Ryan Murphy

Our interviewee this month is Ryan Murphy, Technical Director of Evolution Fasteners and the 2021 winner of the Nemet Award in recognition of his outstandingly effective use of NDT, in particular FTIR spectrometry…

Describe your current role

I am the Technical Director of Evolution Fasteners, which is an international manufacturer of construction products. Alongside my fellow Directors, I assist in setting the direction and strategy of the Group and am responsible for setting and implementing all technical policies, strategy and functions of the Group, which includes engineering and laboratory (UKAS-accredited) tasks. In our laboratory, we employ a vast array of non-destructive techniques for quality assurance testing and positive material identification (PMI), with a particular emphasis on the X-ray fluorescence (XRF), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis) and optical emission spectrometry (OES) techniques.

What education or training route did you follow?

I started as a Trainee Civil Engineer while I attended university part time (my first degree was a BSc (Hons) Civil Engineering from Glasgow Caledonian University). Through movement to a consultant engineers, my specialisation shifted to structural engineering and I was preparing to take my examinations to become a Chartered Structural Engineer. Unfortunately, that came to a sudden halt during the 2008/2009 financial crisis, where I was made redundant. I then went through a transitionary period and ended up at Evolution Fasteners, where I was first introduced to NDT through positive material identification (PMI) techniques. Over time, I have undertaken more formal training in NDT and I am now in the latter stages of my PhD.

What other roles have you had in the past?

Initially, I was a Trainee Engineer with a local authority working in the Roads Department. From there, I moved briefly to a civil engineering contractor as a Site Engineer. After that, I was enticed into the world of consultant engineering and I was proudly involved in designing several prestigious structures during my time with AECOM. My final movement was to Evolution Fasteners, where I have progressed from Specification Engineer to Board Member.

What would you consider to be your biggest NDT achievements and challenges to date?

I am very proud of my work in the advancement of FTIR spectrometry techniques, particularly in the quantification of contaminants in polyamides. The consequences of not finding contamination can cost millions of pounds to a business and in the worst-case scenario can cost human lives. I was deeply honoured to recently receive the Nemet Award for my work in related activities.

Outside the sphere of traditional NDT, I am proud of my work in lobbying construction industry groups and associations to take up better practices in the installation and specification of certain self-drilling, self-tapping screws. When people hear about screws they switch off and don’t care, but these things are critical construction elements that retain the components of almost every building in the UK. I have published articles in trade press, lobbied associations and politicians, appeared on podcasts and trained hundreds of engineers on the dangers of under-specifying fasteners.

What do you think are the pressing challenges for the NDT industry?

I think the biggest challenges are two forks of the same problem: lack of investment in personnel and in material. The UK is currently in a recession and the market is losing confidence. This has a knock-on effect across every industry and, in my opinion, NDT is disproportionately affected as businesses seek to cut costs and allocate resources elsewhere. I am not an economist by any means, but I would urge businesses to maintain their capabilities, because we have seen from other industries that not retaining capabilities leads to losses when volume returns.

What changes, if any, do you foresee for NDT in the future?

For me, it is the pace of advancement that drives much of the change in the industry, in particular the transition to NDE 4.0. This is in no small part due to the tireless efforts of the NDE 4.0 Group at BINDT and also the NDT Technical Committee. I think we are standing at the precipice of an explosion in complex technologies in our industry, which is only being postponed by the current economic climate. People should recognise this and consider learning about emerging techniques and technologies through CPD.

How would you describe NDT to someone who has not heard of it before?

NDT is a part of your everyday life – if you pick up an avocado and gently squeeze it to test its ripeness, then you have just carried out some NDT! If it is important enough to check your avocados, it is definitely important to check engine components and aeroplanes.

Outside of NDT, what are your interests and hobbies?

I love anime and manga so I will probably be found watching that or reading it. Don’t knock it before you try it! I recommend One-Punch Man and Your Name.

I am also keen on pursuing charitable activities through my involvement in the Livery Companies and personal fundraising activities for various charities, including Autism Scotland and With Kids. I encourage you to donate to the BINDT’s Benevolent Fund – even a small gesture can make a big difference.

Please get in touch if you have any recommendations for future interviewees or would like to be interviewed yourself. Contact the editor at ndtnews@bindt.org or email Maria Felice direct at mvfelice@gmail.com