This year saw the fourth NDT requirements workshop run by the British Institute of Non-Destructive Testing (BINDT). The Workshop on NDT Requirements for Marine Composites took place on 27 February 2018 at St Mary’s Stadium, Southampton, UK.
A significant amount of non-destructive testing (NDT) is already performed on marine composites, the sector needs further support in a number of areas, including the development of NDT acceptance criteria at the design stage for manufacturing and in-service defects, guidance on appropriate NDT method and inspection process selection and new techniques for utilizing NDT results for structural integrity assessment.
The workshop brought together marine sector regulators, insurers, designers, manufacturers, constructors and operators to discuss the opportunities for, and benefits of, improved and enhanced NDT of marine composites. The academic sector was also well represented, bringing potential solutions from leading-edge research. The aim of the workshop was to generate a document capturing all NDT requirements, ‘what success looks like’ for future NDT and the link to structural integrity and risk-based inspection management.
The workshop program consisted of six key sessions including: regulator and insurer requirements; industry and user requirements; current NDT experience; future advanced NDT and structural integrity; a breakout session; and panel session.
Professionals and academics from the marine industry briefed attendees on ways that NDT could help increase the use of composites, covering subjects such as naval fleets, tidal turbine sectors, high-performance yachts, ultrasonic testing (UT), RNLI lifeboats and pulsed thermography. The programme included speakers from influential companies and organisations such as Land Rover BAR, Navalmartin Ltd, BAE Systems, AEL Airborne and Minton, Treharne & Davies, as well as educational institutions and research centres such as the University of Bristol, the Defence Academy of UK, the National Composites Centre and the University of Southampton.
Presentations from this workshop are available to download from the BINDT website, http://www.bindt.org/events/PastEvents/marine-composites-workshop-2018-closed/, where the final report will also be made available.
The next NDT requirements workshop, in 2019, will be focused on the wind power sector.