Joel Almond began his career in non-destructive testing in the field of Automated Ultrasonic Testing of girth welds in 1990.
He was one of the original lead technicians in the field responsible for promoting, validating and successfully executing AUT technology in Canada and specifically for TransCanada & Nova Pipelines.
Since commencing his career he has performed tens of thousands of mechanized pipeline weld inspections and has acted as Operations Manager for two of the leading AUT inspection contractors.
In 2003 Joel went to work with old friends to develop and deliver a better solution for the industry. Based on the cumulative experience and input from of Joel and a team of field personnel, the system was completed and deployed on projects worldwide. The systems advanced technology and the superior service that was delivered, was quickly accepted by pipeline contractors, owner companies and the industry in general. The company grew quickly over the next 4 years to become known as a leader in AUT services, with an inventory of more than 125 AUT systems supporting projects globally.
In the last 30 years Joel has been able to gain experience in every aspect of AUT ranging from prototyping equipment, software and hardware development, operator training, procedure and technique development, auditing, project management and subsequent operational responsibilities.
Today Joel is the president of Candor Inspection, located near Houston, TX, where he supports the AUT industry and provides advanced non-destructive testing services. His primary goal is promoting further technical advancements within the industry, and fostering a greater understanding and subsequent growth within this sector.