Session Abstracts & PowerPoint Presentations
BUSINESS PLANNING
Mergers and Acquisitions in the NDT Community
Michael de Portu, Prism Group
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Case Study in an NDT Start-up
Dan Carnevale, Danatronics, Inc.
The efforts in starting an NDT business from scratch will be detailed. Key components and general guidelines of the business plan will be covered. Various issues such as legal, product development, marketing and developing a sales force will be discussed. Finally, some lessons learned and conclusions will be shared with attendees.
NDT Business Development
Presentation Cancelled
Chuck Comstock, Pratt & Whitney
NDT Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Opportunities
Eugene Reinhart, Reinhart Associates
The Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) program, funded by various United States government agencies (DOD, DOE, NSF, etc.) has provided funds for Research and Development (R&D) of nondestructive testing (NDT) techniques and equipments. This program has provided valuable seed money for NDT development by small business firms and stimulated cooperative programs with universities.
A review and critical assessment of the SBIR program as related to NDT is presented to provide insight into reasons for or against pursuing this source of R&D funding for small business. Examples of various SBIR NDT projects and recommendations for improving the program are also presented.
NDT MGMT SESSION I
Custom Employee Benefits for Business and Insurance Solutions
PowerPoint Not Available
David Yellin, Delotte Co.
The presentation will cover the following topics:
1. Why Medical costs keep rising
2. What can we do about
a. Global Solutions
b. How you can reduce your medical claims
c. Plan design solutions
3. 401K and Profit Sharing plans
a. How to increase participation
b. How to get a higher percentage of your contribution to the owners and other highly compensated employees
Driving Inspection Productivity Through Technology
Ashish Bhandari, GEIT
There is unparalleled investment in the Oil & Gas industry in an environment where ageing assets are working harder than ever before. The two drivers together are creating a need for NDT related services but a slow growing qualified labor pool limits supply. Technology can bridge the gap between demand and supply by driving inspection productivity. Common tasks such as radiography, thickness measurement, flaw detection, and visual inspection can be significantly improved from a productivity standpoint. In fact, a 2X improvement is a target to aim for in a wide variety of inspection scenarios.
A Roadmap for Advanced Technician Training and Development
Mike Creech, Acuren Inspection
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Three Essentials R’s of NDT - Recruiting, Retention and Recovery
Ricky Morgan, Smith Emery Co.
The presentation will assist NDT Owners, Executives and Managers with the basic essentials of recruiting, retention and recovery. Getting the right employees, keeping the right employees and surviving after an employee leaves.
This isn’t reading, writing or arithmetic but these 3 R’s are the Basics and can sure make or break a company. Having been on both sides of the Company fence and at times sitting right on it, I will attempt to provide some of my own and some I have borrowed from some of the professionals in these fields. The implementation of coaching, communication, leadership, management, marketing, psychiatric and socialization techniques can assist with the tasks at hand. Understanding your own expectations and perceptions of what role, future career aspirations (Both yours and the employee) and compensation packages your next employee should or could be expecting goes along way in getting started.
NDT MGMT SESSION II
Recent Evolutions in ASNT Certification Documents and Programs
Marvin Trimm, ASNT President
The NDT personnel qualification/certification process and documents have been a topic of many discussions and technical requirements for years. For the past few years ASNT Certification Documents and Programs have been evolving as a result of those discussions/requirements. Some of the evolution is due to changing technology and expectations on NDT personnel, others are ASNT’s effort to provide program options for certification that satisfy national and international NDT qualification/certification requirements.
Documents and Programs to be addressed include, but not limited to:
1. SNT-TC-1A (Recommended Practice for: Personnel Qualification and Certification in Nondestructive Testing)
2. CP-189 (ASNT Standard for Qualification and Certification of Nondestructive Testing Personnel)
3. ASNT-CP-IRRSP-1A (Recommended Practice for: Industrial Radiography and Radiation Safety)
4. CP-1 ACCP (ASNT Central Certification Program)
This paper will discuss the features and elements of program documents/certifications and how they may apply to the qualification and certification of NDT personnel in all industries. The objective is to communicate current information and the status of document creation or revisions that effect the qualification and certification of NDT personnel.
Central Certification of Personnel – Perspective from the NDT Service Laboratory
Kirk Thams, X-R-I Testing
Central certification of personnel has advantages to many specific industries, for the NDT laboratory service industry it posses many challenges. The intent of my presentation is to define the challenges so they can be addressed or debated during the panel discussion.
Performance Based Certification for NDT Personnel
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Michael Turnbow, TVA
National and international round robin studies have shown that current NDT personnel qualification and certification programs do not result in high levels of probability of detection in certain applications.
Nondestructive evaluation of aging infrastructures and new designs manufactured from lighter more efficient materials are pushing the capabilities of both technology and human performance. In an effort to address the human element, a process to accurately determine practical limits for the finite and precise detection and sizing of flaws is needed. A growing trend in many industries that challenge such human skills is moving toward a performance demonstration process (PDP).
This paper will discuss the features and elements of the process and how they will apply to the qualification and certification of NDT personnel. The objective is to evaluate available information and experience that may lead to a revolutionary approach for the qualification and certification of NDT personnel resulting in more accurately defined human performance expectations. While human performance excellence is the ultimate goal, an effective and cost efficient delivery system of such a new initiative will be extremely important in determining feasibility and industry acceptance.
The Impact of Ineffective Personnel Certification Practices on the NDT Service Industry
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Rod Reinholdt, Quad City Testing Lab
This presentation is intended to provide the perspective of the nondestructive testing laboratory industry on the effects of the continued growth of industry specific certification schemes as they relate to personnel performance improvement, program administration, recruiting of personnel and overall cost to the industry. The NDT laboratory industry has always and continues to be supportive of applicable methods for improvement of nondestructive method application, technological advances and personnel performance. In general it also supports the standardization of a personnel method certification plan that has been practically developed and can be effectively administrated to all companies equally. This presentation is intended to enlighten the audience on the detrimental impact on the NDT service laboratory industry that potentially can occur from the development and inequitable implementation of certification programs which are either not truly effective in personnel performance improvement or are administered as a broadly applied certification programs to specialized industry applications. The continued splintering of the certification process has the potential to not only negatively impact personnel performance improvement but also to further expand the growing problem of availability of personnel resulting in an overall negative impact on our industry.
REGULATORY SESSION
NRC Update on New and Proposed Regulatory Activities in the Radiography Industry
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Dr. John Jankovich, USNR
The presentation provides an overview of the roles and responsibilities of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the Agreement States concerning the radiography industry. NRC’s functions regarding protection of public health and safety as well as providing for the common defense and security will be discussed. The status of traditional issues such as licensing, safety inspections and monitoring of events will be discussed only briefly. However, the current security requirements, implementation of the recently issued increased control measures, and the results of the security inspections, initiated in July 2006, will be discussed extensively. Planned and potential future regulatory issues will also be outlined. Questions and comments are encouraged in order to facilitate government/industry interaction.
National (Radioactive) Source Tracking System (NSTS)
David B. Fogle, Texas Dept. of Health
From legislative requests following the events of 9/11 and two reports, the NSTS was born to provide a close-to-real-time method of identifying and locating sealed sources of radioactive material. Then focusing on who benefits from NSTS, the initial US Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC) approach to source tracking, NRC rulemaking efforts and outcomes, new directions from the Commission, development of the user interface, and where we are today and the near future.
NSTS will aid government agencies responsible for securing our borders, maintaining national security and defense, monitoring potentially malevolent use of radioactive material while being in-line with international direction and programs. It will also provide a basis for risk determinations and policy direction by regulators.
NDT an FAA Perspective
Rusty Jones, FAA
The presentation “NDT an FAA Perspective” includes a brief background of the presenter detailing a mix of industry and government experience. There will be a brief discussion on three accidents where NDT played a role in the root cause of the accidents and will detail causes and effects. One of the common elements to these three accidents and findings during routine surveillance of NDI organizations is the “qualifications” of the inspector performing these inspections. The FAA does not qualify or certify individuals to perform NDT, however, we provide guidance on what constitutes an acceptable means of developing a qualification program. The minimum items to be included in an organizations qualification program will be discussed.
TECHNICAL SESSION
Software Advances Increase the Effectiveness and Value of NDT Data
Andrea Koetz, GEIT
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Calibration 101 & ISO 17025
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Ted Deleon, Mitchell Laboratories
The word “Calibration” has many different definitions. Some as elegant as “the process of determining the relation between the output (or response) of a measuring instrument and the value of the input quantity or attribute, a measurement standard” or as simple (our favorite) as receiving the sticker and a piece of paper stating “Calibrated”. When calibration is required what information that is to be provided to the vendor/person performing these calibrations? What is 4:1 total accuracy ratio? Are we certain of the uncertainties as well as additional requirements of a calibration laboratory?
Are there differences between ISO 17025 accredited laboratories versus laboratories that are compliant to ISO 17025? Are ANSI/NCLS Z-540-1-1994 requirements being meet? What requirements being set forth by ASTM? Calibration is key component to a successful quality program, with this information one will appreciate the importance of understanding this simple but convoluted word.
Computed Radiography: Evolutions to Revolutions
Fred Morro, Fujifilm NDT Systems
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Breakthroughs in Database Management
Charlie Serrell, Electronic Position Indicator, LP
The purpose of the presentation is to educate NDT technicians and managers about a revolutionary new technology that has been designed to facilitate better data management and increased database integrity. The major scope of this presentation will be to cover how productivity can be increased while performing the needed steps for data acquisition during the NDT inspection process. This will lead to better utilization of the manpower used during this process. We can accomplish this by means of a user friendly system that was designed by industry professionals with multiple years of field service and who have seen first hand the skyrocketing cost associated with attempting to correct a database that has been corrupted due to human error. We will show how these goals can be reached while providing better data management without the possibility of corrupted database input due to human error.
