Marital Status: married Languages: German, English, French (basics)

Education: Master of Science (Physics)

Professional experience:

1975 - 1986: Institute for Non-Destructive Testing (IzfP), Germany Head of R&D Department (automatic ultrasonic inspection and evaluation systems)

1986 - 1988: Salzgitter Industriebau (SIG), Germany Head of Sales, Design & Production Department (pipe mills and automatic UT plants), TIR

1988 - 1991: Salzgitter Industriebau (SIG), Germany Head of Division Physical Engineering, TP

1991 - 2000: Pipetronix GmbH, Germany, Managing Director Pipetronix Group, Group Managing Director Operations & Technology

Since 2000: NDT Systems & Services GmbH (Main Shareholder of NDT Systems & Services AG)

Managing Director and Shareholder
Since 2001: NDT Systems & Services AG (NDT S&S AG)

President / CEO
Since 2008: NDT Systems & Services (NDT) Group, President / CEO, COO of the NDT Systems & Services AG and CEO of all subsidiaries in Germany, USA, Canada, Argentina and Dubai

Participation in the following major projects:
Development of the ALOK System, which is used today as a digital data filter, standard for inspection of nuclear power plants in Germany, also used in connection with the ultrasonic crack detection tool and with the Heavy Plate & Pipe Weld NDT Testing Plants of Pipetronix. 2000 the plate testing technology was transferred to NDT S&S AG. NDT S&S AG still uses the ALOK System in connection with their Testing Plants and their LineExplorer Pipeline Inspection tools.

Development of the AUGUR System, used as automatic evaluation system for on-line ultrasonic inspection systems in rolling mills world-wide by NDT Systems & Services AG.

Further activities:
Since 1987 Member of the technical committee "Ultrasonic testing" of the German Society for Non-Destructive Testing (DGZFP)
Since 2003 Chairman of the technical committee "Ultrasonic Testing"
Since 1990 Member of the sub-committee "Automated Ultrasonic Testing Systems" of the "DGZFP"
Since 1996 Chairman of the sub-committee "Automated Ultrasonic Testing Systems" of the "DGZFP"
2003 Author of "Handbuch Automatische Ultraschallprüfsysteme" (German version)
2004 Author of "Handbook Automated Ultrasonic Testing Systems" (English version)
both edited by this Committee and published by the DVS-Verlag; Germany
1990 - 1996 Member of the sub-committee "Wall thickness measurement with Ultrasound" of the "DGZFP"
1996 Co-Author of "Richtlinie US1 Wanddickenmessung mit Ultraschall", (Guideline US1 Wall thickness measurement with ultrasound) edited by this Committee and published by DVS-Verlag, Germany
Since 1996 Curator of the Fraunhofer-Institute for "Non-Destructive Testing" (IzfP) and therefore member of the Fraunhofer Society (FhG)

Patents: Production of ceramics, Ultrasonic inspection technologies
 

Abstract

In-Line Inspection of High Pressure Transmission Pipelines: State of the Art and Future Trends

Today pipeline inspection through the use of in-line inspection tools is a standard procedure. These inspection tools collect highly precise data regarding the geometry of flaws and defects in the pipe wall. In turn this data is used for fitness-for-purpose investigations, the final goal of the operator being an understanding of the true state of integrity for a given pipeline.

Different physical principles are applied during the non destructive testing of pipelines, each with its own set of advantages and disadvantages. Choosing the most suitable non destructive testing technology and therefore in line inspection tool for a given inspection task requires an understanding of these different techniques and their system specific measurement thresholds, accuracies and resolutions.

This paper will provide an overview of the most widely used in-line inspection technologies of today, with a special focus on the use of ultrasound technology for the detection and sizing of metal loss, quantitative wall thickness measurement and crack inspection. Case examples will be used to illustrate the information that these tools can provide and the influence of accuracy, resolution and confidence levels on integrity assessment and fitness-for-purpose procedures.
The paper will also discuss current trends in the industry: the development and application of specialized inspection tools for offshore pipelines in a deep water environment, the combination of different inspection tasks into a single tool or utilizing a multi-technology approach to optimize inspection performance.

The advantages of the multi-technology approach will be illustrated through its use in a new inspection tool combining ultrasound, magnetic flux leakage and eddy current technologies in order to provide true quantitative wall thickness measurement and metal loss inspection capabilities for gas pipelines.

Finally the paper will provide an outlook on the future technical trends in the pipeline inspection industry.