Latest news and updates - April 2022

Greetings from NDT Resources! We hope you had a good break over the Easter period and are raring to go with batteries fully charged.

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So, on with this month's newsletter...

I would like to touch on something that's always been the elephant in the room, always present, but rarely discussed openly.

I published a post in LinkedIn recently (some of you might have seen it) where I talked about the pressures felt by NDT personnel in a production (OEM) environment (first iteration published in February's newsletter). To understand whether my experiences were common, I conducted a poll to determine how prevalent this was.

The following starts with a copy of that post, the results of the poll and a selection of comments generated. I am grateful to the 146 people who voted; the 8,816 viewers and for the 28 comments that people took the time to give.

NDT in a Production Environment

'As an NDT technician, supervisor or manager in a manufacturing environment, have you ever been lent on by production? What do I mean? In a production environment, manufacturing at the lowest cost possible is key. If a part needs re-work or repair - heaven-forfend, even scrapping - this has a huge cost downside.
Who finds these faults? You, the NDT technician does. As such the NDT department is seen as an impediment to the production process - maybe production should have made the part properly in the first place! You may now find the bean-counters bringing pressure to bear on your findings, questioning your ability even.
I know an OEM Responsible Level 3 that is fed-up of fighting for his department's independence, so much so that he has asked me to find him another job.
Please let me know if you have been leant on by production to pass parts.

Here's a story from me, let's hear yours…

I was part of a night-shift radiography team for a large aerospace OEM; we were all sub-contractors. The day shift were employees. It was thought that the night shift were failing more parts than the day shift; as such, production decreed that those parts were no longer to be shot by us, only the day shift could shoot and sentence them. The Responsible Level 3 was heavily leaned on by production, ending up in a shouting match in his office.
Please let me know if you have any experiences or comments to relate regarding this topic.' (link to LinkedIn post)

Here's a selection of some of the comments received:

'I have seen this plenty of times. The way I have always addressed this is show my finding, pull out the spec and show them in black & white why it was rejected, and if they want to over ride my Technicians then please send me an email stating so along with the Section of the Specification they would like to overlook!! Usually after that, nothing else. I've learned in NDT that you have to have a thick skin. I've also seen places where Quality was viewed as an added cost!! I always laughed.

What's always the best is when a production Manager took a UT Level II class 5 years ago and shows you a Certificate of Training and says I'm Certified so I know your lying!! 😂'

Mike Kirby, ASNT Level III

'Not an ideal concept, but it is part of the job (something we likely don't clue our 'recruits' in on very well). As an NDT organization, you are likely the only department in the entire production chain that production does not manage or direct. You (NDT) are a process step that is out of their control, and likely one that they do not understand very well. So your job as Level III is twofold in the production environment - educate your 'adversary' so that what you do is not black magic, and have a spine. You will be faced with choices, and must stay true to what is right - so have the spine to stand or to make the decision to leave if pushed into an ethical corner. Educate, and be known as someone whom your employer can count on to do the right thing, every single time. If your employer doesn't want someone like that, it is time to pack your bags.'

Shockingly, but not uncommon:

I've had parts that were marked with rejectable areas taken out of the department, cleaned with acetone to remove the marks, and brought back in for inspection on the next shift. Still rejectable.
David Harvey, R&D Engineer Nondestructive Evaluation, at Los Alamos National Laboratory
'I've seen this many times. Certain owner operators require that a vendor/fab shop have the NDT department under the quality department and not production. If a company had the NDT department under production the company was automatically determined unfit for that owner operator. No matter the pressure if the NDT department is under quality, quality is what they get. But I understand the strains of production environments.'
Fernando Villanueva, Technical Sales Specialist at Eddyfi Technologies - ACCP UT Level III

And finally:

'The further away you are from an actual flying aircraft, the more common this gets.
Once you're willing to put people's lives above your job security, you can become a proper NDT technician...' Amen to that!
Sam Demuynck, Director & Level 3 at Alpin NDT GmbH

Poll Results

Get your NDT hires right first time

Quick question - have you considered working on Wind Farms?

This is a booming industry offering great opportunities for those interested in gaining the relevant certifications. To find out more, click the link

Q & A

Q:Why do I need a specialist NDT recruitment agency rather than just using my current in-house or generic recruiter?

A: The fact that you are asking this question and reading the answer shows you recognise the need for an informed, expert company to meet the needs of your current recruitment shortfall. No one understands NDT methodology, sector application and certification like we do, and as such, no one is better placed to understand your needs, and deliver the right professional to you in a cost effective and timely manner. To fill your position and bypass all the usual pitfalls successfully and sustainably, you need an expert in the field, to guide you towards your perfect candidate in a quick and painless way.

Jobs

Our job offering is constantly changing, varying from UK to global placements for a wide range of roles in the NDT sector.

Featured jobs:

• Dye Penetrant NDT Technician (PT)

  Are you an experienced aerospace NDT technician or keen to enter this sector? Are you keen to develop your career and expand your skills further? If so, you could be supporting my client's Special Process Manager - yes, just you and him will be responsible for the company's NDT processes. This is a newly created role that will also encompass heat treatment and passivation processes (shot peening to be introduced later this year). My client is a recognised leader as a manufacturer of aerospace springs. These springs are handmade and finished to high tolerances. Their function is to operate in many safety-critical assemblies on an aircraft, for example: brake units, undercarriages, fuel and hydraulic systems, etc.

• Aerospace Radiographer (perm) - Fancy living and working in Switzerland?

  Details still being firmed up. Please contact us for more information. Link to job: https://www.ndtresources.co.uk/job/ndt-radiographe...

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