Coltraco Ultrasonic Testing Prove Every Cylinder Is at Full Charge - Without Weighing It
Portalevel MAX Marine Plus - the marine kit
A fixed fire-suppression system is only as good as the agent left in its cylinders, and a slow leak is silent. Ultrasonic testing lets one person confirm the charge of every cylinder aboard - by liquid level, agent weight or system pressure - through the cylinder wall, in under 30 seconds, with the system still armed. SepcoTech supplies the instruments from Coltraco Ultrasonics.
Manufactured by 
· ShipServ TN 317548 · IMPA 652776
One sensor on the wall, the liquid line on the screen
The Portalevel MAX Marine Plus with its extension rod. Hover or tap a number to trace each figure to the part it belongs to.
- 01Extension rod12 mm slimlineReaches between cylinder banks without removing a cylinder from the manifold.
- 02ApprovalsABS · RINA · ULABS Type Approval, RINA accepted and UL Listed.
- 03Sensor connector1 MHzA 14 mm magnetically mounted sensor on a 1 m BNC cable.
- 04Display±1.5 mmBacklit LCD showing GAS or LIQUID at the sensor; a reading takes under 30 seconds.
- 05Keypad3 calibration modesThree calibration modes and four gain settings for thick-walled and difficult cylinders.
- 06EnclosureIP65167 × 82 × 30 mm, 300 g with batteries, −10 to +65 °C.
Two physics, one job: confirm the agent is there
Fixed fire-suppression cylinders sit charged for years, and nobody notices a slow loss of agent until the system is called on and falls short. Ultrasound closes that gap. For liquefied agents - CO2, FM-200®, NOVEC™ 1230 and clean agents - a sensor on the outside of the cylinder detects the gas-to-liquid line, so the Portalevel® shows whether the bottle is full; the Portasteele® Calculator then turns that level into agent weight in kilograms, the figure regulations ask for, to within 1%. For non-liquefied inert gases - Inergen®, nitrogen, argon - there is no liquid line, so the Portagas® verifies readiness by pressure instead. Together they cover every fixed gaseous set, and the method aligns with the IMO SOLAS FSS Code (Chapter 5), NFPA 2001 and ISO 14520.
Instruments for Every Fixed Gaseous System
Liquefied agents, hazardous-zone cylinders, the agent-weight record and inert-gas systems. Add any of them to your quote.
ABS · RINA · ULPortalevel® MAX Marine Plus
The rugged, type-approved liquid-level indicator for fleet-wide CO2 and clean-agent checks - reaching banked cylinders with the 12 mm extension rod.
Key specifications ⌄
| Approvals | ABS Type Approval · RINA · UL Listed |
| Transducer | 1 MHz |
| Accuracy | ±1.5 mm (±1% with Portasteele) |
| Agents | CO2, FM-200, NOVEC 1230, Halon, FE-13/FE-25, NAF S III |
| Ingress / check time | IP65 · < 30 s per cylinder |
| IMPA | 652776 |
ATEX / IECExPortalevel® IS
The intrinsically safe Portalevel for explosive-atmosphere work - gas carriers, tankers, offshore and fuel/gas areas - certified for ATEX and IECEx Zone 1 and Zone 2, with no Hot Work Permit needed to test.
Key specifications ⌄
| ATEX | II 2 G Ex ib IIA T4 Gb |
| IECEx | Ex ib IIA T4 Gb |
| Agents | CO2, FM-200, NOVEC 1230 & other liquefied agents |
| Accuracy | ±1.5 mm of true level |
| Dimensions / weight | 215 × 82 × 30 mm · 480 g |
| Power | 4× Energizer L91 AA (Ex-rated) |
Agent WeightPortasteele® Calculator
A 7" tablet that turns a Portalevel liquid-level reading into agent weight in kilograms, to within 1% of true agent weight, checked against the cylinder's fill weight, with no weighing.
Key specifications ⌄
| Output | Agent weight in kg (from level + cylinder data) |
| Accuracy | ±1% of true agent weight (with a Portalevel) |
| Agents | 7 pre-loaded (CO2, FM-200, NOVEC 1230, Halon 1211/1301, FE-13, FE-25), customisable |
| Platform / ingress | 7" Android tablet · IP67 |
Inert GasPortagas®
For inert-gas systems where there is no liquid line to read, Portagas® confirms readiness by pressure - acoustically, temperature-corrected - for Inergen, nitrogen, oxygen and argon.
Key specifications ⌄
| Measures | Internal cylinder pressure (non-invasive) |
| Gases | Inergen, nitrogen (N2), oxygen (O2), argon |
| Method | Acoustic + temperature-corrected IR thermometer |
| Precision | Better than the 5% required by standards |
| Compliance | NFPA 2001 · ISO 14520 |
More Portalevel Models, Plus Fixed Monitoring
A shipboard model, the entry and signal-viewer handhelds, the MAX without the rod, the Japanese-market MAX, and a fixed system that watches the cylinders for you.
RINA · MEDPortamarine®
A lower-cost shipboard Portalevel for checking a vessel's CO2 and clean-agent cylinders where they stand. D-loops let the operator wear it hands-free, and with an extension rod it reaches two, three or four rows of banked cylinders. Each cylinder takes about 60 seconds.
Key specifications ⌄
| Approvals | RINA Accepted · MED compliant · IMO SOLAS FSS compliant |
| Accuracy | ±1.5 mm of true liquid level |
| Test time | About 60 s per cylinder |
| Systems | Ship's CO2 and clean-agent fixed systems |
| Hands-free | D-loops for a carry strap |
| IMPA / NSN | 652777 · NSN 6680-99-192-2735 |
Signal viewerPortalevel® ADVANCED
For the engineer who wants to see the signal, not only the result: a built-in oscilloscope shows the ultrasonic return while you find the liquid line, to ±1 mm, on single-skinned cylinders from 110 to 700 mm across.
Key specifications ⌄
| Accuracy | Down to ±1 mm of true liquid level |
| Cylinders | 110-700 mm diameter, single-skinned |
| Agents | CO2, Halon 1211/1301/2402, FE-13, FE-25, NOVEC 1230, FM-200 |
| Display | 1.54" OLED with built-in oscilloscope |
| Power | 4× AAA, up to 24 h |
| Size / weight | 120 × 78 × 27 mm · 300 g |
| Marking | CE · UKCA |
Entry modelPortalevel® LITE
The simplest Portalevel: the screen reads GAS or LIQUID as you move the sensor up the cylinder wall, so finding the level needs no interpretation. For single-skinned cylinders from 110 to 406 mm across.
Key specifications ⌄
| Display | 1.54" OLED showing GAS or LIQUID |
| Cylinders | 110-406 mm diameter, single-skinned |
| Accuracy | Down to ±1% of true liquid level |
| Agents | CO2, Halon 1211/1301/2402, FE-13, FE-25, NOVEC 1230, FM-200 |
| Power | 4× AAA, up to 24 h |
| Size / weight | 120 × 78 × 27 mm · 300 g |
| Marking | CE · UKCA |
ABS · RINA · ULPortalevel® MAX PLUS
The same approved instrument as the MAX Marine Plus, supplied without the extension rod. Three calibration modes and four gain settings handle thick-walled and difficult cylinders.
Key specifications ⌄
| Approvals | UL Listed · RINA Accepted · ABS Type Approval |
| Accuracy | ±1.5 mm |
| Sensor | 1 MHz, 14 mm, magnetic mount |
| Power | 1× PP3 9 V, 10 h continuous |
| Ingress / temp. | IP65 · −10 to +65 °C |
| Size / weight | 167 × 82 × 30 mm · 300 g |
| Standards | ISO 14520-1 · NFPA 2001 · NFPA 12 |
FESCPortalevel® MAX NIPPON
A Portalevel MAX adapted for the thicker, more sound-absorbing walls of Japanese fire-suppression cylinders, with tailored calibration, more output power and Japan's FESC product certification. Supplied with an extension rod for banked cylinders.
Key specifications ⌄
| Approvals | FESC · UL Listed · ABS Type · RINA |
| Accuracy | ±1.5 mm of true liquid level |
| Check time | 30 s per cylinder |
| Agents (incl.) | CO2, aluminium CO2, FM-200, NOVEC 1230, FE-25/FE-13, FE-36, Halon 1301/1211, CEA-410, NAF S III, R507 |
| Regulations | NFPA · ISO 14520 · IMO SOLAS FSS |
| Supplied with | Extension rod |
Fixed monitoringPermaMass® FEATHERWEIGHT
Not a spot-check instrument: a fixed system that weighs every cylinder around the clock with strain-gauge load cells and raises an alarm when agent is lost. It also covers what a level reading cannot: CO2 above 31 °C, and non-liquefied Inergen.
Key specifications ⌄
| Type | Fixed, continuous agent-loss monitoring |
| Agents | Inergen, CO2, clean agents with nitrogen (NOVEC 1230, FM-200) |
| Accuracy | To 100 g, or better than 1% above 10 kg of agent |
| Alarm | 10% loss for CO2, 5% for clean agents; pressure loss for Inergen |
| Display | 4.3" full-colour |
| Power | Four units on one supply, 48 cylinders |
| Compliance | ISO 14520-1 · ISO 6183 |
Match the instrument to the system
Start from the agent in your cylinders, not from the product name.
| System / agent | What you measure | Instrument |
|---|---|---|
| CO2, FM-200, NOVEC 1230, Halon (liquefied) | Liquid level → agent weight | Portalevel® MAX Marine Plus + Portasteele® |
| Cylinders in an ATEX / hazardous zone | Liquid level (intrinsically safe) | Portalevel® IS |
| Inergen, nitrogen, argon (inert / non-liquefied) | Cylinder pressure | Portagas® |
| Shipboard CO2 and clean agent, hands-free, lower cost | Liquid level | Portamarine® |
| Japanese cylinders (FESC certification) | Liquid level | Portalevel® MAX NIPPON |
| CO2 above 31 °C, or Inergen, watched around the clock | Agent mass, continuously | PermaMass® FEATHERWEIGHT (fixed) |
Checking a Cylinder, Step by Step
A single operator can verify a cylinder's charge in well under a minute - no removal, no weighing, no discharge.
Place the sensor
Apply ultrasonic couplant and hold the sensor against the outside of the cylinder wall.
Read level or pressure
Portalevel shows the liquid line in under 30 seconds; for inert gas, Portagas reads the pressure against a known baseline.
Reach banked rows
The 12 mm extension rod lets the Portalevel reach between cylinder banks without removing a cylinder.
Get the weight
Enter the level into the Portasteele Calculator for agent weight in kg - checked against the fill weight stamped on the cylinder.
The intervals the rules actually set
The short version. The full guide covers SOLAS II-2, the FSS Code, the IMO circulars and the clean-agent regime in detail.
| Interval | What falls due | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Every 6 months | Clean-agent container check (FM-200 / NOVEC 1230); investigate any cylinder off by more than ~5% | NFPA 2001 · ISO 14520 |
| Annually / at survey | Full system inspection - cylinders, valves, pipework, actuation, alarms | MSC.1/Circ.1432 (as amended by .1516) |
| Biennially | CO2 contents verification - confirm every cylinder holds >90% of nominal charge | MSC.1/Circ.1318/Rev.1 |
| Every 5 years | Internal inspection of control valves | MSC.1/Circ.1318/Rev.1 |
| Every 10 years | Hydrostatic test and internal inspection of high-pressure cylinders | MSC.1/Circ.1318/Rev.1 |
The spaces these cylinders stand guard over
Engine rooms, machinery spaces, magazines and vehicle decks are protected by fixed gaseous systems that have to work the instant they're called on. Ultrasonic testing lets a crew prove the agent is there - on a routine, without ever taking the protection offline.
Reading a Cylinder, Demonstrated
Footage published by Coltraco Ultrasonics - liquid-level checking and inert-gas pressure monitoring.
Fire-Suppression Testing - FAQ
Questions about intervals and the regulations are answered in the servicing-intervals guide.
Which fire-suppression agents can be checked?
Do I have to remove or weigh the cylinders?
What is the difference between level, weight and pressure?
Can it be used in an ATEX / hazardous zone?
Can I order through ShipServ?
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