FLAMATT, SWITZERLAND-The board of directors of the Comet Group, a manufacturer of components and systems for the growth markets of inspection, security, electronics and communication, appoints Pascal Weyermann as new head of human resources and member of the executive committee. Weyermann has an extensive track record of achievement in strategic and operational human resources management.

WALTHAM, MA-Olympus NDT has decided to publish a fourth book on phased array ultrasonic testing.

ALMELO, THE NETHERLANDS-Frans Schaeken, a cathode assembler in PANalytical’s X-ray tube factory in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, has been awarded the 2006 Ir. Noordhof prize in recognition of his exceptional craftsmanship in engineering.

PRINCETON JUNCTION, NJ-The Mistras Holdings Corp. announces the appointment of Michael Allgaier as director of training and certification.

PRINCETON JUNCTION, NJ-The Mistras Holdings Corp. has announced its name change to Mistras Group Inc. Accompanying this change is the formal unveiling of a new corporate identity that was developed by its employees, reflecting Mistras’ growth and multinational, multifaceted nature of its business.

ROCHESTER, NY-Carestream Health Inc. announces that Eastman Kodak Co.'s former nondestructive testing group is officially operating as part of Carestream Health. Last January, Onex Corp. announced its intentions to acquire Kodak’s Health Group, which included the Nondestructive Testing business, a maker of film and digital imaging solutions for the industrial radiography market. Now that the purchase is complete, the Health Group is doing business as Carestream Health.

BARTLETT, IL-Herrmann Ultrasonic Inc., the North American headquarters of the Herrmann Group, announces several leadership developments. Thomas Herrmann, formerly general manager of Herrmann Ultrasonics Inc., returns to Herrmann Ultraschalltechnik GmbH & Co. KG to assume the position of CEO sales and finances. He remains president and CEO of Herrmann Ultrasonics Inc.

BILLERICA, MA-With the incorporation of its X-ray applications laboratory from Cincinnati into its Lewistown, PA, facility, GE Inspection Technologies now offers three modalities of nondestructive testing at one in-house location. GE invested more that $350,000 in 2006 in its Lewistown laboratory.

How can a company move forward if it does not know where it is? In general terms, any audit is a snapshot in time of how an organization is complying and performing to a set of requirements. If uncomfortable when hearing the word audit, then ponder this: Some organizations actually request audits-not from their customers but from their internal nondestructive (NDT) inspectors and managers. These companies have a different perspective of an NDT audit. They believe in being proactive, which is the key to not only a successful audit but the foundation of a successful organization.

Thermography is a well-established technique for predictive and preventative maintenance (P/PM), where the inspector uses the infrared (IR) camera in a passive mode to measure the steady state surface temperature of a component during its normal operation.