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What's Happening in NDT
| Category: Industry Posted: Fri, Feb 14th 2020 at 8:32 AM Prize: One free Full Registration for the 20th World Conference on Non-Destructive Testing
Deadline: March 31, 2020
The winner will be announced by the end of April, 2020, and awarded during the WCNDT 2020 with a certificate of commendation.
To enter the competition, please fill in all forms and send it with your entry photograph to the secretariat of ICNDT WG4 (icndt@jsndi.or.jp). You can download the forms here.
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| Category: Industry Posted: Fri, Jan 31st 2020 at 11:26 AM  The inspection technologies business of Baker Hughes Digital Solutions introduced a new name, logo and website on January 28, 2020. The former GE Inspection Technologies (GEIT) is now called Waygate Technologies, a Baker Hughes business. As the world leader in non-destructive testing (NDT), Waygate Technologies offers the broadest portfolio of industrial inspection solutions – including radiography and computed tomography (CT), remote visual inspection, ultrasound and eddy current technologies – that ensure quality, safety and productivity for the customer.
Founded in 2004, GEIT joined Baker Hughes in 2017 when GE merged its Oil & Gas business with Baker Hughes Inc. GEIT’S rebrand to Waygate Technologies comes as part of Baker Hughes’ planned separation from GE, following GE’s divestment of its majority ownership in the company in 2019. With a new brand, Waygate Technologies will continue to be a leader in industrial inspection and remain a part of Baker Hughes in the Digital Solutions segment.
Waygate Technologies brings in together more than 125 years of experience and the rich expertise and heritage of its strong legacy names such as Krautkrämer, phoenix|x-ray, Seifert, Everest and Agfa NDT technologies, as well as the unrivalled precision and quality of German engineering.
The new brand name signifies two things. The term “Way” refers to a new direction for manufacturing and quality control. The term “Gate” describes the role Waygate Technologies plays in meeting the quality standards as an inspection checkpoint.
The new logo shows advanced 3D inspection in an abstract way. It implies both the scanning of a 3D cube as well as the three key technologies used for NDT inspection – radiography, computed tomography and ultrasound.
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| Category: Industry Posted: Fri, Jan 31st 2020 at 7:59 AM Boeing’s latest airliner, the 777X, which is the largest twin-engined jet ever developed, made its maiden flight this weekend, signalling that aircraft is entering the next phase of its test program.
Test aircraft WH001 took off from Paine Field in Everett, Washington, at 10:09am local time on January 25 for a three hour, 51 minute flight over Washington state before landing at Seattle’s Boeing Field. The flight was postponed twice on January 23 and January 24 because of high winds.
WH001 is the first of four 777-9 flight test airplanes and will now undergo checks before resuming testing in the coming days. Ground testing of all the test aircraft began in Everett last year and will continue alongside flight testing over the coming months, said Boeing.
The 777X is Boeing’s first commercial jet to feature folding wingtips, which extend its wingspan from 212 ft (64.8 m) to 235 ft (71.8 m) while taking-off and in the air. The smaller wingspan of the 777X while on the ground enables the aircraft to fit in at airport gates and hangars that Boeing’s successful 777 widebody airliner currently uses, while enabling it to be larger than its predecessor.
Captain Van Chaney, 777/777X chief pilot for Boeing Test & Evaluation said, “The 777X flew beautifully, and today’s testing was very productive. Thank you to all the teams who made today possible. I can’t wait to go fly your airplane again.”
During the flight Chaney and Boeing chief pilot Craig Bomben worked through a test plan for the airplane’s systems and structures while a team in Seattle monitored the data in real time.
Stan Deal, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes said, “Today’s safe first flight of the 777X is a tribute to the years of hard work and dedication from our teammates, our suppliers and our community partners in Washington state and across the globe.”
According to Boeing, the 777X twin-engined widebody commercial passenger jet will deliver 10% lower fuel use and emissions and 10% lower operating costs than comparable aircraft on the market thanks to improved aerodynamics, a carbon-fiber composite wing and the use of the GE Aviation’s GE9X, the world’s largest commercial jet engine. The 777X will compete with Airbus’ A350-1000.
The 777X includes the 777-8 and the 777-9, seating 384 and 426 passengers with ranges of 8,730 nautical miles (16,170 km) and 7,285 nautical miles (13,500 km) respectively. Airlines have ordered 340 777Xs and Boeing plans to deliver the first in 2021.
The successful first flight is an important milestone for Boeing at a time when the company is suffering badly from the continuing fallout from the 787 Max crashes in 2018 and 2019, which have grounded the existing fleet of aircraft and stopped production. The 777X program has also been delayed because of problems with the GE9X engine.
Development of the 777X started in 2013 and static testing of the aircraft started in September 2018. Article via Aerospace Testing International.
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| Category: Industry Posted: Fri, Jan 31st 2020 at 7:43 AM OPEC members are considering holding an emergency meeting next month, as oil prices sink on concern the coronavirus outbreak will hit demand.
Algerian Energy Minister Mohamed Arkab said the producer group’s meeting scheduled for March is likely to be moved to February, the Algerie Presse Service reported. A decision may be taken “in the coming days,” he said. He currently holds the rotating post of OPEC President, giving him the authority to convene emergency meetings in consultation with the Secretary-General and other members.
One delegate from an OPEC member said privately it could happen as soon as next week, and another floated mid-February as a date. Still, several delegates said they were unaware of discussions to bring the March 5-6 meeting forward.
There’s good reason to be skeptical about the prospective change of dates. If the group convenes an emergency meeting without announcing new measures, the disappointment among traders could push prices even lower. It already unveiled deeper production cuts just over a month ago, and as these are put into effect, Saudi Arabia -- which has borne the greatest burden in reducing supply - has slashed output to the lowest since 2014.
Any meeting would probably include non-members such as Russia, as the latest production targets have been set in concert with those allies. One delegate said the availability of Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak would be a factor in deciding whether an early meeting could be called. Novak’s schedule has been an obstacle to meetings in the past, and he is due to participate in a Russian Investment Forum from Feb. 12 to 14 in the coastal resort of Sochi.
The March 5-6 meeting is for OPEC+, and they’re due to discuss the future of oil-production cuts that expire at the end of March.
The outbreak of the pneumonia-like coronavirus has left 7,800 people infected and 170 dead since the first case was reported on Dec. 30 in Wuhan, the capital of China’s Hubei province. As airlines across the globe suspend flights to China, oil prices have slumped, adding to the pressure on OPEC to extend or deepen the group’s oil-production cuts.
Brent crude has dropped more than 10% this month even after the U.S. killed a key Iranian general and Libya’s oil production was cut to near zero following a blockade of the nation’s ports that virtually halted exports. Saudi Arabia has said it’s “closely monitoring” the effect of the virus on the oil market.
Article via World Oil
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| Category: Industry Posted: Fri, Jan 31st 2020 at 7:36 AM The Canadian government has the power to delay a decision on whether to approve a massive new oilsands project, a key cabinet minister said on Tuesday, a sign Ottawa could push back what will be a contentious decision.
Ottawa must decide by end-February if Teck Resources Ltd can build the $20.6 billion (US$15.7 billion) Frontier mine in northern Alberta, capable of eventually producing 260,000 barrels of crude oil per day.
If the minority Liberal government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says yes, it would call into question his promise to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050. But saying no could infuriate Alberta, already angry over what local politicians claim is Ottawa’s bias against the energy industry.
“I’m not going to opine on what that decision is going to be,” said Wilkinson, who must formally decide whether to approve the project or refer the matter to cabinet.
Officials say the final say will rest with cabinet, noting ministers have the power to ask for more information about the project. This would mean extending the end-February deadline. “Obviously this government has made commitments with respect to addressing greenhouse gas emissions and we would have to ensure that they fit within that context,” said Wilkinson.
Alberta premier Jason Kenney said on Tuesday that Frontier had been through years of rigorous environmental scrutiny and added “It’s time this $20 billion project got approved.”
Trudeau has repeatedly said Canada will need to rely on crude oil for years to come as it moves to build a cleaner economy. The project has also split the country’s Indigenous people, whose living standards Trudeau vows to improve.
“The Trudeau government needs to show us how they will support the workers and communities currently dependent on oil as we meet the 2050 deadline for a fossil fuel-free economy, not approve a massive new oilsands mine to operate until 2067,” said Greenpeace Canada campaigner Keith Stewart.
Article via Finaicial Post
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| Category: Product Posted: Fri, Jan 17th 2020 at 12:13 PM  MFE Enterprises announces the launch of its new 61 lb. manual and mapping edge scanner today, the MFE Edge. MFE Enterprises applied the superior mapping software and reliable technology of its coveted Mark IV Tank Scanner to the functionality of an edge scanner when designing the MFE Edge.One of the most exciting features of the Edge is its ability to map the critical zone. Mapping an impressive 1/8 inch from the shell wall takes inspectors to unprecedented territory. Operators may utilize the MFE Edge on its own or use it in unison with the Mark IV Tank Scanner. They will have the ability to export their analytical mapping reports from the MFE Edge and import them into the Mark IV Tank Scanner, making the use of both machines a particularly advantageous partnership when mapping defects.
MFE Enterprises’ Business Development Manager Bryan Duke says the ability to map the critical zone is an extraordinary advantage for NDT inspectors.
”Mapping the critical zone and getting an 1/8 inch from the shell is a game-changer for our customers. The ability to merge analytical data with the Mark IV will save them so much time, which saves them money. We’re thrilled about this launch and what it will mean for our customers,” Duke says.
With other scanners, the time and money constraints of shipping large pieces of equipment to various job sites can be extensive and inconvenient. MFE Enterprises’ answer to this is the Edge’s remarkably light 61 lb. scanner weight. During storage and shipments, the Edge may be separated into two parts: the handle assembly and the magnetic bridge. The two cases distribute the Edge’s already light weight across the two cases, allowing for much easier transport.
These features along with the MFE Edge’s 180-degree pivoting handle assembly, Getac Rugged F110 tablet, real-time display, and hot-swappable batteries make the MFE Edge a necessary tool for inspectors.
If you want to know more about the MFE Edge or to arrange a demo, please contact Bryan Duke at bduke@mferentals.com.
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| Category: Product Posted: Thu, Jan 9th 2020 at 11:50 AM  WALTHAM, Mass., October 30, 2019—OmniScan® instruments are recognized globally as the benchmark for portable phased array ultrasonic testing (PAUT) thanks to their power, reliability and ease of use. The new OmniScan X3 flaw detector elevates the standard with innovations that improve the entire inspection workflow. Setting up for a job is faster and more efficient while total focusing method (TFM) images collected through full matrix capture (FMC) give users more confidence in their decision making. When an inspection is complete, leading-edge software tools make analysis and reporting easier.The OmniScan X3 flaw detector combines the essential tools needed for PAUT inspections, such as TOFD, two UT channels, eight groups and 16:64PR, 16:128PR and 32:128PR configurations*, with powerful innovations, including:
The comprehensive onboard scan plan tool enables users to visualize the inspection, helping reduce the risk of errors. The entire scan plan, including the TFM zone, can be created in one simple workflow. Creating a setup is also faster with improved calibration tools and support for simultaneous probe and beam set configuration, onboard dual linear, matrix and dual matrix array creation and automatic wedge verification.
Certified IP65 dust proof and water resistant, the instrument has the reliability and ease of use that OmniScan flaw detectors are known for combined with high-quality images that help make interpreting flaws more obvious. With the total focusing method, users can produce geometrically correct images to confirm the characterization of flaws identified through conventional phased array techniques and obtain better images throughout the volume of a part. Additional features that enable outstanding images include a 16-bit A-scan, interpolation and smoothing and a vivid 10.6-inch WXGA display that provides clarity and visibility in any light.
The OmniScan X3 flaw detector makes analysis and reporting faster, both onboard the instrument and on a PC. The instrument also comes with a variety of helpful data interpretation tools:
Whether inspecting pipes, welds, pressure vessels or composites, the OmniScan X3 flaw detector enables users to complete their work efficiently and interpret flaws with confidence.
For more information about OmniScan flaw detectors, visit: www.olympus-ims.com.
*The 16:64PR configuration limits the number of groups to 1 TOFD, 2 PA and 2 TFM.
About Olympus
Olympus is a global technology leader, crafting innovative optical and digital solutions in medical technologies; life sciences; industrial solutions; and cameras and audio products. Throughout our nearly 100-year history, Olympus has focused on being true to society and making people’s lives healthier, safer and more fulfilling.
Our Industrial Solutions Business is committed to the safety and betterment of society through the pioneering, development and manufacture of world-leading test and measurement solutions. These solutions are used in industrial and research applications ranging from aerospace, power generation, petrochemical, civil infrastructure, automotive and consumer products. For more information, visit https://www.olympus-ims.com.
Olympus…True to You. True to Society. True to LIFE.
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| Category: Industry Posted: Wed, Dec 18th 2019 at 9:29 AM FITCHBURG, Wis., Dec. 12, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Phoenix, LLC., a nuclear technology company founded in Madison, Wisconsin in 2005, has announced that it has now demonstrated the capability to take ASTM Category I neutron radiographs at its new accelerator-based industrial radiography facility, the Phoenix Neutron Imaging Center (PNIC), which opened in October of this year. ASTM Category I images are the highest image quality level specified by ASTM E545, the gold standard for defining the quality of neutron radiographs.
Neutron imaging, also known as N-ray, is a form of radiographic inspection similar to X-ray imaging that provides unique information and valuable insight into an object's internal structure that other non-destructive testing (NDT) techniques cannot. Neutron imaging is a vital inspection technique for high-reliability products such as the turbine blades found in aircraft jet engines, energetic devices such as aircraft ejection mechanisms, spacecraft payload fairing separation mechanisms, and munitions.
Since the discovery of neutron imaging as an industrial NDT technique in the 1950s, only nuclear reactors could provide the magnitude of neutron radiation to create high-quality images in reasonable time periods. However, after decades of increasing regulation and costs, scores of these reactors have closed. There are now only a few nuclear reactors available for commercial imaging, drastically limiting the availability of neutron inspection in the NDT community.
The high neutron output of the PNIC system allows Phoenix to exceed the annual throughput of reactor facilities with an equivalent level of image quality. This technical achievement represents the culmination of years of work by Phoenix's engineers to mitigate industry concerns on the availability of neutron radiography.
"The ability to generate ultra-high-quality neutron images with a small, relatively low-cost, accelerator-based neutron imaging system is truly an industry game-changer," said Dr. Evan Sengbusch, president of Phoenix. "This achievement is analogous to the early use of compact x-ray generators in medical diagnostics over a century ago. It is a first step in making neutron imaging as ubiquitous as x-ray imaging is today."
Of the handful of reactors that remain, continued unplanned outages and no line of sight to the specialty fuel needed to refuel the reactors will likely cause further shutdowns in the near future which drives significant concern for users reliant on those facilities. Phoenix is now positioned to take on neutron imaging work put at risk by an aging nuclear reactor fleet and maintain the high quality and reliability levels required for a broad range of aerospace and defense components supplied to the government and commercial sectors.
Unlike a nuclear reactor, the Phoenix system can also be built anywhere, making it possible for high-volume users of neutron imaging to have dedicated neutron imaging capabilities in-house. Phoenix's goal is to not just shore up this fragile supply chain with a network of n-ray capable facilities but to make neutron radiography, a powerful yet underutilized tool for industrial nondestructive testing, more accessible and available to a broader user base.
The 10,000 square foot neutron imaging services facility that will provide neutron activation analysis, radiation effects testing, neutron (n-ray), and x-ray imaging. The company's 50,000 square foot corporate headquarters, which broke ground in November of this year, will also be located on the same site and will allow Phoenix to meet the increasing demand for accelerator systems and employ an estimated additional 50 full time, highly paid professionals over the next several years.
About Phoenix
Phoenix's proprietary neutron generators, one of which recently broke a world record for the most neutrons produced in a sustained fusion reaction during a demonstration with sister company SHINE Medical Technologies, do not rely on the fission of fissile materials. Phoenix began developing its first neutron radiography system in 2012 under a Small Business Innovation and Research contract with the US Army. The Phoenix neutron radiography systems are designed to be installed at industrial facilities and incorporated directly into the quality control processes used to inspect products for defects which could not be detected with more widely-utilized NDT techniques. Other clients of Phoenix include major aircraft turbine blade casting houses and manufacturers of energetic devices. PNIC, which is set to begin taking on new clients in Q1 2020, represents a paradigm shift in the availability of neutron imaging by providing all of the benefits of reactor-driven neutron imaging facilities with fewer drawbacks, while also providing other services for NDT professionals such as industrial X-ray imaging and CT (computed tomography). |
| Category: Industry Posted: Fri, Dec 6th 2019 at 11:10 AM The first segments of pipe for the Coastal GasLink Project begin to arrive at storage sites this week in anticipation of construction ramp up later next year, TC Energy reported on Tuesday.
The $6.6-billion pipeline, which will provide the natural gas feed for the $40-billion LNG Canada project, will stretch 670 kilometres from the Dawson Creek area in Northeast B.C. to the coast at Kitimat.
TC Energy said that starting in December 2019, pipe will be transported by rail and truck and stored at sites across the project route until it’s needed for assembly and installation. That phase of construction is expected to start next summer and continue through to 2022.
Initial deliveries are planned for the Chetwynd and Kitimat area. Deliveries to other areas across the route will continue through April 2021, the company said.
“With construction progressing on the Coastal GasLink Project, we are committed to delivering economic benefits across the province. With more than $1 billion in employment and contracting opportunities for Indigenous and local communities, significant benefits are already being realized across the project right-of-way,” TC Energy said.
“In fact, nearly 1,000 women and men are currently working on the project to make sure we are ready for mainline construction in 2020.”
Article via Business Vancouver.
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| Category: Product Posted: Fri, Dec 6th 2019 at 7:44 AM  Hitachi High-Tech Analytical Science in Canada is excited to announce the launch of OE750 – a ground-breaking new optical emission spectrometer for verifying incoming materials specifications in metal processing facilities. Complex supply chains, zero-fault quality strategies and more demanding regulations and standards mean metals processing businesses are under increasing pressure to check their incoming materials beyond grade information and verify tramp and trace elements content before allowing them into production. To meet these new high-demand QAQC requirements, the new OE750 optical emission spectrometer offers a level of analytical performance never previously seen in an analyser in this class. It covers the entire spectrum of elements in metal and has some of the lowest detection limits possible. The result is an analyser that has the capability of much more expensive instruments, bringing high quality analysis within reach for the first time for many metals working businesses.Revolutionary new optical concepts, with four patents pending, using superior CMOS detector technology is behind the high level of optical resolution and large dynamic range of the OE750. As a result, this new analyser has a very wide wavelength range, meaning it can measure the entire range of elements within metals at low ppm levels. This is essential for meeting today’s tight metals specifications and the analyser can meet the requirements of relevant standards and specifications such as for example the ASTM E415 test method for carbon and low-alloy steel and ASTM E1086 the Standard Test Method for the analysis of Stainless Steel by Spark Atomic Emission Spectrometry. One advantage of the OE750’s new optics design is the fast start-up time. The instrument is ready for use in less than an hour, thanks to the low volume occupied by the optics. This aids high throughput production, where facilities need to check 100% of the material supplied. In addition to the new optics design, the OE750 has other technical features that support high volume metals analysis. It has a new sealed spark stand with optimised laminar flow; this reduces argon consumption, reduces the likelihood of contamination and drastically reduces maintenance requirements. A unique mid-pressure system with low-pressure argon purge cuts down the pump usage. This reduces the power consumption of the pump by 90% and enables an oil-free design to be used, increasing reliability and instrument uptime. This makes the OE750 highly reliable with low operating costs. In addition to innovative hardware technology, the new OE750 includes software that enhances its performance. For example, it includes the Hitachi GRADE Database that includes more than 12 million records for over 339,000 materials from 69 countries and standards, reducing time and potential errors from manually consulting grade catalogues. As an option it comes with a SPC/LIMS package enabling an easy an effective monitoring of processes involved with the instrument and the processes to be controlled with it. This is an ideal tool to meet demands from standards such as IATF 16949. Wilhelm Sanders, Hitachi OES Product Business Development Manager said: “In the past, metal processing businesses had to choose between high performance analysis and instrumentation that was in their price range. Thanks to the new OE750 they no longer have to make that compromise. The OE750 offers comprehensive metals analysis in one accessible package.” For more information, contact Non-Destructive Testing (NDT ) Products Limited, the channel partner for Hitachi High-Tech Analytical Science in Canada, at 1-833-202-4504/sales@ndtproducts.ca. |