gas industries and civil infrastructure. Distributed acoustic sensors and inte- grated software noninvasively monitor structures, regardless of size, complexity, or access limitations. This cost-effective solution can extend the life of large capital investments and protect natural resources and the environment. Los Alamos led the joint entry with Chevron USA and Evident Scientific/Olympus. Alp Findikoglu directed the Los Alamos team, including Taeho Ju. The second NDE project to be recog- nized is ASSESS: Acoustic Steady-State Excitation Spatial Spectroscopy. The full-structure, three-dimensional nonde- structive evaluation tool rapidly identifies subtle, hidden material defects, such as corrosion, cracking, and delamination, which can undermine structural integ- rity. ASSESS can inspect metals, plastics, composites, and additively manufac- tured components. The integrated field-deployable instrument leverages continuous ultrasonic excitation and laser Doppler vibrometry to perform inspec- tions at stand-off distances. The Los Alamos team consisted of Ian Cummings, Joshua Eckels, Peter Fickenwirth, Eric Flynn, Erica Jacobson, Matthew Luceadams, Alison Root, and Adam Wachtor. TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGY CENTER INC. REBRANDS AS MXV RAIL MxV Rail is the new name of Transportation Technology Center Inc. (TTCI), which conducts rail research, testing, and training in Pueblo, Colorado. A subsidiary of the Association of American Railroads (AAR), MxV Rail employs more than 300 people, including 110 mechanical, civil, indus- trial, and electrical engineers and metallurgists, to advance the scientific research of railroads. It will continue to lead the industry-wide Strategic Research Initiatives program, MxV Rail officials said in a press release. MxV Rail will move its operations from its longtime location at the Transportation Technology Center in Pueblo to facil- ities now under construction at the PuebloPlex facility in Pueblo County. The new campus will feature a high-tonnage loop for accelerated service testing, curve negotiation loops, and additional track infrastructure necessary to support AAR certification testing. The site will be the epicenter of the company’s research, testing, and training services. MxV Rail’s name is based on the formula for momentum: mass × velocity. It evokes the organization’s “dedication to creating the momentum needed to move our industry forward,” said MxV Rail President and CEO Kari Gonzales. OLYMPUS AGREES ON TRANSFER OF EVIDENT TO BAIN CAPITAL Olympus Corp. and Evident Co. Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Olympus, announced on 29 August 2022 that Olympus concluded a definitive agree- ment with Bain Capital Private Equity LP regarding the transfer of Evident. Based on this agreement, all shares of Evident will be transferred to Bain Capital on 4 January 2023, subject to regulatory approvals and closing conditions. To achieve sustainable growth as a global medical technology company, Olympus is allocating resources to the medical business, with a focus on the endoscopic solutions and therapeutic solutions. The Scientific Solutions busi- ness of Olympus was transferred to Evident in April 2022. Evident conducts business in fields of life science and industrial applications. Evident’s industrial solutions range from microscopes used in the expanding semiconductor sector and electronic components markets to industrial videoscopes and fiberscopes, nondestructive testing equipment, and X-ray fluorescence analyzers used in industrial applications. “Bain Capital has a deep under- standing of Evident’s business value and growth potential. Importantly, they highly appreciate Evident’s corporate culture, which has been a valuable SCANNER | INDUSTRYNEWS Last spring, MxV Rail broke ground on a new, custom test loop at PuebloPlex to support the long-term research needs of the rail industry. It is on schedule to be completed in 2022. From left: MxV Rail Senior Team Shawn Vecellio, Tammy Bregar, Kari Gonzales, Ken Laine, and PuebloPlex Director of Operations, Chris Bolt. WATCH THE ASSESS VIDEO WATCH THE ALArM VIDEO 10 M AT E R I A L S E V A L U AT I O N • N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 2

asset to Olympus in fulfilling a diverse spectrum of customer needs through the global collaboration and proactive commercialization of cutting-edge tech- nologies,” said Yasuo Takeuchi, President and CEO of Olympus Corporation. “They are capable of providing Evident with a business environment best suited to its business characteristics, which can sustainably maximize its corporate value. I am confident that Bain Capital is the best partner for Evident,” Takeuchi added. Olympus will continue to support Evident toward the transfer of the business. Moving forward, Olympus will concentrate on the medical field. Evident, guided by the scientific spirit and centering on innovation, will continue to provide and expand its services and workflow solutions in life science and industrial applications. AWS LAUNCHES NEW ENDORSEMENT FOR CWIS AND SCWIS The new Welding Procedure Qualifier Endorsement, WPQ2, demonstrates that candidates have the knowledge to perform accurate WPS qualification, preventing weld failure. Both in-person and online training is available. By code requirement, a Welding Procedure Specification (WPS) must be properly qualified and accepted by a relevant engi- neering authority. CWIs or SCWIs who hold the Welding Procedure Qualifier Endorsement have demonstrated that, with appropriate engineering oversight, they are able to qualify WPSs. BAKER HUGHES ACQUIRES QUEST INTEGRITY Energy technology company Baker Hughes has acquired Quest Integrity. Baker Hughes is a company that designs, manufactures, and services innovative technologies with a focus on the energy sector. Its pipeline inspection solu- tions include managing corrosion and metal loss, crack management, pipeline mapping, integrity engineering, and soft- ware solutions, among others. The acquisition agreement, announced by Baker Hughes earlier this month, allows the company to expand its existing pipeline inspection solutions where the construction or operation of the line makes conventional inline inspec- tion methods unviable. Quest Integrity brings with it engineering expertise, focused on critical assessments to verify asset integrity. Included in the acquisition is Quest Integrity’s Invista and Furnace Tube Inspection (FTIS) technology. PHOENIX AIR UNMANNED COMPLETES 13 000 MILES OF BVLOS UTILITY INSPECTIONS In August 2022, Phoenix Air Unmanned LLC (PAU) crossed the 13 000-mile mark of utility transmission line inspection flights for Xcel Energy. The mileage total is another milestone for a program designed to build upon traditional inspection methods in the utility industry and advance beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) operations in the National Airspace System. Flights began in 2019 and have been flown annually during spring and summer months, with 2021 alone accounting for 5300 miles. The UAS inspection flights are conducted under the Xcel Energy certificate of waiver authorizing BVLOS flights without the requirement for visual observers along the route of flight. The waiver allows for use of technology as a means of airspace surveillance and authorizes an operational area spanning 18 000 miles of Xcel Energy transmission infrastructure. Xcel was first granted the two-year approval in 2019. Following two years of successful operations and a safety assurance assessment by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), a duplicate two-year waiver was applied for and granted in the fall of 2021. Getting to the point of repeatable and scalable UAS inspection flights fell under a stepwise approach of proving technology and operational concepts. In 2018, Xcel Energy was granted a site-specific waiver limited to a 30-mile set of transmission line requiring the use of visual observers. The company worked with industry partners from L3Harris, Northern Plains UAS Test Site, Phoenix Air Unmanned LLC, and Capital Sciences to build a scalable BVLOS inspection program. In 2018, multiple test events were held along the 30-mile stretch, ultimately validating the concept of operations and leading to the datasets presented to the FAA for the 18 000-mile approval. UAS inspection flights capture high-resolution imagery of transmission line infrastructure. N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 2 • M AT E R I A L S E V A L U AT I O N 11