Podcasts

Dr. Sanna Virtanen, Professor for Surface Science and Corrosion in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Germany’s Friedrich-Alexander University (FAU) Erlangen-Nürnberg, is the 2024 recipient of AMPP’s prestigious Willis Whitney Technical Achievement Award.

In this roundtable conversation also featuring Raul Rebak of GE Global Research and Dr. John Scully of the University of Virginia, Dr. Virtanen shares highlights from her distinguished career and lessons learned for the next generation, along with insight on what the Whitney Award means to her career.

Rebak and Dr. Scully — who currently serve as AMPP’s Program Committee Chair and Task Force Chair, respectively — add perspective on the AMPP Awards process and the ways in which winners will be honored and celebrated at the 2024 AMPP Annual Conference + Expo in March.

Source: AMPP Awards, www.ampp.org/membership/member-resources/awards. 

As part of a new task force, the Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP) is bringing together stakeholders from a variety of roles to better understand the relationship that corrosion engineering systems have within the infrastructure insurance industry. 

In this conversation, members involved with that task force—GPI’s Tony Serdenes, Nick Kuntz of Alliant Insurance Services, and David A. Scotti of Scotti Law Group—share their perspectives on challenges and best practices that could benefit those involved in designing, specifying, supplying, and performing those services, specifically as they relate to insurance and risk management. 

The roundtable discussion also explores various paths that AMPP can take to address those challenges, as well as ways in which our industry can work together to develop best practices for risk management and insurance needs.

Source: AMPP Podcasts, www.ampp.org/publications/digital-link/podcasts.

On April 30 and May 1 in Houston, AMPP is welcoming members and guests throughout the industry to the first Coatings for Non-Coating Inspectors conference. Jorge T. Reyna, conference chair and a certified inspector (JRSA Inspections) and instructor, explains the many benefits for attendees and how it all came to be.

Topics discussed include key challenges that non-coating inspectors often face; why a better understanding of coatings can enhance the overall effectiveness of non-coating inspectors; areas in which their roles are changing; and strategies to bridge the gap between traditional inspection practices and the specialized knowledge required to understand coatings.

For more information, visit AMPP’s Coatings for Non-Coating Inspectors web site.

When considering remote monitoring units (RMUs) for pipeline integrity monitoring, one of the biggest decisions is whether to select an RMU system that uses cellular technology to transmit data, or to purchase units that send data via satellites.

Polly Stewart, head of marketing and legal insight at Abriox, joins this sponsored Materials Performance (MP) podcast to discuss how both platforms work; what users need to consider when selecting cellular or satellite-based RMUs; and which, as a technical engineering expert, Abriox prefers.

Source: Abriox, www.abriox.com. 

This roundtable panel discussion features Alan Thomas, CEO of the Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP); Dr. Rick Polanin, past president of the American Welding Society (AWS); and Ricky Morgan, past president of The American Society for Nondestructive Testing (ASNT).

Topics include the current state of workforce development, as well as common challenges encountered, innovative solutions, and initiatives where associations can work together. Other discussion points are recent technological advancements within those industries; lessons learned from each panelist’s career journey; and the role of diversity and inclusion in building the workforce of the future.

Future-focused integrity and corrosion mitigation program directors are recognizing many operational challenges that the future may hold. In turn, they are looking to IIoT companies like MOBILTEX to deliver both cutting-edge field hardware, as well as advanced cloud-based software capabilities (with the necessary security), to address these challenges—all while simultaneously improving their system performance.

Will Maize, Director of Product Management and Corporate Strategy at MOBILTEX, recently spoke with Materials Performance (MP) Magazine about the meaning of strategic cathodic protection (CP) automation and why it could be a key solution. Other points of discussion on this sponsored podcast include how IIoT technology has evolved in recent years; strategies to bring the future into the present; and current focal points for the industry.

Source: MOBILTEX, www.mobiltex.com.

Dave Evans, director of business development at the Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP), explains what the newly released Industrial Coating Application (ICA) program could mean for members and the industry at large. 

Topics include how and why the new program was developed; updated features and opportunities to address current marketplace needs; and how it could help shape AMPP’s future education and training offerings.

Source: AMPP, www.ampp.org/education.

In a panel discussion, AMPP members Cal Chapman (Chapman Engineering) and Sandy Williamson (Williamson Integrity Services) join Materials Performance (MP) Editor Kerry Cole to explain what sustainability means to them and why it is critically important to our industry. Topics include how sustainability is already being practiced and its impact on business; trends and new technologies to watch for; and expectations for the future.

The conversation also explores initiatives and opportunities to get involved at an association level, such as AMPP’s Sustainability Task Force; a technical community of interest (TCI) on materials sustainability; and a Sustainability Symposium and Expert Panel session at the AMPP 2024 Annual Conference + Expo next March.

Organized by the AMPP Malaysia Chapter, the inaugural Malaysia Painters Competition 2023 was held in Teluk Kalung, Terengganu, Malaysia, on Saturday, August 19. 

With free registration, the event featured networking; opportunities to learn painting skills from peers; and sourcing for products, services, and the latest in cutting-edge technologies. 

The event’s primary objective was to showcase the skills Malaysian surface preparation and industrial painting craftworkers, and it ultimately brought out a crowd of nearly 100 people to witness some of Malaysia's finest industrial painters. Details on the competition winners can be read here. 

The contest took place with support from official Paint Sponsor, Hempel, as well as esteemed partners including PETRONAS; the Malaysian Oil, Gas and Energy Services Council (MOGSC), The Institution of Engineers, Malaysia (IEM); and AMPP. 

Aaron Williams, Managing Director of Blast Abrasives Supply as well as an AMPP Certified Coatings Inspector and a member of the AMPP Global Center Board of Directors, played a key role in putting the event together. In this podcast, Williams shares key highlights and lessons learned from the event; insight on how it aims to address broader industry trends and marketplace needs; and plans for the future.

For more information, visit AMPP’s EAPA News Blog.

Jason Becker, a highly experienced welder/fabricator with 25 years of hands-on experience in the welding industry, joins our podcast to discuss why welding quality matters to AMPP members. 

Under the American Welding Society (AWS), Becker is a Certified Welding Inspector, Certified Welding Educator, and Certified Welder Performance Qualifier. He currently works as a full-time welding consultant and is dedicated to educating the next generation of welders through his own podcast, called Arc Junkies.

Discussion topics on this episode include tips to understand weld quality; common welding processes, materials, and inspection techniques; important codes and standards; how to prevent common welding defects; and why workforce development in skilled trades could hold the key to the industry’s future.

Michael Van Spankeren, digital solutions manager for SLB’s production chemistry business, joins the Materials Performance (MP) Interview Series to discuss his company’s award-winning innovation, “Production Chemicals Optimization on DELFI.” The system was recently honored as a winner of MP’s 2023 Corrosion Innovation of the Year Awards.

Topics discussed on the podcast include the origins and future of the innovation; feedback from users and clients on its performance to date in field situations; future demands and market trends in corrosion control software; and more.

Source: SLB, www.slb.com.

In 2023, PHMSA’s Mega Rule is once again at the forefront of the list when it comes to topical compliance issues for pipeline operators. 

In this sponsored episode of the Materials Performance (MP) Interview Series, Polly Stewart of Abriox—which specializes in remote monitoring and control for pipelines—shares useful background information on what the Mega Rule entails; potential consequences for companies and individuals; and how industry companies can future-proof their compliance as part of a corrosion management plan.

Source: Abriox, www.abriox.com.

Andy Shingledecker, area manager for Campos EPC and chair of the CEPC Exhibits and Sponsorship Task Force, shares insight on the importance of utilizing inspectors with multiple certifications. Known as multi-certified inspectors, they can be successfully utilized on many inspection processes within the corrosion control and protective coatings industry.   

Topics on AMPP’s latest podcast include common challenges or obstacles faced by individuals who are not multi-certified inspectors; strategies to maximize the project contributions of multi-certified inspectors; case studies and lessons learned from utilizing multi-certified inspectors to yield significant benefits; and advice to those in the industry who are currently pursuing or considering the pursuit of multiple certifications.

Sources: AMPP, www.ampp.org; Campos EPC, www.camposepc.com.

This sponsored episode featuring Ian Kinnear, product manager at GPT Industries, addresses various challenges facing corrosion professionals in 2023 and beyond. In particular, the podcast explores cathodic protection (CP) trends and challenges for the oil and gas, water, and emerging energy industries. 

GPT is a manufacturer of isolation kits, gaskets, and isolation joints to mitigate corrosion and enhance CP methods. The company's products serve two major functions: to seal and to stop electrical current. 

Source: GPT Industries, www.gptindustries.com. 

As a winner in the 2023 MP Corrosion Innovation of the Year Awards, the GeneCount Voyager is a deployable, 16-well qPCR thermal cycler instrument that LuminUltra has paired with a portfolio of GeneCount qkits for sample preservation, DNA purification, and and qPCR assaying of microbial targets associated with microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC). Quantifying MIC-associated microorganisms can give insight into a system’s corrosion risk and the efficacy of its management programs.

In this podcast interview, Dr. Jordan Schmidt — senior director of technology and innovation at LuminUltra — explains the evolution of their winning innovation and where it stands today. Other topics include his perspective on market trends and demands; feedback by end users and clients; and an outlook for the future.

For more information, visit www.luminultra.com.