Page 46 - 2018-2019 ASNT Region 16 Yearbook

REGION 16 of the AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR NONDESTRUCTIVE TESTING
ALASKA, COLUMBIA RIVER, LEWIS & CLARK, PACIFIC NORTHWEST SECTIONS
2018-2019 YEARBOOK

The Pacific Northwest Section held its 9 April meeting at The Old
Spaghetti Factory in Tukwila, Washington. Twenty-eight members and
guests attended to hear Stuart A. Kleven, of Alloyweld Inspection Co.
Inc., speak about fabrication and inspection of hardware for the Laser
Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO), which consists
of two interferometers located in Hanford, Washington and Livingston,
Louisiana. They were designed to study cosmic gravitational waves and
measure them. These waves are caused by collapsing supernovas and
the collision of black holes in space. The only information available from
space has been obtained by studying electromagnetic waves. This will
open a new window for the future for scientists and ultimately lead to
finding out more about the Big Bang theory and the beginning of the
universe. Alloyweld supplied the weldments that hold the laser mirrors
in place in a vacuum. The requirement for items to work in a vacuum
added extra welding requirements and tolerances that had to be met. In
addition, full penetration open root welds had to be made and inspected
to ensure proper strength and resonance. The talk discussed the
special requirements and the means used to perform the weld root
inspections.

Pacific Northwest Section Vice Chair Trey Gordon (left) presented
Stuart A. Kleven with a speaker gift for his presentation at the Section’s
9 April meeting.
PACIFIC NORTHWEST SECTION MEETING SUMMARY

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