CMatP Profile: Dr Evelyn Ng

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. 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.

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.

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. 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. 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. 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 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.

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.

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

in their careers with hard work and persistence, while continuing to be a person of integrity, and I strive to do the same.

I have also been fortunate to have had the benefit of several mentors whose knowledge, advice and support have been extremely helpful and influential. For instance, one of the top forensic engineers in Canada encouraged me to join him in attending the initial examination of the Radiohead stage collapse, so I could see first-hand the steps involved in conducting a large-scale investigation. The exposure motivated me to seek to attain a position where my knowledge in materials science and engineering would also be requested.

As I have worked in several companies in different countries before settling in Australia, I have come across a number of challenges. Some of the most challenging situations for me have involved adjusting to a country’s work culture and overcoming language barriers. For example, when working in Zambia for Africa’s largest copper plant, there were limited resources and I was working with a cross-section of people from different countries on their own projects but all working towards the same goal of commissioning a smelter. It was not just having a Plan A and B, but also having a plan for all the other letters of the alphabet. I have found that being adaptable and having a good sense of humour work well.

Since arriving in Australia, I have had a number of challenges, both personally and professionally. I enjoy my work at Callidus and am trying to find the right work-life balance, especially with a toddler at hand.

In Canada, the Professional Engineer (PEng) designation is attained by completing the required engineering education and work experience, as well as writing both law and ethics examinations to qualify. The PEng designation is the only one for all fields of engineering, as there is no further post-nominal initials to distinguish one’s engineering discipline. Accordingly, I am impressed with the CMatP designation in Australia, as this indicates acknowledgement and respect for materials professionals as a distinct group of experts. It demonstrates that materials professionals have taken it upon themselves to create a community to support each other’s technical initiatives and share knowledge.

This is a difficult question as I enjoy all aspects of my work. My roles allow me to investigate, problem-solve, provide recommendations and produce quality work that is well-received by clients and work colleagues. I love learning. When thrown a curve ball, or when asked questions that I may not know the answer to, the challenge of researching and finding an answer is always satisfying. I also enjoy teaching and mentoring others, as I have been very fortunate to have had a number of generous mentors who have influenced my career.

To work hard, have fun and make a positive difference.

I think CMatPs are in a unique position as our world changes. With new technology and limited natural resources, we will be challenged to find solutions, and this is something our profession will be able to meet head-on. Our knowledge will be in greater demand by more companies and services in the future. This is exciting and encouraging for all CMatPs.

Professionally, I’m proud of contributing to the companies I have worked for and I’m proud of what I have contributed to Callidus to date. Examples would be failure investigations whose outcomes include recommendations that improve the safety and reliability of equipment, as well as contributing towards developing patents that may be a gamechanger to the industry in which I work. I have gained experience and knowledge in each of my roles, and with ongoing learning, I am able to apply this knowledge to enable solutions and technological advancements. The role of a professional engineer encompasses a responsibility towards the public, and I have tried to uphold this in my daily work and as a role model.

Personally, I’m proud to have earned my advanced professional classical ballet certificate from the Royal Academy of Dance, that includes the post-nominal title ARAD, for Associate of the Royal Academy of Dance. This was a difficult challenge as it demanded perfection and daily training over a span of almost 30 years. I was determined to achieve this and eventually did so. I feel this accomplishment built character, discipline and appreciation for success through hard work.

Career-wise I am working towards obtaining Corrosion Specialist Certification from the NACE Institute. In the future, I want to strive to become recognised as an International Welding Engineer, from the International Institute of Welding. The knowledge gained from earning these globally recognised certifications will only aid me in doing my job even better. I love to travel and would like to travel from London to Tokyo without getting on an airplane. This would instead be via the Eurostar rail, Trans-Siberian railway and ferries, as the main modes of transportation. Another trip would be an expedition to Antartica, as I miss the winter weather of Canada, and I still have my parka and boots, which are gathering dust in Perth.

One more item on my bucket list is to be on The Amazing Race with either my husband or Dad. This would be a great experience to test one’s self, as well as bond even more with my partner. It would be fun to race and tackle various challenges, but my partner would have to complete the weird eating challenges.