Wed, 06 November, 2019
The global plastic pipe market is expected to be worth $87 billion by 2023, while the UK alone currently has over 200,000 kilometres of plastic pipeline installed for utility services.
A clear growth market, plastic pipes are used for a variety of applications, from chemical plants to lining metal pipes in the oil and gas industry and transporting water. Leaks in these pipes can prove costly, with the UK reporting over 3 billion litres of water being lost each day (according to statistics from the Consumer Council for Water). Meanwhile, defects in plastic lining pipes could lead to corrosion in the underlying oil and gas pipelines or environmentally damaging or hazardous chemical leaks.
Ensuring the integrity of welds in plastic pipes is integral to addressing these problems and, with plastics welding inspection set to enter specifications, there will be a growing demand for professional, qualified inspectors.
TWI Training is now offering a new course for those looking to enter this growing and potentially lucrative field; visual plastic welding inspection.
This course will provide an understanding of plastic pipeline inspection as well as certification to prove your competence in this emerging field. Furthermore, if you are already a qualified metal welding inspector, you can take a bridging course to allow you to qualify sooner as a plastics welding inspector.
The courses are currently being offered at TWI’s Cambridge and Middlesbrough facilities - you can find out more and apply for these courses here.