The name 'OIS' will be familiar to many readers of NDT News. The final resting place of Incon, Oilfield Inspection Services, MTS, QIS, BIX, Unit Inspection and Inspectorate to mention but a few, OIS is now, of course, known as Oceaneering International.

Software benefits are hard to convey in printed matter so FLIR Systems has posted on its website an introductory video tour of its new FLIR BuildIR for the advanced analysis of building structures.

The Bearing Specialists Association's board of directors has approved a motion embracing an anti-counterfeiting distributor partnership proposal from the American Bearing Manufacturers Association (ABMA). Counterfeiting represents a US$600-billion-a-year problem, costing U.S. businesses US$200 to US$250 billion annually.

With its approval, BSA agreed to embrace the World Bearing Association (WBA) Awareness Campaign and help market it to end users via the association websites and member e-blast; to market BSA's Top Ten reasons to buy from authorized distributors, and to encourage members to share this with end users. In addition, BSA agreed to publish Organizational Statements and Articles Against Counterfeiting, including denouncing any involvement in counterfeiting throughout the bearing supply chain; voicing support for ABMA and WBA anti-counterfeiting activities; and sharing news on lawsuits, raids and other anti-counterfeiting activities with memberships.

BSA also agreed to create association position papers on various topics against counterfeiting. Finally, if a BSA member is convicted of selling counterfeit bearings, the board will carefully review its BSA membership status in light of that conviction.

BSA's opposition to counterfeit products is well-established. Its Top Ten program of reasons to buy products and services from authorized BSA member distributors was launched in 2007 to help distributors educate end users about the value of authorized distribution. The association welcomed ABMA's Scott Lynch to its 2010 Winter Meeting for an update on anti-counterfeiting efforts. The association also presented its own program on counterfeit bearings at the 2010 Annual Convention.
www.bsahome.org
www.americanbearings.org

Instrumentation specialist Ashtead Technology came to the rescue of a client urgently in need of concrete testing equipment by providing express delivery within a matter of hours.

July 19 2010 will see the first delivery of EN 473/ISO 9712 approved training in Canada under the CSWIP Scheme for advanced UT.

The South West School of NDT has announced the addition of John Hewitt, the former Head of NDT for Airbus UK, to its NDT Level 3 Consultancy team.

Independent industrial consultants AV Technology have been awarded a prestigious five-year condition monitoring (CM) contract by Shell Exploration and Production. The contractual scope of supply includes the provision of CM consultancy, training and equipment to ten offshore platforms and three onshore terminals located throughout the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS), mainland UK and Ireland.

Riding on properly inflated tires should be a priority for every one of the thousands of motorists who will be hitting Canada's highways during this summer's driving season.

Drivers who take the few minutes needed to measure and, if necessary, adjust their tire pressures before heading out can be assured that they will get the exceptionally safe performance tire makers design into their products, and that their tires will deliver the best possible fuel efficiency.

Motorists who ensure their tires are properly inflated can expect to save about two weeks worth of fuel annually. Under-inflated tires cause vehicles to burn more fuel because of increased rolling resistance.

Proper tire inflation may sound like a no-brainer for drivers who want optimum performance and fuel efficiency, but recent research from the Rubber Association of Canada (RAC), which represents tire makers, found that just under half (49%) of all Canadian drivers are riding on at least one tire that is under or over-inflated. More disturbing, the study also found that one in ten Canadian drivers have one or more tires severely under-inflated by 20 percent or more — a potentially hazardous condition.

According to the national study, which was conducted by DesRosiers Automotive Consultants, only 30 percent of Canadian drivers make a point to measure their tire pressures each month.

"Properly inflated tires deliver the exceptional performance that tire makers want every consumer to have," says Glenn Maidment, president of RAC. "Drivers need to know that improperly inflated tires increase stopping distance; lessen vehicle stability, particularly when cornering; waste fuel and shorten tire life. All it takes to avoid all this is a reliable tire gauge and five minutes each month to measure and, if necessary, adjust your tire pressures."

Measuring and adjusting tire pressure