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CMatP Profile: Dr Evelyn Ng PhD, PEng, CPEng, CMatP Where do you work? Describe your job. I work for the Callidus Group, which encompasses Callidus Process Solutions and Callidus Welding Solutions. Callidus Process Solutions specialises in the management, maintenance, servicing and diagnostics of valves, actuators and instrumentation, in addition to providing fully integrated engineering services from identification to implementation. Callidus Welding Solutions specialises in welding exotic metals and surface hardening for wear and abrasion resistance applications, as well as corrosion control services. With this diverse range of capabilities, Callidus Group provides a complete flow control package for companies in the oil and gas and mining industries.
Dr Evelyn Ng is the Materials and Corrosion Engineer, Subject Matter Expert for the Callidus Group, whose headquarters are located in Perth, Western Australia. The Callidus Group comprises Callidus Process Solutions and Callidus Welding Solutions. Callidus is a high-end valve company with locations Australia-wide and throughout the Asia-Pacific region, with clients in the oil and gas and mining industries, as well as the power generation and marine industries.
I am the Materials and Corrosion Engineer Subject Matter Expert for Callidus Group’s two divisions. I am the only materials engineer, amongst 20 mechanical engineers, at the company. My portfolio is diverse—reviewing and recommending materials selection for maintaining or improving asset integrity, conducting forensic root cause failure analysis investigations, working with in-house lab equipment for quality assurance, as well as leading research in developing new products and filing patents for Callidus’ intellectual property.
Evelyn obtained her PhD (2012), Master of Applied Science (2006) and Bachelor of Applied Science (2004), each in Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Toronto in Canada. Born in Canada, Evelyn settled in Australia three years ago, having worked on five continents in countries spanning Canada, Japan, Finland, Zambia and Australia.
Callidus has recently filed two patents: one for a bi-metallic coating system and another that involves TiN surface hardening, both of which have immense potential to be gamechangers to the industry. I am fortunate to work for a progressive company that values the importance of material selection working harmoniously with mechanical design and supports materials advancements.
Her previous professional experience includes engineering roles in diverse settings from on-site mining operations, research and development laboratories, consulting firms and academia. She is a registered Professional Engineer (PEng) and Chartered Professional Engineer (CPEng) in Canada and Australia, respectively.
In my role, I am challenged to evaluate and select materials—often exotic metals and alloys, advanced ceramics and elastomers—that are compatible with each other and installed in the same component, as well as being corrosionresistant and wear-resistant. The materials chosen must be able to perform in a range of extreme environments including
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acid, oxygen, hydrocarbon, sea water and at a range of temperatures from cryogenic temperatures to beyond 800°C. In researching and recommending the most appropriate materials, I am also an investigator examining the situation when a failure occurs. To illustrate, components have failed on-site at mining or offshore sites, the components are brought to me and I investigate the failure using a range of characterisation techniques. At times, I design and conduct experiments to reconstruct the failure, analysing the results and providing the findings and recommendations to the client. A recent investigation concerned severe corrosion in butterfly valves installed in an offshore firewater system. The outcome was an overhaul to replace all valves with new ones made out of a material that is compatible with the service conditions and existing piping system.
What inspired you to choose a career in materials science and engineering? The University of Toronto held an engineering fair, for new students, aimed at assisting them in their selection of a discipline. At the materials science and engineering booth, the liaison officer showed me that the knowledge taught in materials science and engineering can be applied to solve investigations. He used an airplane crash as the main example. Years later, I was investigating cracks in airplane landing gear, which likely would have caused fatalities had it remained undetected. The outcome resulted in an entire fleet of planes being grounded due to casting defects in the landing gear. It was then that my choice to follow a career in materials science and engineering felt it had come full circle.
Who or what has influenced you most professionally? My parents have influenced me greatly. The engineering aspect of my career comes from my dad, who is a registered professional industrial engineer. I have seen how my parents have advanced WWW.MATERIALSAUSTRALIA.COM.AU
