Thank you.

Whether we connected through a testing project, a tradeshow, or a casual meeting, Stork Materials Testing & Inspection considers you a friend. As thanks, please accept this free issue of our new quarterly e-newsletter, Storklink, which features news and information about industries we serve and projects that come our way.

TQC . . . easy as 1-2-3. SMT&I responds to customer surveys with plenty of TQC. What is it?  Read more... Stork UT expansion bring GE42 projects Read more about the latest ultrasonic testing equipment and capabilities.

LEAD ARTICLES Stork SMT&I: A local laboratory with global back-up A message from Charles Noall Chief Operating Officer of Stork Materials Technology. Read more... Heavy metal: Low-cycle fatigue testing at SMT&I Read more about new LCF testing and machining capabilities.   Starting at the top: Engineering students enroll at SMT&I Read more about "Real World Rancho." Business News: SMT&I acquires nondestructive testing laboratory Read more about the May 2005 transfer of ownership. It takes one to know one: Steve Senne manages 8 different ways Read more about changes at SMT&I Rancho Dominquez.

Heavy Metal: Low-cycle fatigue testing at SMT&I

It may not be important to know how much abuse the paperclip on your desk can handle—but how about the rotating pieces of an aircraft engine? Testing these components to determine just far they can be pushed saves lives and money.

Stork Materials Testing & Inspection in Huntington Beach, California, has developed a state-of-the-art laboratory within its walls, offering high-volume Low-Cycle Fatigue testing for critical parts and components. Engineers have installed five MTS® frames for LCF testing in the newly remodeled section of the laboratory, and are planning installation of another five.

The new equipment opened a window for SMT&I to conduct Low-Cycle Fatigue Testing as well as Low Stress Grinding and Polishing for GE Aircraft Engines. “We are delighted to be able to offer GE Aircraft Engine support—one of most difficult approvals a lab can earn,” said Jim Riley, SMT&I Chief Operating Officer. “We're one of only seven American labs with this approval, and the response from local aerospace forging suppliers has been gratifying. It’s obvious that this new service is filling a hole in the market for efficient, thorough fatigue results—and clients are anxious to get their projects underway. The LCF lab is an ideal addition to our Fracture Toughness, Stress Rupture and Creep Testing services.”

SMT&I's ability to conduct strain-controlled testing at elevated temperatures—and combining that with the elements/requirements of the Servo-hydraulic equipment—results in a unique quality program available to aerospace clients. "Typically, we test at 750° to 1200° Fahrenheit; with the induction coil, we can boost that to 2000°," adds Riley. "We're able to provide valuable, sometimes hard-to-find data to customers." Data acquired by LCF tests can provide useful information at all stages of a product’s life, including research and development, mechanical design, performance evaluation, and failure analysis. The method is particularly useful for testing those components that fail within a few cycles from mechanically or thermally-induced cyclic strains. For more information about LCF or other testing methods, contact info.smti@stork.com.

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Stork SMT&I: a local laboratory with global back-up

A message from Charles Noall, Chief Operating Officer, Stork Materials Technology

Supporting industry for generations

For more than 175 years, Stork has been adding value to our clients’ engineering and manufacturing processes. Our founders would not recognize many of the materials and technology in our product portfolio today, but we do business in much the same way—focusing on service, innovation and engineering know-how. Today, Stork is a successful public corporation with annual sales in excess of $2 billion, operating globally in the aerospace, engineering services, oil and gas, printing and food processing industries. Materials testing has been a Stork group service for over 100 years, having grown out of Stork’s own in-house testing laboratory in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

A worldwide network

Stork Materials Technology is one of the largest networks of testing laboratories in the world, with more than 600 scientists, engineers and technicians working in 20 locations in North America and Europe. Supporting clients from the aerospace, oil and gas, power generation, medical and pharmaceutical, construction, machine manufacturing, and other sectors, we offer unequalled capability to test and analyze metallic, composite, and polymeric materials, as well as a wide range of construction materials. Our facilities are equipped with the latest testing equipment and workflow systems, and our clients are able to view their test results securely in real-time, using our StorkView internet portal.

Local roots

Located in the center of Southern California’s aerospace corridor, Stork Materials Testing & Inspection laboratories support that industry particularly, and the region in general. The two facilities represent the cutting edge of nondestructive and destructive testing and they house equipment, staff and methodology unequalled in the industry. The SMT&I service portfolio of nondestructive testing, materials testing, failure analysis, product evaluation, and dimensional testing is tailored to fit the unique local and regional industries and regulatory requirements, and is able to offer their clients customized testing programs—backed up by the national and international resources of Stork Materials Technology. Whatever (and wherever) you need testing, we look forward to supporting you. Please do not hesitate to call on the experts at Stork Materials Testing & Inspection.

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Business News: SMT&I acquires nondestructive testing laboratory

Stork SMT&I is proud to announce a transfer of assets ownership from Orbit Laboratories of Paramount, California to Stork Materials Technology.

Orbit Testing is a highly regarded nondestructive testing laboratory, specializing in Ultrasonic, Magnetic Particle Liquid Penetrant, and Passivation testing and inspection methods. Orbit personnel and equipment will be integrated into the Rancho Dominguez branch of Stork SMT&I laboratories, the leading West Coast provider of nondestructive evaluation, product testing, and materials analysis to many local and regional industries, including aerospace, defense and medical.

“We’re excited about this acquisition,” says Steve Senne, Chief Operating Officer for the Rancho Dominguez location. “It will enrich our approvals set and expand our second shift significantly. SMT&I customers typically need fast turnaround for their projects—strategic acquisitions like this will dramatically increase our ability to provide outstanding service. And Orbit customers will be happy to know that their existing contacts will still be available to them—supported by a wider scope of services and a greater level of capabilities and expertise.”

Transfer of services from Orbit to Rancho Dominguez CA will be in effect as of May 16, 2005.

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Stork UT expansion bring GE42 projects

Stork Materials Testing & Inspection recently expanded its Ultrasonic Testing capabilities with a large equipment purchase from SDI. In addition to a new Emergent 36" turntable, the nondestructive examination department upgraded two SDI systems with new software and replaced 2 Stavely workstations, with the intention of adding Eddy Current to STM&I's capabilities in the near future.

The installation of the new turntable was motivated by the growing call to inspect large, rotating aircraft engine parts, particularly round, disk-shaped wheel forgings and other components that require sophisticated testing due to their critical functions in an aircraft. Typically, the part is immersed in water in the turntable tank and transducers transmit signals through the water to pinpoint defects and discontinuities, and to measure thicknesses.

Ultrasonic Testing Manager John Stewart was excited about the purchase, "This new equipment enables us to bring in much greater volumes of GE42 work—and to do that work faster, more precisely, and with improved turnaround times for our customers. It's a win-win move for the NDE team and Stork clients."

For more information about ultrasonic testing or GE42 projects, please contact info.smti@stork.com, or visit the Stork Rancho Dominguez section of our website.

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Jobs status and test reports now available in real time, online

Stork Materials Testing & Inspection would like to offer you online access to your jobs and reports. With StorkView, our secure web portal, your key employees can monitor testing projects in real time, download certs or reports, and check on job status. A simple 3-step process—register, retrieve, read—and your essential testing results will be at your fingertips, and on your desktop.

Whether your testing is done at SMT&I or one of our many laboratories across the U.S., StorkView brings you secure, 24/7 information about your project. Visit our StorkView page to get started, or ask your representative for more details about this free service.

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It takes one to know one: Steve Senne manages 8 different ways

How do you manage a crew of 9 nondestructive testing experts, each holding Level III certification? For Steve Senne, the answer was to be a Level III technician himself—in all those nondestructive methods, and then some.

It’s not surprising that someone who holds 8 ASNT Level III certifications would say, “I like big challenges.” Senne joined Stork this spring as Chief Operating Officer after a career that included coaching Level III candidates through the certification process. He looks forward to spending time practicing nondestructive examination, after years spent teaching it.

“This is extremely nice,” said Senne, “At Stork Rancho, I’m not part of another business—such as a manufacturing or casting house. Testing at SMT&I is not ancillary, it’s the main thing.”

For more information about Stork SMT&I at Rancho Dominquez, visit our website  or contact info.smti@stork.com. See our TCQ article [link] for a full list of Level III certifications of the Stork Rancho team.

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Starting at the top: engineering students enroll at SMT&I

It started as a tour, but turned into a tour-of-duty for two local college students when their professor took them to Stork Materials Testing & Inspection in Rancho Dominguez to see state-of-the-art nondestructive testing equipment and methods in action. James Penn of California State University in Long Beach, and Leslie Senaie of Cerrito College recently became interns at the Stork Laboratory.

Good impressions of the lab, formed on their field trip, led them to apply. “I’m studying engineering, quality control, and manufacturing,” says Penn, “but I really liked the facility, the lab environment, and the things that Stork does. I really like learning the UT methods—it’s very challenging.”

Penn and recent graduate Senaie are working at SMT&I in addition to their studies and other activities, and are getting real hands-on experience. Adds Penn, “I plan to go on to get a master’s degree in materials science, so it’s great to handle and work with the real materials. I've learned a lot about 'real world' testing—in school they don’t tell you about all the paperwork involved.” The students will continue their paid internship through the summer and may intern at other Stork laboratories in the coming school year.

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^Key:

^{PT= Liquid   Penetrant Testing}

^{MT= Magnetic Particle Testing} 

^{RT = Radiographic Testing}           

^{UT= Ultrasonic Testing}         

^{NRT= Neutron Radiographic   Testing}

^{ET= Eddy         Current Testing}

^{LT = Leak Testing}

^{VT= Visual Inspection}

TQC . . . Easy as 1-2-3

At our Rancho Dominguez location, we asked a sampling of our clients to complete a survey for us, to tell us what they needed most from Stork Materials Technology. The top 3 answers were: Turnaround, Quality, and Customer Service. We not only listened—we changed our business to make your priorities our priorities. We call it our new philosophy TQC—and this is what it means for you and your project.

In addition, we employ a talented crew of Level I and Level II technicians, who learn every day from the best in the business.

Customer Service