An automatic ultrasonic bar inspection system has been installed recently at Sheffield Forgemasters in the UI~ Bar or tube steels used in aerospace and bearing materials, from 6 mm to 150 mm in diameter and up to 6 m long, can be inspected at speeds up to 120 m rnin -1. Inspection frequency is between 5 and 15 MH~ depending on the dimensions and material of the bar. Bar is rotated through the inspection tank and sorted into selected grades.

Mechanical handling equipment is supplied by TacTic in the USA, whilst the system's electronic and ultrasonic components are from Staveley Industries. The system was installed in 10 days by Inspection Instruments.

Inspection Instruments (NDT) Ltd, 713 Banbury Avenue, Slough, Bucks SL 1 4LH, UK

US marketing agreement for TOFD system Mechanized ultrasonic techniques based on time-of-flight diffraction are to be introduced into the USA under a joint marketing agreement between Hoboken of New Jersey and SGS Sonomatic of Warrington, UK. The arrangement will be backed by an investment of $800 000 over the first year.

Initially, marketing will concentrate on the nuclear power generation industry, particularly for detection and sizirtg of intergranular stress corrosion cracking in the primary circuit of boiling water reactors.

Among the inspection systems to be introduced in-the USA are Zipscan, and also the Modus modular ultrasonic real-time data processing system. Future market potential for these systems, says Sonomatic, exists in the aerospace industry, where Zipscan's probe operation up to 25 MHz could be used for composites inspection, and in the automotive industry where the Modus system could be used for robotic interfacing.

SGS Sonomatic Ltd, 20 Rivington Court, Hardwick Grange, Woolston , Warrington WA 1 4RT, UK

Engineering study grants Grants available to UK engineers for up to two-month periods of study overseas have been announced by The Fellowship of Engineering. Preference will be given to engineers involved in topics of production engineering, advanced manufacturing tech- nology and marine and materials technologies, as well as electronics and systems/software engineering.

Miss Gillian Stannett, The Fellowship of Engineering, 2 Little Smith Street, Westminster, London SWI P 3DL, UK

Company on the m o v e

Inspection Equipment Ltd of the UK has moved to new premises. Its address is now: Station Field Industrial Estate, Kidlington, Oxford OX5 1JD, UK

British government awards financial support to PCN Financial support to develop operation of the UK PCN scheme (Personnel Certification in NDT) has been awarded by the British Government to the Central Certification Board (CCB). Under the terms of the grant the Department of Trade and Industry will match contributions from industry to meet planned development costs. These contributions came from a levy on the CCB's member organizations in 1983. (NDT International, June 1983, p 159).

The award is made as part of the British Government's National quality campaign under which money is available for the development of UK accreditation schemes. The White Paper Cmnd 8621 pointed out how government can contribute towards the creation of a strong system of standards.

PCN aims to eventually embrace operator certification to cover NDT methods in all sectors of industry. The first examination became available under this scheme in August this year dealing with aerospace eddy-current testing (NDT International, October 1984, p 283).

Central Certification Board, I Spencer Parade, Northampton NN1 5AA, UK

Physical Acoustics Group The subject of physical acoustics has been recognized by the UK Institute of Physics with the formation of a new group. The Physical Acoustics Group, which has been given the approval of the Council of the Institute, will be chaired by Dr D.P. Almond of Bath University.

Branches of physics covered by the term 'physical acoustics" in this case are fundamental aspects of acoustic wave generation and prop- agation and the interaction of acoustic waves with matter. This includes the basic physics of ultra- sonic testing and imaging, acoustic emission, acoustic microscopy and photoacoustics, and also devices which generate or detect acoustic waves.

The Registrar, The Institute of Physics, 47 Belgrave Square, London S W l X 8QX, UK

NDT INTERNATIONAL. DECEMBER 1984 355