Practitioner Profile

Michael W. Allgaier is an experienced training and certification consultant with more than 30 years’ experience. He is a leader in the visual testing (VT) method, active on ASNT committees, and a prolific writer and presenter for its publications. He has earned many nondestructive testing certifications, and has frequently been awarded for his service to the Society.

He got his start in NDT in 1970, after completing Navy bootcamp and 15 weeks of Ship fitters school (welding/brazing/sheet metal/pipefitting/handtools) when he was asked if he wanted to go to NDT school. His focus for 30 years was military and civilian nuclear power electric generation. During that time he became an author and instructor of NDE training courses (VT, UT, and Basic) for the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). After 12 years as an instructor in the nuclear academy mold he was hired to start corporate wide training for a major NDT services company as the director. He initiated a learning management system for online training and continuing instructor-led training and development. NDT courses and certification exams were developed for over 3000 inspectors including certification exams online.

As he reaches the end of his career, his goal is to firm up the emphasis on performance-based training and proficiency demonstrations as way to qualify to perform NDT. Additional training is needed for NDT Level IIIs. None is required by ASNT documents. The diversity of techniques in each NDT method mandates a broader spectrum of knowledge and skills. One or two techniques mastered in each method are insufficient when a dozen or more specialty techniques exist for each NDT method. Special training and testing is needed for each industry. Industry specific and technique specific qualifications should be added on to core required skills and knowledge for each NDT method