Institution news
Ahead of his presentation at the seminar covering Smart NDT Platforms from his time at Bombardier Aerospace, we caught up with Senior Project Engineer Tom O’Hare to get his thoughts on the challenges facing NDT practitioners and what he is looking forward to at the seminar.
Q: Please can you briefly explain your role and involvement in NDT.
Tom O'Hare (TOH): I have extensive and diverse experience within various aspects of engineering, non-destructive test (NDT) and materials science. I provide NDT engineering approval in various disciplines within Bombardier organisation. I have responsibility for commissioning NDT cells, documentation of procedures, audit and process compliance for Transport Canada, Federal Aviation Authority, Civil Aviation Authority, EASA and NADCAP. I also have responsibility for all Test, Fatigue and Damage Tolerance NDT procedures. I have been the lead engineer on new NDT development programmes within Bombardier Aerospace, focussing on automation, increased digital manufacturing process interactions and exploring the potential for utilisation of machine learning and enhanced evaluation procedures.
Q: What is the number one challenge for those using or benefitting from these technologies in today’s current market?
TOH: There is a potential for shortfall in the skills necessary to fully integrate machine learning and technology, the engineering and science community must develop comprehensive academic and vocational learning streams to allow smarter NDT processes for evaluation of components, for improved fidelity and ultimately advance diagnostic evaluation in composite and novel metallic components.
Q: What is the most exciting development in this field at the moment, either within your company or in the industry in general?
TOH: Industry 4.0, IoT, AI are prominent at this moment, my desire would be to harness this potential for tangible, fact based industrialisation within the in the engineering and science fields. Automation and robotics are enhancing the human working experiences by reducing exposure to risk, fatigue and tedium.
Q: Where do you see the future of NDT going over the next 5 – 10 years?
TOH: The future for NDT is for components to have designed in self-diagnosis capability, for manufacturing processes to utilise automated NDT earlier in the process to highlight non-conformance and potentially be real time fed back to design or stress analysis protocols. I can see NDT engineering becoming an even more mainstream academic study topic, either standalone or with modules as part of undergraduate, post graduate and doctorial modules.
Q: What other topics are you looking forward to hearing about and discussing at the upcoming seminar?
TOH: All of them, but in particular I am looking forward to Proportionate Inspection Assurance talk by Andrew Wood and Expediting NDT Developments for Practical Applications talk by Gordon Kanyike. I also think that the panel discussion will provoke a lot of interest.
Q: Why do you feel it is important for all professionals to join the Non Destructive Testing event?
TOH: I believe that it is important to highlight NDT is used in all forms of engineering and areas such as forensics, medicine, art, food processing, military and security with some novel applications using drones, miniaturisation, embedded sensors for structural health or condition monitoring. High functioning organisations accept that non-destructive examination and health management systems play a critical role in the development, utilisation and dynamic evaluation of the structural integrity of advanced materials and aerospace systems; therefore other engineering functions will benefit from exposure from this event.
Non Destructive Testing 2019 takes place on 14 March 2019 in Manchester, for full event details and to book your place, visit www.imeche.org/ndt.