IHI SOUTHWEST TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

HI Southwest Technologies Inc. (ISwT), located in San Antonio, Texas, provides high quality nondestructive examination (NDE) services to clients around the world.

Two industry leaders - Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) of the USA and Ishikawajama-Harima Heavy Industries (IHI) of Japan consolidated their NDE personnel, equipment, and expertise in 1999 to form a company with the purpose of performing state of the art NDE services.

ISwT's fully qualified NDE engineers and technicians have a combined experience of hundreds of years in the application of NDE technology. All examination personnel are qualified to American Society of Nondestructive Testing (ASNT) and/or American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) standards, and many are qualified to other flaw detection and sizing programs, such as the Electric Power Research Institute Performance Demonstration Initiative (PDI).

Using specialized procedures, sophisticated equipment, and proven analysis techniques, ISwT engineers and technicians provide rapid and cost effective NDE services for a variety of facilities around the world including:

- Nuclear Power Plants

- Refineries & Chemical Plants

- Fossil Power Plants

- Pulp & Paper Mills

- Pipelines and Distribution Equipment

ISwT NDE capabilities include the following methods and techniques, with most offered using either manual or automated applications:

- Visual Inspection

- Liquid Penetrant Inspection

- Magnetic Particle Inspection

- Conventional Ultrasonic Inspection

- Phased Array Ultrasonic Inspection

- Guided Wave Ultrasonic Inspection

- Radiographic Inspection

- Digital Radiographic Inspection

- Eddy Current Inspection

ISwT specializes in automated inspections, where computer controlled robotic equipment actually perform the inspection and collect the inspection data (e.g. in high radiation areas, underwater locations, or other areas where human access is difficult). ISwT's extensive equipment inventory includes unique equipment specifically designed for use in nuclear power plant applications as well as other equipment that can be generically applied at other industrial facilities for piping and pressure vessel inspection. ISwT is licensed by the State of Texas to store and ship radioactive equipment after it has been used in nuclear power plant applications as well as to store and ship sources used for radiographic inspection.

ISwT can also assist clients with NDE equipment needs. ISwT can recommend commercially available NDE equipment and can also design, fabricate, assemble, and test unique or one-of-a-kind equipment or systems for manual, semi-automated, or fully automated NDE applications. If ISwT does not have the capability for a specific application, our close relationship with Southwest Research Institute allows access to some of the most talented design engineers in the world.

Some examples of equipment designed and/or provided in recent years include:

- PWR Reactor Vessel Inside Surface Scanners

- PWR Nozzle Bore Inside Surface Scanners

- BWR Reactor Vessel Outside Surface Track Mounted Scanners

- Remote Video Inspection Equipment

- UT Transducers and Phased Array UT Probes

Lastly, ISwT can help with NDE training needs by providing standard NDE training or by customizing training courses or seminars to meet specific client needs. Examples of courses offered include:

- Level I, II, III Training and Testing in MT, PT, VT, UT, & RT as Prescribed by ASNT-TC-1A & CP-189

- Level III Refresher Training in Preparation for ASNT Level III Certification Examinations

- Automated UT Data Review using Conventional and Phased Array Techniques

- UT Hands-On Training in Preparation for ASME Appendix VIII Testing (PDI Testing)

- Preservice & Inservice Inspection NDE Orientation for Utility Personnel