Tom Barber, 3rd year EngD student

PhD subject: Ultrasonic Imaging of Small Bore Pipework

Towards the end my undergraduate degree I knew I wanted to work engineering and technology but was unsure whether to pursue a graduate role or apply for a PhD. I was attracted by the EngD scheme offered by the group as it combined PhD level research with a strong industrial focus. The group is also a leading academic partner in the UK Research Centre in NDE which provides EngD’s with professional development courses and plenty of networking opportunities with industrial and academic members of the NDE community. 

I spent my first year in Bristol learning how to use the advanced ultrasonic array equipment,  applying various modelling techniques,  developing models and simulations of my own and performing experimental trials. I was a complete NDE novice when I first started and was grateful for the advice, support and patience from more experienced members of the group! The rest of the project was spent at my sponsoring company in Cumbria. An important aspect of my project was to help transfer the ultrasonic array Full Matrix Capture technology into the company. With my academic knowledge from the first year I was able to bring the Bristol capability on-site and also develop bespoke software for the company, which we are now planning bring out of the lab and on-to the shop-floor for day-to-day use by the production teams.

I am now an industrial supervisor for PhD and EngD projects at teh company and continue to work with the group. My three years at the company were highly valuable as I got involved in a variety of projects and learned how to get things done in a large engineering organisation (which can often be a challenge!).