Thank you to our guest bloggers—Eddie Pompa, Matthew Alberts, and Kirstie Mogilner—for providing their observations on ASNT 2022: The Annual Conference.
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Conversion, Connecting, and Collaboration
by Eddie Pompa
In some ways you might think this was my first ASNT meeting ever. It felt so electric visiting with the vendors and making new friends that I am so glad I volunteered to write this blog. The best way to summarize this conference is with three “Cs”: conversion, connecting, and collaboration
Conversion was the best part of this conference in my experience. Over the last few years, I met many people via social media (LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook)—converting those friendships from virtual to 3D was very exciting. Among these conversions were ASNT President Danny Keck, ASNT Director at Large Emile Peloquin, and ASNT Director of Publications Jill Ross to name a few.
Connecting also included the new friends/family I made while at the conference. James “Charlie” Beyer, Erik Lombardo, and his lovely wife Amber were my newfound riding buddies every morning to the convention center.
As a Level III, we are often asked to connect the bridge between engineering, quality, and manufacturing, so collaboration with vendors regarding ongoing projects at home was extremely valuable and I am very appreciative. One of the most interesting things to come from collaboration during this conference was the feedback I received from those who follow me on LinkedIn. It provided me with some great new stories for my personal NDT blog, so for that I am eager to get some new material flowing.
These highlights were threaded together through the speakers ASNT provided each day who helped me understand the techniques, technology, and programs the NDT community has to offer.
The opening keynote speaker was the best for me as it relates directly to my work at Johnson Space Center and had an extra message tied to it that cries loudly to me. The ability to develop a great team requires great effort, trust, awareness, and focus on both big and small perspectives. Moogega (Moo) Cooper, PhD, talked about the work her team did to keep the Mars rover Perseverance clean enough to make the trip safe and on time, but to never lose focus on the “childlike” nature we all have. Without this childlike nature we never would have had such great pictures from the additional “commercial off-the-shelf” that was added to the bottom of the rover. The idea to attach a small piece of the Wright Brothers’ aircraft to the small rover helicopter to make history like no other was simply special and inspirational. This idea was a reminder to remain childlike in a way that allows us to enjoy the important work toward creating a safer world.
Among the technical presentations, PA-CAT, employee-based certifications, and inclusion in NDT were some of the best.
I learned that PA-CAT provides a solid solution toward detecting pipe corrosion under supports using existing phased array ultrasonic testing equipment. This is just another example of how versatile NDT equipment is these days.
Brian Frye, ASNT ISQ Manager, put together some excellent information regarding the upcoming changes in SNT-TC-1A that should improve employee-based certification programs.
The “Inclusion and Innovation in NDT” segment was also a big hit for me as I understand and appreciate the need to be inclusive in our industry. The world of NDT is quickly becoming a community that is open to change both technologically and inclusively. This is just another reminder that there is a need to remain childlike in our outlook toward accepting others for what they bring to the table, how they make us feel, and not judge based on how they look.
So, I guess you could say that “childlike” is the bonus C in this story and one that needs to be refreshed from time to time.
Thanks to this great family and these friends in NDT for providing a great experience.
P.S. I even got a chance to chat with NDT legend Chuck Hellier.
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ASNT Annual Conference 2022 Takeaways
HUVR was proud to be a sponsor of the ASNT Annual Conference and Trade Show in Nashville, TN, last month. I was in attendance, along with a number of my colleagues. The conference is always a pleasure to attend because it brings together all the latest NDT technology with the world’s top experts. It’s exciting to be a part of the discourse with a global constituency of vendors, visitors, and NDT professionals, and the value it provides is impossible to deny.
It was extremely satisfying to see the attendee numbers bounce back after COVID, and it really felt like the industry had turned a corner. Having so many people in a single place to hear Dr. Moogega Cooper share her experiences with the Mars rover program and her insights into leadership is only one example of the value the conference provided—and that was just the kickoff.
Tools, Tools, and More Tools
A common theme I heard from attendees is that they are being constantly asked to learn about new tools to complete inspection tasks. An inspection that 10 or 20 years ago might have used a single tool now requires three or four to complete—and that means retaining the necessary expertise required to effectively use the devices to gather data. The result is a higher fidelity inspection, but that data must now be managed, and if that task is not effortless, it’s possible to lose the gains achieved from better technology. Managing data, not just gathering it and reporting it, is becoming an entire piece of the industrial inspection paradigm.
Let’s Always Have a Reigning UT Champ!
The Ultrasonic Testing Competition—the first of its kind—was great to see. Gamification is always one of those things you hear about but rarely see successfully implemented. A contest is a fantastic way to continue to motivate inspectors and technicians to hone their craft. The value of bragging rights to human competitiveness cannot be overstated, so I hope this continues as a tradition in the future.
NDT is for Everyone
It can be easy to focus on the inspection data challenges relevant to oil and gas and petrochemicals. ASNT was an effective reminder that there are many technologies advancing across many verticals, and it benefits us to peek over the proverbial fence for opportunities outside our main focus.
For example, consider the General Session early Wednesday morning—“Developments and Challenges for Nondestructive Testing of Bridges” by Glenn Washer, PhD. The presentation was an evaluation of current and future technologies for the assessment of vehicular bridge decking. Every human in the country relies on the roadways for personal travel and delivery of the goods and services that make modern life possible. The new kinds of data being collected are extremely impressive, as is the new equipment that allows the creation of advanced models. Technologies like thermal imaging and encoded acoustics are helping collect more information than ever. In this way, as in many others, NDT is touching the entire world.
Final Thoughts
This event is about technology, but also the people who use technology. It’s about training, but more importantly, it is about people looking to learn. At its core, it’s about people.
Every new tool has its strengths and weaknesses, just like the experts who use them. That is what is so fantastic about this industry. The latest and greatest phased array ultrasonic testing technique can still be made better by a cross-check with liquid penetrant inspection. And neither of these example technologies are effective without proper trained personnel. The certification requirements are why ASNT exists, and everyone who uses NDT is thankful for the guidelines. The tools are nothing without properly trained operators.
One of the newer, exciting kinds of exhibitors could be found in software and data analytics tools. Specifically, new software that can aid in the connection between humans and the machines was quite impressive. These tools do not eliminate the certified inspectors but help in defect detection and reporting standardization by reducing the margin of error and increasing the probability of detection. The end result is safer and more intuitive inspections that are quicker to learn. Great advancements are always on the horizon.
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An Exhibitor’s Perspective
by Kirstie Mogilner
Here we go again—another ASNT Annual Conference.
As an exhibitor at the ASNT Annual Conference you arrive full of plans and expectations about how you will sell your products to the great folks of the NDT world. You have ideas of how you will persuade the experts—such as NDT technicians, OEM systems manufacturers, national lab professionals, and academics—about the virtues of your product or service to a world where many other technologies and methodologies are very established.
But this year, in the build up to the exhibition and during the Welcome Reception I learnt a very valuable lesson regarding what ASNT Annual Conference is really all about. I overheard an experienced Level III technician asking Alicia LeMasters (from the fabulous ASNT Events team) how to work the conference app as he was here to learn and pick up credits for his continuous professional development. She duly explained and he went on his way, set for his mission. I suddenly realized that what we are really all here for is to learn more about NDT and to collaborate with others in the world of NDT.
As manufacturers we need to know what NDT technicians are looking for. What is the priority? Is it the weight, durability, speed, resolution, energy range, design? How and where will our detectors be used?
At the Welcome Reception on Monday evening, we had a number of inquiries about our latest equipment, and what really struck me was the creativity of the potential users on how they would use our detector. One of the interested parties discussed using our detector as a complement to their existing NDT method to look at the delamination of composites. Then on another day’s agenda I spotted a talk by Josef Pornbacher from Xarion Laser Acoustics about a “Multi-Modal Approach to Composite Inspection: Combining Contact-Free Ultrasonic Testing with Radiographic Testing.”
I realized that what ASNT is really useful for: collaboration and working together to find effective solutions. So, when you are in the exhibition hall at conferences—share your knowledge and creative ideas, and let’s all make the most of this opportunity to learn.
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Eddie Pompa is an NDE Level 3 Quality Assurance Specialist, ndtheroes@gmail.com.
Matthew Alberts is Director of Partnerships at HUVRdata, Matt.Alberts@HUVRData.com.
Kirstie Mogilner is Marketing Manager at SpectrumLogic, kirstie.mogilner@spectrumlogic.com.