ESR’s NDT Conference Highlights

ESR Technology consultants gave two papers on HOIS projects at the recent NDT 2018 Conference organised by the British Institute of Non-Destructive Testing (BINDT http://www.bindt.org/). Richard Lee talked about the project on composite repair inspection. Martin Wall presented recent work on human factors and chaired the session on advanced ultrasonics.

One highlight of the conference was Dr Steve Burch, NDT Director and HOIS Programme Manager, being presented with the Anne Birt Award for a significant contribution to technology innovation, technology transfer or technology strategy in the field of NDT. The prize is awarded by the Technical Committee of the Institute.

Steve’s profile appears with the other award winners’ in the September 2018 issue of Insight, the official monthly journal of BINDT:

Steve read physics at the University of Cambridge, where he also completed a PhD in radio astronomy. He then joined the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) at Harwell researching advanced techniques. A particular highlight of this period was the development of a technique for ultrasonic objective flaw characterisation using an approach based on feature extraction and statistical pattern recognition. He was also responsible for the development in the early 1990s of the Tomohawk system for X-ray computerised tomography. Steve became part of the newly privatised AEA Technology and moved to the National NDT Centre at Culham Laboratory. Here his work involved consultancy and the development of NDT techniques and systems, principally in the fields of X-ray imaging and digital ultrasonics.

Steve currently works for ESR Technology which was formed in 2005 following divestment from AEA Technology. Steve is the NDT Group Director and manages the HOIS joint industry project for improved NDT in the oil & gas industry. He is the principal author of many of the authoritative HOIS recommended practice and guidance documents, some of which are publicly available (https://www.esrtechnology.com/index.php/centres-of-excellence/hois/publications). He has also presented technical papers at numerous NDT conferences, most recently on the ambitious HOIS project on inspection of external corrosion with insulation (CUI) and without insulation (scabs) at the European Conference in NDT (ECNDT 2018, Gothenburg) in June 2018.

Steve is the principal UK national expert for the development of Radiographic European Standards via CEN and ISO committees. He led the development of the international standards on in-service radiography, EN 16407 parts 1 and 2, which are now being revised as draft ISO standards (ISO 20769).

Steve was presented with his certificate by Caroline Bull. president of BINDT.

Congratulations Steve!