Lavender International has revealed a new Work Experience Laboratory specifically designed to replicate multiple industry sectors and represent real world inspections allowing NDT technicians the ability to gain valuable work experience.
The lab features a pipework system, a pressure vessel, a range of plate, pipe and nozzle samples ranging from extremely thick down to less than 3mm thin. The lab also includes extremely rare samples containing genuine high temperature hydrogen damage, along with flange face corrosion, weld root erosion, hydrogen cold cracking, including stepwise cracking. Materials include ferritic and austenitic steels including welds, and a significant large ex-service corroded sample located outside adjacent to the laboratory. The laboratory has been designed to be an integral part of the Lavender Accelerated Work Experience programme.
Lavender International held a soft launch for the new workshop on the 30th June, with NDT professionals able to try out the equipment and talk to NDT training specialists. There were demonstrations over 15 different stations set up across the lab, using the latest technology including EddyFi Gekko, Evident MX3, the RMS automated corrosion mapping system, tank floor scanner system and a variety of ET and VT equipment.
Inspections ranged from examining a small-bore pipe to pipe weld using basic Phased Array set up with COBRA scanner attached to pipe system installation, detecting High Temperature Hydrogen Attack damage using the TULA probe, as well as applying combined Phased Array and ToFD for weld inspection and Phased Array applications for austenitic welds.
The team demonstrated corrosion mapping using automated ultrasonics for corrosion and erosion, magnetic flux leakage, UT applications, VT and ET testing. The lab also features Lavender International’s famous “Harry the Hydrocracker”, which was displayed at the Materials Testing conference in 2019.
The equipment and samples have been specially tailored to different sectors of the industry, to provide students with interactive experience that is relevant to the area they work in. For example, to achieve scans, students will have to reach up high or lean at awkward angles, much like in the field.
As well as our work experience programme, the equipment is open to anyone to use – including qualified individuals who wants to brush up on their technique for their own benefit. Instead of artificial samples, the workshop is kitted out with samples that contain real defects from industry, to give students accurate representations.
About the Accelerated Work Experience Programme
The programme is designed to test the students practical and problem-solving skills, by giving real samples that they will have to use their own initiative to respond to. Students will be required to write up a technique which they think is appropriate to test their sample. The tutors will use the student’s technique to test the sample and give them vital feedback on the evaluation of the situation. The students will also be required to test the sample to a high standard to prepare them for work in-the-field.
Driving innovation is a core part of our mission at Lavender International, spurred on by our experienced and expert technical staff who have a passion for NDT, and to make the world a safer place through finding new ways to get inspectors qualified and ready for the changing industry that they face.
We recognise that there is a distinct shortage of help to bridge the gap between starting out as an NDT Inspector with no experience, to gaining the qualifications required for industry. It is hard for individuals to find the experience without prior connections and knowledge of the industry. That’s where we come in! The work experience required for PCN qualifications usually take months, but with our accredited and recognised programme, it reduces your required work experience requirement by 50% – saving you time and money!
Find out about the accelerated work experience programme here or contact the team today: E: enquiries@lavender-ndt.com T: +44 (0) 1226 765769.