David Lucas

Weld inspectors, especially those who are new to the trade, put a lot of emphasis on the equipment needed to do the job: flashlight, mirror, high-low gauge, pit gauge, bridge camera, and a borescope. However, this isn’t the entire toolkit. A weld inspector also must be cognizant of the applicable codes, knowledgeable about the project owners’ specifications, and should carry a personal log book for making notes about conversations and inspections.

Although P91 offers many advantages for power generation in terms of strength and service life, it is more difficult to fabricate than traditional materials and many contractors shy away from it. Icon Mechanical, Granite City, Ill., is one such contractor. However, a chance to do some work on an energy system provided an opportunity to explore the potential of a nontraditional welding method that turned out to work well on P91.