EWI Lab Services
Joining Quality with our Customer Expectations
Customer focus is the key to success for EWI Lab Services in the Oil and Gas Industry

As the demand for energy continues to grow in the US and abroad, the performance requirements for the transmission, power, and refining systems grows as well. In addition to stricter standards and specifications, shorter lead times are required for new systems and retrofits. Nearly every component must undergo rigorous testing, and EWI Lab Services is focused on providing high quality testing services at a competitive price and turn-around time with the testing industry.

In the past, EWI Lab Services was associated with testing related to joints and components produced in our development programs. This association was likely spurred by EWI’s reputation as a premier joining organization. However, the fact is that our testing facility is a self-sufficient entity that routinely undertakes both commodity and specialized testing as standalone projects.

EWI’s 9001:2000 ISO certified Lab Services group offers a wide array of mechanical and metallurgical testing specializing in the testing and evaluation of welds, as well as engineering materials to support the oil, gas, and petrochemical industries. The Lab Services group maintains fully equipped mechanical and metallurgical laboratories, an in-house specialized machine shop, heat treatment, non-destructive evaluation, and welding facilities. The close working relationship within EWI between the mechanical testing, numerical modeling, materials, and welding experts gives our clients access to interpretation and analysis of lab results when needed.

Recent improvements in EWI Lab Services quoting system, called Fast Track Quoting, has reduced quoting time on standardized testing from days to hours. This improved turnaround time has allowed our customers to improve their turnaround times as well. Fast Track Quoting has allowed EWI to become a partner, not just a contractor.

When it is easier or faster to get the engineer to the location than it is to get the components to our facility, EWI’s Onsite Engineer program enables certain tests to be performed at the customer’s facility. Examples of standard testing and evaluation programs that are available onsite through Lab Services include strain gaging, residual stress measurements, phased-array NDE, and preliminary failure analysis. Additionally, our competent staff can perform specialized company-specific testing or engineering tasks when customer personnel limitations are an issue.

Case Study
A subsea umbilical products supplier called on EWI Lab Services to provide standard mechanical and metallurgical testing according to various ASTM, API, and customer specifications. Utilization of the Fast Track Quoting process and EWI Lab Services' highly efficient testing processes reduced the turnaround time for testing by over 50%, while maintaining testing costs at or below competitors rates.

Capabilities
EWI Lab Services Group’s capabilities range from commodity testing of large quantities of material to one-off tests of unique configuration. Our integrated staff of degreed engineers and skilled technicians allows for ingenuity and experience to be applied in the design of testing solutions and oversight during implementation. EWI is also involved in the development and publication of various industry codes and test standards. Many staff members actively participate on committees of major codifying bodies such as AWS, API, and ASTM.

The Lab Services Group has experience working with structural steel, high strength steel, stainless steel, duplex stainless, high strength aluminum, titanium, super alloys, plastics, and composites used by industry today. The activities of the lab group include routine material certification and qualification testing, specialized prototype and high-end R&D testing, and full-scale component tests. The work performed in the laboratories often supports material selection, component design, product conformance, structural analysis, weld procedure development and qualification, and failure analysis activities.

For more information about EWI's Lab Services Group, contact Andy Joseph at ajoseph@ewi.org or call 614.688.5196.