Principal Inspection Engineer
PCN/ASNT NDT Level III
work
Bidston
Career Summary
Andrew Waller is an ISO 9712 level 3 non-destructive testing (NDT) engineer who has worked in the aerospace, nuclear and marine industries as an inspector and consultant. He specialises in the use of conventional and advanced electromagnetic and ultrasonic techniques and has been at Brookes Bell since January 2023.
Background
He is certified by both the British Institute of Non-Destructive Testing (BINDT) and the American Society of Non-Destructive Testing (ASNT) in multiple methods including liquid penetrant inspection, magnetic particle inspection, eddy current testing, alternating current field measurement and ultrasonic testing. Andrew has chaired BINDT committees whose focus was the adoption of advanced electromagnetic techniques including eddy current and pulsed eddy current arrays.
Andrew has extensive experience in developing and utilising advanced NDT techniques for the detection and analysis of the varied failure mechanisms prevalent in aerostructures, pressure vessels, gas turbines, heat exchangers and ship’s structure. He routinely utilises specialised NDT instruments such as the Eddyfi Ectane, Zetec MIZ-21-C, Olympus Omniscan, Eddyfi Lyft and TSC AMIGO 2.
Professional Qualifications
- PCN Level 2 MT (general products), PT (general products), ET (welds), ET (tubes), UT (3.1) and ACFM
- PCN Level 3 MT (general products), PT (general products), ET (welds), ET (wrought products & tubes) and ACFM
- ASNT Level 3 MT and PT
Professional Memberships
- Member of the American Society for Non-destructive Testing and the British Institute of Non-Destructive Testing.
NDT Surveying and Consultancy Experience
- Conducted material state surveys on superyachts, RoRo and RoPax ferries, and T23 frigates using pulsed eddy current and ultrasonic methods.
- Performed ultrasonic inspection of marine engine components to identify potential fatigue and secondary damage from primary failures.
- Assisted legal teams by auditing shipyards in cases of alleged improper non-destructive testing and provided expert opinion in new-build disputes, sale and purchase disputes, and failure investigations where poor NDT execution was a contributing factor.
- Surveyed chemical product tankers and ISO tank-containers to assess damage and feasibility of repair following suspected aggressive cargo exposure.
- Reviewed, developed, and approved specialist NDT procedures at Level III for clients across multiple industries.
- Inspected and maintained Rolls Royce turbofans, aerostructures and landing gear for civilian and defence aircraft, including projects with Airbus, Boeing, BAE, and Bombardier.
- Inspected valve assemblies and pipeline components for oil and gas clients including Halliburton and BP.
- Carried out inspections of fuel string components and heat exchangers at EDF-operated nuclear facilities.
- Contributed to large-scale independent technical assessments of advanced NDT on pressure vessels, supporting submissions to the European nuclear regulator.