The Materials Technology Institute (MTI) is sponsoring a two-day training program on Inspection of New FRP Equipment & Piping March 5-6 in Houston, Texas and a one-day session in Frankfurt, Germany March 26. These unique programs will provide a comprehensive overview of the areas that are of critical importance for evaluating the quality and conformance of new FRP equipment and piping. The classroom sessions are intended for personnel who are professional inspectors, but have little or no background in FRP inspections. An engineering degree or certificate and/or experience in fabrication, repair, or inspection of FRP equipments are recommended prerequisites.
“While there are quite a few public courses, seminars, and training classes to help younger and less experienced Inspectors develop inspection competencies for metallic equipment, the same does not apply for fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP) equipment,” points out Hardin Wells, Sr. Advisor – Mechanical Tech Service at Albemarle Corporation and MTI Project Champion. “The membership of the Materials Technology Institute recognized the lack of similar training for FRP equipment. The MTI FRP Inspector training class is designed as a first step towards filling that void.”
“Unlike metallic equipment, where the raw materials (plate, pipe, fittings) are homogeneous and built in accordance by others per longstanding industry standards, the FRP materials used for FRP equipment are very much non-homogeneous, and are created by the Fabricator as the equipment is being produced,” explains Wells. “These features create significantly greater inspection challenges than are present for metallic equipment, where the inspector must validate both the creation of the raw material alongside creation of the equipment.”
Presenter and FRP inspection expert Juan Bustillos, Bustillos & Associates, LLC, will cover the following topics in the training sessions:
• FRP Materials – Resins, Reinforcements & Cure Systems
• FRP Manufacturing Methods Overview
• Manufacturing Specifics – Vessels & Piping
• Inspection & Testing
• Inspection Safety
• Applicable Codes & Standards
• Flaw Definitions – Descriptions of all common flaws
• FRP Flaws & Imperfections (i.e. – what determines an acceptable quality product)
• Dual Laminates (Frankfurt session only)
In addition to classroom training, attendees will receive a CD including all course materials and presentations. Upon completion of a comprehension test (Houston-only), attendees will also receive a certificate.
For more information or to register for the Houston event, contact Lori Elgin at lelgin@mti-global.org. For the Frankfurt session, contact Katherine Reinecke at kreinecke@mti-global.org.
