MISTRAS’ lab in Ellabell, GA – USA (formally West Penn Testing Group) recently added forged disc machining capabilities to their suite of aerospace engine component production processes.

The lab is now able to machine forged aerospace engine components to sonic shape, which is an intermediary step between initial forging and final machining that prepares the components for ultrasonic inspection. Typically, machining forged discs to sonic shape requires shipping them to a third party forger, creating multi-week lead times and increasing costs. However, handling this step in-house allows MISTRAS to provide state-of-the-art testing and machining all in one place, optimizing inspection and production times and logistics schedules.

By instituting this new machining process, the Ellabell lab is separating itself from other inspection providers by helping customers generate significant time and cost savings with streamlined production cycles.

To learn more about our Aerospace and Defense capabilities, click here.

MISTRAS’ Rope Access team in Trainer, PA – USA is working to help improve a prominent staple in a major northeast city skyline.

Two Liberty Place, a widely-recognized building in Philadelphia, PA – USA, in coordination with a structural and architectural firm, contracted MISTRAS to remove existing heat trace on top of the recognizable building. Heat trace is primarily used to reduce ice build-up and MISTRAS is set to install the new material in September, prior to the arrival of the region’s winter conditions.

To learn more about our Rope Access capabilities, click here.

MISTRAS recently announced that Hon. Jay M. Cohen has joined the company as an Advanced Technical Solutions Consultant. Retired Adm. Cohen – the former Under Secretary (2006 – 2009) for Science and Technology at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) – aims to further establish MISTRAS' footprint in the military and defense, maritime, and marine facilities sectors. Cohen will leverage his extensive knowledge of the naval industry, catalog of high-level contacts, and experience in navigating government procurement processes to advise MISTRAS leadership on diversification opportunities in these markets.

Read more about Cohen’s role and his impressive history with the U.S. Navy here.

To obtain good data quality during inline inspection (ILI) of a pipeline, the speed of the tool must be controlled. Onstream's new Speed Control (aka Cruise Control) technology allows natural gas pipeline operators to perform inline inspections without having to slow down their pipeline or manipulate their operations. This allows pipeline operators to maximize pipeline throughput (saving money) without sacrificing data quality.

The Cruise Control unit works by automatically:

• Opening to let more gas bypass through the tool whenever the tool starts to run too fast
• Closing to reduce the amount of gas bypassing through the tool when the tool runs too slow

Onstream’s Cruise Control technology has a special safety feature that works as an independent fail-safe device. This device closes the gas bypass path through the tool in the event of a pipeline issue or a malfunction that interrupts the Cruise Control unit.

The device has a programmable time delay allowing the pipeline operator time to adjust flow conditions in the event of a tool stoppage. This would potentially allow the recovery of a stopped tool due to a speed control malfunction or blockage, and still have a successful inspection.

To learn more about Onstream's ILI capabilities, click here.

Heat stress takes place when your body is unable to control its temperature. Spending hours in a hot workplace, without proper preventative measures, can cause serious illness if not dealt with. Hazardous heat exposure can occur both indoors and outdoors and should not be taken lightly.

As a safety measure, all MISTRAS employees have the responsibility to identify dangerous, heat-related conditions for both themselves, and their co-workers. If you or a co-worker start to experience symptoms of heat stress, it is imperative to report it to your supervisor immediately.

Some important ways to help prevent heat stress include:

• Drinking lots of cool water
• Resting and recovering from the heat
• Taking breaks in shaded, cool areas
• Wearing a hat and dressing for the heat

To learn more about managing heat stress, click here.

Safety behind the wheel of a MISTRAS vehicle is of the utmost importance. In coordination with MISTRAS Leadership, the Safety Department has developed a program that recognizes positive activity when safely operating company assets. Now active across North America, the Driver Awards Program recognizes exceptional driving behaviors on a monthly, quarterly, and annual basis. As a small token of appreciation for exhibiting exceptional driving behavior, MISTRAS employees will have the opportunity to redeem their award by selecting from a collection of gifts. Upon earning a reward, recipients will receive a code and this link to select gifts through Rewards Central, peruse FAQs, and more.

You’ve probably heard the advice, “Drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day.” That’s easy to remember. And it’s a reasonable goal.
Fewer than 8 glasses might be fine for some people. And some will need to drink more. How much you need depends on your situation. You’ll need to drink more when you’re physically active. Or if you live in a hot climate and need to replace water you’re losing through sweat.

MISTRAS’ facilities in Youngsville, LA – USA and Heath, OH – USA opened up their doors to show off some new and exciting technologies, along with demonstrations for their customers. The Youngsville lab demonstrated new robotic technologies along with inspection and drone capabilities, while in Ohio, the team demonstrated some of MISTRAS’ top Aerospace technology and inspection solutions.

MISTRAS employees in the North Slope of Alaska - USA took part in the daring Polar Bear Plunge. These adventure-seeking employees braved the frigid conditions by jumping in the Arctic Ocean. Equipped with just their courage and will power, the Alaska lab took on 32° F (0° C) temperatures in the snow for an icy adventure.

MISTRAS’ world headquarters in Princeton Junction, NJ – USA took some time out to enjoy a frozen treat from Rita’s Water Ice courtesy of the Human Resources Department. As summer temperatures hit the 90s F (30s C), what better way to cool down than to enjoy an East Coast favorite. This quick time out proved to be a popular refresher for the team.

MISTRAS’ Marketing & Communications Department gathered on the green for some fun in the sun. The team practiced their swings on the driving range, and once warmed up, split up for a spirited game of miniature golf. No professional golfers emerged from the group, but this day on the links proved to be a great bonding experience for these Marketers.

MISTRAS attended the 2022 Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) NDE Technology Week in Fort Lauderdale, FL – USA. This event gave the team an opportunity to exhibit some of the exceptional non-destructive evaluation solutions MISTRAS offers for the power generation industry. The event featured important meetings, new technologies, and various NDE workshops.

MISTRAS exhibited at the British Institute of Non-Destructive Testing (BINDT) Civil Engineers Workshop in London, UK. MISTRAS spoke about Non-Destructive Testing (NDT), Condition Monitoring (CM), and Structural Health Monitoring (SHM). This workshop brought together industry experts to determine and document requirements for inspection, monitoring and asset management.

Don’t keep your concerns bottled up! EthicsPoint is a robust platform for MISTRAS employees to easily and confidently speak out to raise concerns in an anonymous fashion. To help our employees maintain our integrity at all times, official EthicsPoint posters and wallet cards are in the process of being translated, printed, and delivered to our labs worldwide.

EthicsPoint can be utilized to report any type of issue, whether it be a personnel matter, OSHA or other safety concern, unethical financial behavior, or violation of MISTRAS’ policies.

Click here to voice your concern in a safe space.

To serve MISTRAS employees' needs better now and into the future, our Benefits team now has a Certified Leave Management Specialist (CLMS) on board in Kathleen Mujica. The CLMS certification bolsters Kathleen’s credentials in serving MISTRAS employees as MISTRAS’ Benefits Manager. With state and federal leave laws continuously changing, having a staff member with this certification helps ensure that MISTRAS employees will receive the best possible leave management resources. To learn more, contact the Benefits team in the HR Department.

MISTRAS released its financial earnings for 2022 Q2. Our executive management team, led by MISTRAS President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dennis Bertolotti, held a conference call with investor analysts to discuss the results and hold a question and answer session. Other MISTRAS management team members included Edward Prajzner, Executive Vice President, Chief Executive Officer and Treasurer and Jonathan Wolk, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer. To listen to a recording of the call, please click here.

The Marketing & Communications Department took an important step forward recently by restructuring the department to better serve the needs of our customers and all MISTRAS team members.

The department is now comprised of three shared services teams each executing a key department function (Creative Services, Marketing Support, and Marketing Operations), along with a strategic team (Marketing Programs and Communications) for our always-on digital marketing programs and the company’s Communications function.

These changes are designed to:

• Reduce time-to-market for strategic initiatives and local support
• Enable a unified global events presence
• Maximize effectiveness of our marketing technology (MarTech)

Be on the lookout for an announcement with more details soon.

Consult the MISTRAS BrandBook for the list of services the department offers. We look forward to continuing to serve you.

You can follow the official MISTRAS social media accounts on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to stay up-to-date on the latest company happenings.

*as of August 4th