GLOBAL welding and joining specialist TWI has released a new version of its welding coordinator software. Released by TWI’s software development team, the system is designed to manage welding and fabrication projects, and integrates with TWI’s Weldspec (welding procedures) and Welderqual (welder qualifications) software.

TWI, which provides training and examination services worldwide in non-destructive testing (NDT), welding, welding inspection and a host of allied technologies, is one of the world’s foremost independent research and technology organisations.

Based in Cambridge, UK, it has its global offices in Asia, the Middle East and the Americas. TWI has over 2000 members in over 60 countries and its members include some of the most influential companies in the world. It works across all industry sectors and is an expert in all aspects of materials joining and related technologies.

More so, TWI has over half a century of experience in providing technical services to the oil and gas industry, including: structural integrity, materials selection and corrosion, NDT and welding engineering.

According to the company, the new welding software has been completely rewritten and includes the following:

• An SQL-Server database making it much faster and scalable for companies wishing to use it as a corporate system with many users;

• Greatly increased powerful reporting facilities and Search/Sort routines to help with traceability;

• Very flexible user access definitions, so that many different categories of user can be defined and for each category different access rights can be assigned. 

Meanwhile, TWI, which provides training and examination services via its network of offices and training centres (UK, South East Asia, Middle East, USA, China, India, South America and others) and agents worldwide, also offers a certificate in welding supervision course.

“Within any industry supervisors play a major role in the day-to-day operations of a company, a role that can never be overstated. It is often seen as a managerial position of responsibility and requires motivated personnel who can focus on the key areas within the industry,” says a TWI press release.

Welding has being identified as a special process under EN standards. The level and depth of knowledge of quality, welding, production and health and safety is essential before the welding supervisor can be said to be fully aware of his role and duties thus ensuring the operation runs smoothly and the finished product is built in a timely fashion and to the required standard.

The route to success for any company lies in the supervisor having the knowledge and ability to move these key areas mentioned above forward at a satisfactory pace. Often, companies employ departments to oversee quality, production and health and safety with supervision impacting on all three areas.

On successfully completing the examination, candidates will receive a CSWIP Certificate in Welding Supervision. This single qualification delivered by CSWIP, an international scheme, recognises the importance of exercising control of fabrication to ensure that welding and related operations are correctly and safely carried out.

NDT training

TWI has successfully delivered non-destructive testing (NDT) courses and examinations in the Middle East for over 15 years. TWI’s courses cover the disciplines of ultrasonics, radiography, liquid penetrant and magnetic particle inspection, as well as radiation safety and all new advanced inspection techniques. It has also conducted CSWIP and PCN examinations throughout all the Middle East states. In addition, TWI regularly provides proctoring services for ASNT level III examinations in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE.

Ever mindful of industry’s growing needs for NDT training, TWI now has NDT instructors permanently based at its centres in Dubai and Bahrain, which gives TWI far more flexibility in servicing the needs of its clients for standard or tailor-made courses. TWI continues to recruit top class experienced instructors as a result of the increased demand in this sector.

The position of TWI as a global leader in NDT training and examination services enables TWI Middle East to also mobilise the resources and expertise of its UK staff should specialist training be required. TWI Middle East is committed to continually improving its capabilities.

ubstantial investment has been made in phased array and time of flight diffraction (ToFD) ultrasonic equipment. TWI is, therefore, able to service training requirements at the cutting edge of ultrasonic inspection.

Phased array training

The market for phased array ultrasonic training is developing rapidly on a global basis. A large number of candidates come from inspection companies who, because of the nature of their business, often have an urgent requirement for courses at very short notice.

TWI ... global leader in NDT training and examination services

In order to service the huge demand for TWI phased array courses and offer clients far more flexibility in the scheduling of these courses, TWI has recruited two additional experienced lecturers to be based in the Middle East and South East Asia regions, according to a TWI press release.

“A UK expatriate trainer with many years working in the oil and gas and power generation sectors has joined our team in the Middle East. Based in Bahrain, he will service the Middle East, North Africa and Caspian Regions,” says the release. “In South East Asia, our trainer’s industrial experience is largely offshore with an NDT contractor.

In his role as NDT inspector and co-coordinator, he worked for some of the most prestigious companies in the oil and gas industry. Based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, he will service South East Asia, Australia and China,” the company adds.

Welding engineering

Welding engineering is a specialist area of engineering which focuses on the appropriate use of procedures and practices in the welded fabrication of components and structures to ensure their integrity, performance and safety in service. Welding engineering embraces many disciplines including design, materials selection, process technology, quality control and repair and maintenance.

The welding engineers at TWI have wide knowledge drawn from experience in a number of industry sectors: direct experience of pressure vessel, boiler and heavy structural steelwork, pipelines fabrication/installation and experience in new build and repair for power generation, including nuclear.

This is backed up by experience in dealing with welding issues with a wide range of processes and materials. The welding engineers at TWI have appropriate professional qualifications, such as Certified European Welding Engineer and CSWIP Welding Inspector, which enable them to offer practical advice on best practice in tackling fabrication and welding issues.

TWI’s welding engineers have supported activities in all three typical cornerstone areas for the fabrication and welding engineering in a wide range of industry sectors: oil and gas, power, aerospace, construction and engineering and automotive. Recent projects include: Repair in oil and gas (onshore and offshore facilities) and nuclear power plant, Procedure development and specialist training.

EC Project

Meanwhile, TWI was awarded £1.2 million  by the European Commission (EC) to develop SubCTest. Whenever a high profile engineering failure and its deadly consequences hit the headlines the same tired and time-honoured questions are played out.

How closely were safety considerations of design, construction and maintenance adhered to? Few aspects of engineering can possibly be of greater concern than reliability and structural integrity. So there is a fast growing interest in developments in non-destructive testing techniques and validation. The European Commission has recognised this and allocated funding for a wide range of collaborative projects designed to unite industrial sponsors and research organisations across Europe.

From 2007 – 2009, the total project value of the UK TSB and European Commission FP7 sponsored NDT work was worth more than £68 million ($109 million) of which £17 million (approximately) is being carried out at TWI.

The grand total being spent on NDT research is even higher as the figures exclude work carried out under confidential sponsorship.

The Offshore Structure – ROV deployed inspection tool is one of the oil and gas related projects TWI currently has running, part-funded by the European Commissions ‘Framework 7’.