Australian company brings remote inspection technology to major pipeline construction project in Fiji
Australia, November 2021
In less than three years Australian engineering company, NDE Solutions, has translated its vision into a reality using leading edge technology to deliver unprecedented results to its international client. With a little assistance from the global COVID-19 pandemic, NDE Solutions was sought out to provide a solution that would enable key assets that were situated in Fiji to be inspected and verified as conforming to standards at a time when travel was not possible.
Founded in 2019, NDE Solutions Directors Kimal Singh and Josh Cleary immediately set about maximising the use of technology to disrupt the market and deliver a point of difference to other engineering companies globally. In a very short amount of time NDE Solutions has demonstrated the art of what is possible in the asset integrity and inspection industry.
The interest in non-destructive testing (NDT) arose from both Kimal and Josh coming from an NDT background, working with some of the largest inspection companies globally. The combination of their thirst for knowledge, passion for continuously improving and delivering high levels of performance has propelled the NDT industry into the digital age, harnessing the benefits that can be derived from Industry 4.0 and the Internet of Things approach.
Kimal summed it up best when he was asked about NDE Solutions point of difference by responding, “It is our ability to put the client in control by remotely inspecting the integrity of assets worldwide using augmented reality, robotics and remote connection that we believe will be the way of the future.” In doing so NDE Solutions is working side by side, generating a ‘learning organisation’ within its clients who remain in control of the delivery of the solutions whilst being ‘trained’ by the team of NDT specialists from within NDE Solutions.
Kimal went on to comment, “Right now we are pioneers in the industry, driving it forward by completing a pipeline project in Fiji with our expert technicians, remotely connecting into the Fiji worksite from our head office in Adelaide, South Australia. This project had been significantly delayed due to the global pandemic travel restrictions which prohibited technicians travel to Fiji to complete the work. That was when Josh suggested NDE Solutions could complete the work using their remote technology.”
When in the field Kimal and Josh were always looking to find innovative ways to do things better, more cost effectively and develop capability within the client they were working with. Josh explains his confidence in the ability to successfully deliver the Fiji project as, “With our technology and experience, we were extremely confident that NDE Solutions would be able to achieve the clients’ expectations, eliminating issues relative to international travel restrictions, lockdowns and the gap in local capability to undertake the necessary inspections. It was clear to me that another option was available that was ultimately more cost effective to the client. It was a win-win.”
Speaking about the technology itself Josh said, “The solution that we offer to the client was phased array ultrasonic testing (PAUT). This is a specialised form of NDT which normally requires trained experts onsite. PAUT enables NDE Solutions to inspect faster than alternative forms of NDT methods with significantly improved detection.”
Kimal added “now that we have successfully proven this technology and it’s capabilities, we are already looking at how we can implement our own Augmented reality platform and software to assist with more inspection opportunities like this in the near future. Whilst we like utilising the benefits of technology, to also assist in the development of sovereign capabilities within the international companies with which we work is really rewarding. We want to expand this to work with the local universities in these countries and provide a full ‘turn-key solution.”
This project has opened a door for further follow up projects within the Asia Pacific region whereby specialty inspection is very hard to source, and even more so in the world of covid restrictions and limited international travel.
The benefits delivered by NDE Solutions with this remote project include:
- All equipment required for the project was supplied before commencement of work
- Live video link from the NDE Solutions expert technicians to train, assist and supervise the client onsite.
- Live connectivity and control of testing equipment to calibrate, control and monitor testing results
- 100% recorded data (voice, video and equipment) of the work being performed, for both NDE Solutions records as well as being made available to the client.
There is no question that the team at NDE Solutions are passionate about delivering excellence, and very excited seeing their technology support businesses globally. As a company NDE Solutions is committed to ensuring there are work opportunities created for the local workforce in the countries they operate whilst also giving them training opportunities in advanced NDT inspection under the watchful eye of their Australian based specialists.
“Over the last 18 months NDE Solutions continues to focus on research and development, investing in technology for advanced inspection techniques in order to overcome the issues faced by our clients” Kimal commented in response to what the next innovation might be.
Kimal finished with, “Our mission has been to set a new industry standard where augmented reality, remote inspection, mobile and cloud-based asset management software solutions are the norm. We want to deliver savings to our clients, reduce critical breakdowns and most of all, keep people safe and free from harm.”
About NDE Solutions
Born from a need for high-end inspection solutions, at NDE Solutions we enable clients to avoid asset failure that results in harmful or fatal injuries, substantial financial cost and detrimental impact to the environment.
As one of Australia’s fastest-growing engineering companies, we have a large team encapsulating a wide variety of personnel within specialised fields, bringing hundreds of years of experience together under one expert banner.
For interviews, please contact Celeste Lustosa – 0466 519 982 | celeste@logicfigures.com