Few change initiatives succeed in today’s complex global environments. For the best chance... Show Moreof success, leaders need to be able to gauge and respond to others’ resistance and inspire their team members to take ownership of change. I have been through so much change in our industry and organization and will discuss success drivers that I have learned along the way.

HTHA (High Temperature Hydrogen Attack) damage mechanisms have been heavily... Show Moreunder the microscope in recent years. Many new inspection techniques, as well as older, more familiar techniques, are being used in conjunction to detect this intergranular damage. This paper offers a new approach to HTHA inspection when access to the component is physically limited to only one side of the weld. This challenging scenario is common in the field as components are often welded to a flange or fitting that prevents using an ultrasonic probe on both sides of the weld. This new inspection strategy allows for more energy to penetrate the component as well as reduced surface noise. It was found to be overall less noisy than other methods, like TFM and PAUT.

NDT organizations worldwide are realizing the significance of Industry 4.0 and the value of... Show More investing in digital platforms, but many companies are finding it difficult to know where and how to start. Join this session to learn how to embark on your digital journey. We will discuss how to kickstart this process, which involves the critical first step of assessing your current work processes to determine major paint points. Maybe it’s the collection and management of NDT data? Maybe it’s report generation or resource management? Taking a close look at these pain points enables you to gather valuable insights and determine where digital tools may be most helpful. Ultimately, there are infinite possibilities of what can be done with digital tools, but targeting solutions too broadly can result in paying for more than is necessary and struggling to adopt. We will share client case studies to provide context on how this process benefits your organization’s digital adoption. In closing, we will discuss how to prioritize and find solutions that will improve your workflows, saving your company time and money.

Ultrasonic phased array inspection of smalldiameter pipe welds present many... Show Moredifferent challenges. One such challenge is the divergence of the phased array beam that occurs upon entering the pipe surface and from reflecting off the ID surface. This divergence caused by the size of the transducer elements can cause a loss in sensitivity as well as errors in measuring the length of indications detected. Through the use of a novel wedge design, this presentation aims to show the concepts and means by which the quality and consistency of your small-diameter weld inspections can be improved.

Quickly and accurately detecting mercury contamination in process piping is a fundamental need for... Show More the petrochemical industry. Virtually all petroleum contains some amount of mercury compounds. The mercury present in the crude oil can amalgamate with the steel in the process piping, storage tanks, and marine vessels. This mercury accumulation poses additional challenges during decommissioning, so it is essential that the mercury contamination is identified, quantified, and properly disposed of. Portable X-ray fluorescence (XRF) provides a fast and accurate means of quantifying mercury contamination in piping, with microgram per square centimeter (µg/cm2) detection. In a matter of seconds, portable XRF can quantify the degree of mercury intercalation into the surface of the steel piping. Using portable XRF on-site prior to demolition enables asset owners to make informed decisions during decommissioning and helps prevent contaminated material from entering the recycling stream. In this paper, we present quantitative results that substantiate the performance of portable XRF for detecting mercury contamination in piping. Recommended testing protocols are discussed as well common concerns about interferences in testing methods. Additional advances in instrument connectivity allow real-time result sharing, even between remote locations.