News
15/01/2021 Omni launches next-generation asset integrity management software
Omni (an ICR company) has launched a new digital full lifecycle asset integrity management solution developed by industry experts, allowing companies to manage, predict, plan and optimise their asset integrity management programmes. Omni is built on the combined knowledge of integrity engineers, software developers and data scientists and is headed up by Director William McLean, who brings 16 years’ cross-industry experience.
15/01/2021 Phoenix ISL appoints Technical Sales Engineer
Phoenix Inspection Systems Limited has announced the appointment of Chris Canham as Technical Sales Engineer, responsible for developing new sales streams across the UK, developing sales strategies with a technical influence, creating new business opportunities and generating sales growth of Phoenix ISL solutions.
13/01/2021 X-ray detector evaluation
Nikon Metrology’s new Detector Evaluation Package, in accordance with ASTM E2737, offers automated analysis of image data with performance trend analysis.
12/01/2021 Regal Beloit introduces the System Plast iCOF
For manufacturers running a manufacturing line, especially a dry running line, friction is a key factor for the proper handling and flow of containers.
12/01/2021 Sensata Technologies invests in Pitstop
Pitstop, a German automotive predictive maintenance platform, has announced a Series A round of funding led by Sensata Technologies in the USA, a global industrial technology company and leading provider of sensor-rich solutions that create insights for customers, with participation from existing investors Ripple Ventures and Hike Ventures. Pitstop will use the funds to expand market reach, enhance product features and build additional predictive algorithms for the automotive industry. The amount of the Series A funding is undisclosed.
11/01/2021 ASNT announces ASNT Certification Services
The Board of Directors of the American Society for Nondestructive Testing (ASNT) recently approved the establishment of a wholly-owned limited liability company, ASNT Certification Services LLC, which will house all of the Society’s certification and accreditation programmes. The new entity will launch on 1 July 2021.
11/01/2021 Testia announces Box concept data acquisition and SDK
Testia, an Airbus Company, is supporting innovation and research for industrial applications by developing technology and solutions that stimulate innovation for the industry as a whole. Its current acquisition systems portfolio, comprising the multi-method UE1 Box and phased array U32 Box, is now open to those who need to exploit their flexibility to meet multiple technical specifications and accomplish different inspection goals, all within the same device.
08/01/2021 Laser triangulation sensor
Precision sensor manufacturer Micro-Epsilon is continuing the development of its comprehensive laser triangulation sensor range with the addition of the optoNCDT 1900. Ideally suited for both dynamic and high-resolution measurement tasks, it features a completely new compact sensor housing with innovative mounting sleeves that ensures a repeatable sensor position and alignment to the target. This new performance class of laser sensor is said to be ideal for high-speed distance, displacement and position measurements in a wide range of automation tasks, including machine building, robotics, automotive production, 3D printing and coordinate measuring machines.
08/01/2021 High-energy CT scanner
Waygate Technologies, a Baker Hughes business and a world leader in industrial inspection solutions, has launched its first high-energy computed tomography (CT) system: Phoenix Power|scan HE.
07/01/2021 International collaboration advances procedural development in NDT of plastics
The Institute for Plastics Technology (IKT) at the University of Stuttgart has been supplied with a TeraMetrix terahertz system as part of a cooperation with ETher NDE Ltd, Baugh & Weedon Ltd and Springer New Technologies GmbH.
07/01/2021 BINDT appoints founding Chair of new NDT Leadership Forum
The British Institute of NDT (BINDT) Advisory Group on Strategic NDT Leadership has appointed Mark Dowell as founding Chair of the NDT Leadership Forum.
06/01/2021 FLIR Systems announces thermal and visible videoscope for underground utility vaults
FLIR Systems Inc has announced the FLIR VS290-32™, which it claims is an industry-first videoscope that combines thermal imaging and a visible camera specifically designed for safer and more efficient inspections of hard-to-reach underground utility vaults. The VS290-32 is the company’s first industrial-grade, electrical safety-rated, flexible dual-sensor videoscope on a replaceable 2 m-long camera probe.
06/01/2021 Element Sheffield gains Safran approval
Element’s testing laboratory in Sheffield, UK, has achieved approval for destructive testing services from engine supplier Safran.
04/01/2021 Element expands global NDT testing capabilities with integration of Aerotech
Element Materials Technology (Element) has completed the formal rebranding and integration of non-destructive testing (NDT) business Aerotech Inspection and NDT Ltd, a significant milestone in Element’s world-leading position in NDT.
04/01/2021 Highest magnetic field for nuclear magnetic resonance in the UK achieved at University of Warwick
Scientists will soon have access to a powerful 1 GHz magnetic field to analyse the structure and dynamics with atomic resolution for a wide variety of systems across chemistry and life and materials science in the UK for the first time, as a new high-powered magnet for nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) in the UK has been successfully energised at the University of Warwick.
01/01/2021 PCN and the UK-EU Trade Agreement
The PCN Scheme is an international programme for the certification of conformance of non-destructive testing personnel which satisfies the requirements of a number of European and international standards.
24/12/2020 Enspec helps keep wind farm project on track
Enspec Power Limited, the power quality engineering specialist, has announced another successful power system study project, this time for the Beinn an Tuirc Phase 3 wind farm on the Kintyre peninsular in Scotland. The study was conducted in parallel to another Enspec project to supply a shunt reactor for the SSE plc connection of the wind farm to the National Grid.
24/12/2020 Sensemetrics partners with Topcon
US-based Sensemetrics Inc has announced that it has integrated its Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) sensor platform with technology from Topcon Positioning Group.
23/12/2020 Joramco and Testia collaborate to launch new version of best-selling inspection tool
As Testia constantly strives to improve its digital solutions through automation, and as Joramco is always looking for opportunities to foster excellence and gain efficiency, the two players have collaborated on the introduction of inspection technologies.
23/12/2020 Occupational radiation protection survey
As part of the implementation of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)’s Occupational Radiation Protection Programme and in response to the IAEA General Conference resolution to strengthen the safety of workers in industrial radiography (IR), the IAEA has launched a survey to determine the best course of action to improve the Information System on Occupational Exposure in Medicine, Industry and Research focusing on industrial radiography (ISEMIR-IR) and to meet the needs of users such as non-destructive testing (NDT) service providers.
23/12/2020 Plans revealed for online hub to help inspire tomorrow’s engineers
Tomorrow’s Engineers Week, now in its eighth year, came to a close with the announcement of a new online hub to provide information and guidance to those organisations supporting and inspiring young people into engineering careers.
22/12/2020 Skills Training UK wins award for ‘Apprenticeship Programme of the Year’
Skills Training UK has won ‘Apprenticeship Programme of the Year’ at the Tes FE Awards 2020, announced on Friday 16 October at a virtual awards ceremony. The award gives recognition to the company’s work with both employers and the British Institute of Non-Destructive Testing (BINDT) to identify skills gaps and launch new non-destructive testing (NDT) apprenticeships, which employers have embraced.
22/12/2020 Revised PSL/30 process for logging industrial NDT work experience
Industrial non-destructive testing (NDT) experience is defined as the experience acceptable to the certification body, gained under qualified supervision, in the application of the NDT method and in the sector concerned needed to acquire the skill and knowledge to fulfil the provisions of qualification.
21/12/2020 Micro-Epsilon invests in new micro-mechatronics production centre
Precision sensor manufacturer Micro-Epsilon is investing more than €10 million (approximately £8.9 million) in a production centre for micro-mechatronics at its headquarters in Germany. In the future, sensors developed for the semiconductor and aerospace industries will be manufactured at the production centre, enabling a significant increase in the company’s production volumes over the coming years.
21/12/2020 Measuring vibrations at high temperatures
Kistler has launched the 8248A3 triaxial accelerometer, a sensor that it claims can withstand high temperatures of up to 260°C.
18/12/2020 Zetec webinar shows how to maximise the benefits of TFM and FMC in ultrasonic inspections
Zetec Inc, a global leader in non-destructive testing (NDT) technology, has posted an on-demand webinar explaining how to maximise the capabilities of full matrix capture (FMC) and the total focusing method (TFM) algorithm.
18/12/2020 Lavender utilises Amigo 2 on ACFM courses
Lavender International has recently collaborated with Eddyfi Technologies to provide students with the opportunity to use the latest alternating current field measurement (ACFM) equipment, the Amigo 2, on its ACFM courses last month.
17/12/2020 BINDT update: Electromagnetic Fields Directive 2013/35/EU – A guidance report for NDT equipment commonly used
In addition to previous articles published in NDT News highlighting the requirement for industry to carry out magnetic particle testing in accordance with the Electromagnetic Fields Directive 2013/35/EU, the British Institute of Non-Destructive Testing (BINDT)’s EMF Working Group (WG) is now able to provide members of industry with further guidance on those electromagnetic fields generated when using magnetic particle testing equipment.
16/12/2020 Acrovision chooses thermal imaging camera from Micro-Epsilon
Acrovision, a UK-based systems integrator of factory and warehouse automation, vision inspection systems and direct part marking and identification technologies, has chosen the thermoIMAGER TIM QVGA-HD-T100 thermal imaging camera from Micro-Epsilon as part of its infrared thermal detection system, the AFS-100. The system provides end-users with a reliable, versatile, high-accuracy fever screening system to help prevent the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). The thermal imaging camera was selected due to its high accuracy and ease of integration, set-up and configuration.
15/12/2020 Cabinet guards enable centralised condition monitoring
Turck Australia has expanded its series of cabinet guards with the addition of a narrow 18 mm model, the IM18-CCM. The new cabinet guard reports environment variables of control cabinets to higher-level IT systems for centralised condition monitoring.
14/12/2020 Achieving the limits of resolution in nanofocus X-ray inspection
Achieving the limits of resolution in nanofocus X-ray inspection requires finding the most appropriate combination of X-ray detector and X-ray source. Advacam s r o, from Prague, Czech Republic, and X-RAY WorX GmbH, from Garbsen, Germany, initiated a joint project to explore the capabilities of their components. The combination of Advacam’s photon-counting WidePIX detectors with the XWT-190-TCNF nanofocus tube yielded a performance even below the tube’s nominal resolution of 0.5 microns.
10/12/2020 Strategic hire strengthens ROSEN’s Aberdeen-based consultancy offering
ROSEN Group, a leading provider of cutting-edge integrity solutions, continues to expand the high-quality consultancy support provided to North Sea operators following the appointment of industry expert Tom Dubern.
10/12/2020 Ultrasonics technology leader Dolphitech establishes new UK base
Dolphitech AS has announced the opening of a new global training and support hub in the UK, which will further enhance its customer service offering.
08/12/2020 TeamViewer launches AI-supported solution
TeamViewer, a provider of secure remote connectivity solutions, has expanded its Internet of Things (IoT) offering to provide a way of using artificial intelligence (AI) in maintenance. Until now, TeamViewer customers in the IoT field have been able to read sensors, set alarms and connect directly to a wide range of devices. Now, an intelligent extension in predictive maintenance is being added. This will help to reduce downtime and save costs.
08/12/2020 MineWare using artificial intelligence
Mining equipment monitoring and automation solutions provider MineWare has developed what is said to be the mining industry’s first artificial intelligence (AI)-based drill automation platform, Phoenix AI, to optimise aftermarket blasthole drill operations.
07/12/2020 Storage tank floor inspection
As a world leader in advanced non-destructive testing (NDT) solutions, Eddyfi Technologies has released the new Floormap®X, a multi-technology magnetic flux leakage (MFL) array tank bottom inspection solution aimed at increasing productivity.
04/12/2020 Laser microscope
To provide the excellent performance required for submicron 3D observation and surface roughness measurement, the Olympus LEXT™ OLS5100 laser microscope offers guaranteed accuracy and precision (when calibrated by an Olympus technician and using LEXT objective lenses) with smart features that make materials science experiment workflows faster and more efficient.
03/12/2020 Applications now open for 2021 MacRobert Award
The MacRobert Award, the UK’s premier award for engineering innovation, is the country’s longest-running and most prestigious prize for engineering innovation. It recognises outstanding engineering innovation combined with proven commercial success and tangible societal benefit.
02/12/2020 New partnership for APM technology
Aspen Technology Inc (AspenTech), a provider of asset optimisation software, and Wood, an international engineering and consulting company, have announced a new partnership that will offer Wood’s client Aspen Mtell® asset performance management (APM) technology for predictive and prescriptive maintenance.
01/12/2020 Jacobs to lead European Union-funded nuclear power plant research
Jacobs has been selected to lead an international consortium, the cutting-edge research of which could lead to extensions in the operational lifespan of nuclear power plants around the world.
30/11/2020 Olympus and Hellier NDT extend collaboration to train future NDT inspectors
Furthering a partnership that began in 1986, Olympus, a leading manufacturer of innovative non-destructive testing (NDT) solutions, has supplied Hellier’s Houston, Texas, USA location with advanced NDT inspection equipment. The industry-leading OmniScan™ X3 phased array flaw detector with full matrix capture (FMC)/total focusing method (TFM)and other Olympus instruments will be used to train the next generation of inspectors in ultrasonic testing (UT).
30/11/2020 NDT 2020 Webinar Week exceeds expectations
This year, the British Institute of Non-Destructive Testing (BINDT) was delighted to host the inaugural NDT 2020 Webinar Week – Your virtual conference experience. The event took place from 14-18 September 2020 and featured a series of themed webinars covering the latest advances in NDT and related technologies, along with plenary presentations, technical and industry Q&A sessions, papers from the UK Research Centre in NDE (RCNDE)’s Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in Quantitative Non-Destructive Evaluation and exhibitors’ industry sessions.
24/11/2020 Enhanced UT software
Testia has released a new version of its best-selling software NDTkit UT, also known as Ultis, which is aimed at cutting costs and boosting efficiency.
24/11/2020 Weld seam scanner
Using Olympus’s new AxSEAM™ scanner, inspectors can easily set up and inspect long seam welds, enabling them to work more independently in the field. Along with the OmniScan™ X3 flaw detector, the scanner is an integral part of the company’s range of portable phased array ultrasonic testing (PAUT) inspection solutions targeting longitudinal weld inspection on pipes and pressure vessels.
23/11/2020 Scottish start-up Novosound transforming NDT market
Scottish technology start-up Novosound has launched its range of non-destructive testing (NDT) products, providing a technological breakthrough that will evolve how industry inspections take place.
23/11/2020 Cygnus thickness gauges detecting scrubber corrosion
Exhaust gas cleaning systems (EGCSs), more commonly known as ‘scrubbers’, are currently being installed on thousands of vessels worldwide in order to comply with the IMO 2020 Sulphur Cap. As a recent innovation within the maritime industry, they have not been without some early issues, including EGCS corrosion. The wash water from scrubbers, containing the pollutants it has filtered, is acidic and therefore highly corrosive. The effect of the acidic nature of the corrosive scrubber wash water on the integrity of the ship is further aggravated by the high temperatures of exhaust gases. It is now firmly established that the structural integrity of the scrubber and associated pipework (for example SOx scrubber discharge water line) need to be regularly checked for signs of corrosion.
20/11/2020 Spending Review must support innovation to improve resilience and cut carbon emissions, say engineers
The government’s Spending Review should include support for innovation, especially to achieve the aims of net zero emissions, resilient infrastructure and nationwide digitalisation, according to recommendations published by the National Engineering Policy Centre (NEPC). The UK should aim to be not just a science superpower but a science, engineering and innovation superpower, enabling it to deliver the maximum economic and social returns from its investment in science.
19/11/2020 Monitoring oil health in wind assets
ONYX InSight, a provider of data analytics and engineering expertise to the global wind industry, has launched a multi data-stream technology for online oil monitoring that increases clarity, reduces risk and saves considerable operations and maintenance (O&M) costs for the wind industry.
19/11/2020 Smart construction partnership
In Canada, PCL Construction has announced that it has joined forces with an industry leader in smart testing technologies and real-time data collection for concrete, Giatec Scientific.
18/11/2020 White light interferometers
Precision sensor supplier Micro-Epsilon has developed a completely new range of high-performance white light interferometers that provide new accuracy levels in absolute non-contact optical distance and thickness measurement. With measurement resolution from 30 picometres and linearity from ±10 nm, these interferometers represent a step change in accuracy from its confocal measurement systems.
