Robotics and NDT are moving fast, and my visit to Amentum’s event in April was genuinely eye-opening. After years of championing sustainable NDT solutions, I came away feeling energised about where robotic applications are taking us in asset integrity management.
Nothing beats meeting face-to-face
Digital communication has changed everything about how we work, but there’s still something special about meeting the people behind the technology. The conversations I had with the Amentum team went far deeper than any email exchange ever could. In our field, understanding both the tech and the team matters – it gives you real confidence when you’re recommending solutions to clients who are putting their trust in you.
Custom solutions that actually work
What really impressed me was Amentum’s approach to bespoke applications. We all know the frustration of trying to inspect something that standard kit just won’t reach – whether it’s a tight space in a petrochemical plant or a hazardous area where sending people simply isn’t an option. Being able to design robotic solutions around the actual inspection challenge rather than forcing requirements to fit existing equipment? That’s a game-changer.
Getting hands-on perspective
Getting hands-on with the full Edyffi crawler range was invaluable. You can read specifications all day, but until you see the actual size and weight of these systems, you can’t properly plan a deployment. It reinforced something I’ve learned over the years – successful robotic NDT projects need early conversations between NDT specialists and facility operators. The devil really is in the detail when it comes to access routes and operational constraints.
Cross-industry connections
Meeting professionals from different industry sectors provided valuable perspective on how various industries approach similar challenges. It’s fascinating how inspection challenges in one sector often have solutions being developed in another. These cross-pollination moments are where real innovation happens, and they remind you why industry events like this are worth the time investment.
Looking ahead
Robotic NDT isn’t just about clever technology – it’s about combining that technology with human expertise in smarter ways. The systems give us access and data collection capabilities we’ve never had before, but they’re only as good as the skilled professionals interpreting the results and understanding the inspection requirements.
The connections made at events like this keep pushing our industry forward. It’s exciting to think about what we’ll be able to offer clients in the coming years as these technologies mature and our collaborative networks strengthen.
Richard Denmead is Technical Director at Sutro Group, delivering advanced NDT solutions across the UK and Europe with a focus on sustainable, efficient asset integrity management.