During the two and a half year project costing £620,000, Element Hitchin worked in partnership with global manufacturer GE Oil & Gas and non-destructive equipment specialists Wavelength NDT, with the venture part-funded by the UK Government via the Technology Strategy Board.
Element Hitchin designed and built equipment and test methodologies to ultrasonically detect critical flaws in thermoplastic polymer pipes during the continuous manufacturing process. In addition to physical testing, the team of experts utilized Finite Element Analysis (FEA) to simulate various environments, applying ultrasonic data to complex models. The consortium also created an innovative prototype machine to repair sections of pipe where flaws or delamination would reduce mechanical strength or accelerate material ageing/
Rod Martin, Element’s EVP Oil & Gas, said: “Element Hitchin continues to blaze a trail in composite materials testing and qualification, and this research further cements its reputation as one of the world’s leading laboratories in the field. Its status as the Element group’s international center of excellence for FEA was a factor in its critical contribution to the project’s success.
“This research will enable us to develop new, cutting-edge testing and qualification services, which continue to be led by the requirements of key clients, and the knowledge gained by Hitchin is invaluable in supporting various existing offerings to the O&G sector, and this composites testing expertise will be shared with 1,450 Engaged Experts and across our platform of 42 facilities worldwide,” he concluded.
About Element:
Element is a global network of laboratories with experts specializing in materials testing, product qualification testing and failure analysis for the Aerospace, Oil and Gas and the Transportation and Industrial sectors. Their team of 1,450 scientists, engineers and technicians work in 42 facilities located throughout the U.S. and Europe. For complete Accreditations & Approvals and more information, please visit www.element.com.
About the Technology Strategy Board:
As the UK’s innovation agency, one of the main roles of the Technology Strategy Board is to achieve business and economic growth for the UK. One way the organisation supports this is through funding innovative Collaborative Research and Development (CR&D) projects. Collaborative research and development (R&D) encourages businesses and researchers to work together on innovative projects in strategically important areas of science, engineering and technology – from which successful new products, processes and services can emerge, contributing to business and economic growth. Find out more about the CR&D programme here: https://www.innovateuk.org/-/collaborative-r-d“Element Hitchin continues to blaze a trail in composite materials testing and qualification.”
Dr. Rod Martin
evp, Oil & Gas