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MIP just got easier! The next generation MIP probe, the MP6520, is available for immediate purchase. After almost a year of design and beta testing we are confident when we say the cost of running MIP just went down.

The new MP6520 MIP probe has proven to be a significant step up in reliability and performance. The added benefit of being able to make some repairs in the field improves production time and lowers cost. (John Sohl, Owner Columbia Tech Baltimore MD)

Geoprobe® addressed the two most common MIP Probe issues, thermocouple and gas lines failure, as a result we are seeing much greater footage out of the MP6520 probes. (Kelly Bergdoll, President KB Labs Gainesville FL)

We are extremely pleased with the performance and ruggedness of the new MP6520 probe from Geoprobe®. The new gas lines, thermocouple, and wiring design improve the “MIP experience” for our field operators and clients. (Brad Carlson, Direct Sensing Manager Zebra Environmental Tampa FL)

It may look the same from the outside, but each component of the probe was reviewed, problems and weaknesses were identified, and each one was engineered out. A few of the benefits that came from this careful evaluation are:

• Newly engineered gas lines
• Field replaceable thermocouple
• Improved heater block design
• Probes can now be returned for rebuild further reducing the cost of running MIP

Fig. 1: MP6520 probe diagram

Geoprobe® Engineer Tom Christy (who also serves as Vice President of Geoprobe® Systems) led the effort to redesign the MIP Probe.

"This was a project where the final outcome far exceeded our expectations", says Tom. "We started out to redesign the thermocouple into something that was truly field replaceable. We did that, but the thermocouple we designed for this purpose has proven so robust that now it rarely needs to be replaced. As we got into the thermocouple attachment point in the heater blocks, we decided to go after the gas lines and improve them as well. The result there has also been more than we hoped for. These gas lines just don’t break. A lot of what we did involves working with materials that just were not available to us during earlier MIP probe design efforts."

Tom explains that the re-design effort that produced the MP6520 took many months: "It was a constant, ongoing effort. The design team was making feasibility models based on the old 6510 probe and Dan Pipp was in the field every week giving these a trial. Then we moved up to actual prototypes of the MP6520 and then beta models that we supplied to clients." What was the biggest surprise from the re-design effort? "The new MP6520 is rebuildable," says Christy. "We did not even have that feature as one of our project objectives, but it happened, and happened quite nicely. Eventually any percussion driven probe will wear out. We expect this to happen now only from fatigue and failure of the heaters. When they do go, you send it in and we can rebuild the probe by replacing the block assembly. The probe body, including the EC pin and wires, is completely re-used in the process."

Dan Pipp, Geoprobe® Systems MIP Specialist, states, "The new design of the MP6520 alleviates many of the items that have been problematic in the past making the overall MIP experience much more enjoyable. Gas line connections are more secure and early probe failures have essentially been eliminated. My attention has shifted from worrying about how long a probe might last to focusing on what I am seeing in the logs and where new logs need to be advanced to define a site. This new design will increase the production in the field and boost the confidence of operators and their clients about the technology."

Read through the document below detailing changes in MP6520 gas line and electrical connections and thermocouple replacement. If you have any questions or wish to place your order call Geoprobe® Systems at 1-800-GEOPROBE (1-800-436-7762).

MP6520 Trunkline Connection