Nextant Aerospace and Veracity Technology Solutions are sharing resources to offer their aviation-grade non-destructive testing (NDT) capabilities to other markets – ranging from power generation and industrial services to amusement park rides.
While the two companies will continue to focus on business and military aircraft inspections, they say the agreement allows each to increase their expertise without sacrificing individual core competencies.
NDT is used to determine the integrity of a structure without altering or damaging the object being tested. Depending on circumstances, test methods utilise ultrasonic waves, electromagnetic fields and enhanced visual inspections to detect cracks and defects in the material being tested. Many companies utilise third-party NDT technicians to test equipment on a yearly basis, or as part of a scheduled maintenance programme.
Nextant Aerospace and Veracity Technology Solutions NDT technicians contribute to many major aircraft inspections. But often, both companies contract with non-aviation organisations to utilise these technicians for inspections in other industries.
“NDT’s applications outside of aerospace are wide-ranging,” said David Davies, CEO of Nextant Aerospace parent company Constant Aviation. “In addition to conducting major aircraft inspections, Nextant Aerospace technicians travel into the field to perform testing that determines the safety and stability of storage tanks, pressure vessels, rollercoaster tracks and more. Starting this Fall, we are going to share technicians to better serve all these external industries.”
Nextant Aerospace is dedicating five of its NDT technicians to the partnership programme, while Veracity Technology Solutions is contributing 15 technicians. As NDT requests are received, the two companies will work together to dispatch technicians from the pool of 20 to complete each job as efficiently as possible. All technicians are Level II certified, meaning they are qualified to set up equipment, conduct testing and provide on-the-job training.
“The great thing about this partnership is that all the technicians within the pool are highly skilled with Level II or higher certifications, and they are accustomed to working in the demanding FAA-certified environment of aircraft testing,” said Chris Chadwick, vice president of emerging markets for Veracity Technology Solutions. “Clients in power generation, manufacturing and other fields benefit from the use of this pool of technicians because they will receive the most thorough, highest quality inspection available. That provides the client with peace of mind, and it can be a unique differentiator for his or her safety and maintenance programmes.”
While their partnership was formed to better serve clients in new industries, Nextant Aerospace and Veracity Technology Solutions will each benefit from the sharing of resources. The pool of skilled technicians allows both companies to expand their reach without pulling staff away from essential projects, and technicians from one company can be paired with those from the other for peer-to-peer training.
“This partnership really works because our businesses are complementary,” said Shawn Ehrhart, director of operations for NDT at Nextant Aerospace. “Their team specialises in areas where we can grow, and vice versa. We’re all going to make new contacts and bring our NDT expertise to new clients. And with careful planning, having a pool of technicians ensures we can grow into new markets while maintaining focus on our primary work.”
