the remaining extinguishing gas will not extinguish the fire event.
IMO SOLAS II/21.3 states that the crew must have the means to “periodically test the watertight doors and all mechanisms at least once a week”. IMO SOLAS Fire Suppression Safety Code states that the “crew must have the means to test the contents” of its fixed extinguishing systems at sea, for this. This is the reason why we designed the Portalevel® MAX MARINE PLUS hand-held instrument, enabling the crew to test for the contents of liquefied CO2, FM-200™ and NOVEC™ 1230 Clean Agent extinguishing systems to an accuracy of +/-1.5mm, contained within the highly pressurised gases contained within their large cylinders.
The key advantages of Portalevel® MAX PLUS include:
For 4 years, we have been designing the means for a Naval Crew to monitor the contents of their Non-liquefied fixed fire Gaseous Extinguishing Systems containing the non-liquefied gas, Inergen™ and which sometimes replaces the liquefied gaseous extinguishants such as Halon or NOVEC™ 1230. Inergen™ is typically stored in 45KG/100lb cylinders at pressures of up to 300 Bar. Under such pressures, they are also subject to slow seepage of contents or occasionally accidental discharge. If the gas is insufficient at sea to develop the design concentration required, the fire event will not be extinguished. The land-based fire industry that installs the systems leaves the maritime user dependent on the dockside maintenance and pressure gauges to monitor pressure, but this does not enable the warship or submarine to monitor the contents at sea. Our instrument allows Navies to monitor both at sea, so that the integrity of the Inergen™ system can be maintained by the crew who depend on it.
The key advantages of Portagas® are:
Ultrasonic testing supports defence equipment by helping operators inspect components, systems and structures without causing damage.
In many cases, the ultrasonic instrument sends sound waves into a material or system. The returned signal is then interpreted to identify measurement changes, internal flaws, leak paths, liquid levels or other indicators.
For some applications, a liquid medium or couplant may be used between the probe and the metal surface to help transmit ultrasonic waves into the test object. In other cases, Coltraco’s acoustic and ultrasonic technologies are designed around specific naval and maritime use cases.
For the defence sector, the value is practical:
This is particularly important for naval vessels, submarines, military equipment, weapon systems and other critical components where failure may place personnel, assets or mission capability at risk.
Defence and Naval Ultrasonic Testing relates to using ultrasonic waves, or high frequency sound waves, to inspect a test object without cutting into it, dismantling it, or damaging the equipment.
In naval and military applications, ultrasonic testing is used to assess the internal structure, surface condition or contents of critical systems. It is a form of non destructive testing that helps operators detect flaws, confirm structural integrity and support safer decision-making.
Depending on the equipment and application, ultrasonic testing may help identify:
For defence manufacturers, naval operators and military forces, this makes ultrasonic testing an essential tool for maintaining military assets, naval vessels and other critical components
Coltraco Limited combines British research, engineering and manufacturing with more than 30 years of naval and maritime experience.
Its defence and naval ultrasonic testing equipment is designed for safety-led environments where reliability, accuracy and practical crew use matter.
Coltraco supports customers with:
For defence manufacturers, naval operators and military forces, Coltraco provides more than instrumentation. It provides technical knowledge, research capability and practical systems developed for real-world maritime and defence conditions.
Speak to Coltraco to discuss defence and naval ultrasonic testing equipment for your vessel, fleet, system or research requirement.
Whether you need watertight integrity monitoring, fire suppression contents monitoring, ultrasonic thickness gauges, non-invasive measurement equipment or bespoke research and engineering support, Coltraco can help you identify the right route forward.
Contact Coltraco to discuss your defence or naval ultrasonic testing requirements.
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