Marking 50 years of NATA accreditation
Mount Isa Mines marked an important milestone reaching 50 years of continuous National Association of Testing Authorities Australia (NATA) accreditation for non-destructive testing (NDT) in November 2023.
NATA is Australia’s leading accreditation organisation and accredits Mount Isa Mines to perform NDT and inspections for its site-based structures.
NDT is carried out to ascertain that the components or materials being used are not damaged or faulty and are fit to be used by our personnel.
Across Mount Isa Mines and George Fisher Mine, the NDT team tests and inspects plant structures to ensure their structural integrity. Assets tested include pressure vessels, shafts and hoists components like the R62 winder bolts, gears and attachments.
The gears and shaft inspections use a fluorescence magnetic particle inspection to pick up finer indications. Ultrasonic inspections are carried out on material thickness surveys and testing on welded joints.
Ruben Dyball, Asset Support Supervisor and Gabriel Gomez, Electrical Engineer with the DJI Matrice 350 drone 'Humming Bird' illustrating the Ultrasonic Thickness Testing probe and holder.
Die penetrant inspections are carried out on aluminum fan blades, hub casings and stainless steel materials due to the type of material.
Drone inspections are carried out for thermal and ultrasonic thickness testing.
Other inspections include forklift tyne, crane hook, corrosion monitoring, paint – dry film thickness, magnetic particle inspections, welded structural joints, lifting lugs and workshop fabricated items.
Peter Lane, Manager for Isa Surface Operations said Mount Isa Mines’ commitment to NATA accreditation demonstrates our commitment to safety, quality and reliability.
“For the past fifty years, Mount Isa Mines has held a continuous relationship with NATA and will continue this valuable partnership into the future,” said Peter.
“This milestone is shared with those who have been part of our team through the years, and I congratulate them for keeping the NDT to the highest industry standards.”
Test flight on the drone with the H20T Thermal camera. The drone will be used to check the steel substate structure of our 60-year-old high voltage towers.
“As we look to the future for our industry, the Mount Isa Mines’ NDT and High Voltage department are in a joint venture to perform drone inspections on our 60-year-old high voltage towers to determine their structural integrity using Ultrasonic Thickness Testing (UTT) equipment, which has been modified for this application.”
With the passage of time, these towers may begin to show signs of corrosion, and it’s important to check the steel substrate structure. Further than a visual inspection, Mount Isa Mines will carry out thermal imaging of the tower’s critical components.
“This is the first time worldwide that anyone will be undertaking this type of drone testing on HV towers,” said Peter.
“It can be difficult to send a person up the towers to check the steel substrate, and using the drone removes the risk involved in a manual inspection.”
This exciting project is in trial phase and will commence in December 2023.