The 2026 Far-East Conference on New NDT Technologies was successfully concluded in Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, from June 22 to 25, 2026. Co-hosted by more than ten organizations including Nanchang Hangkong University, Jiangxi General Institute of Inspection, Testing and Certification, and the NDT Branch of Jiangxi Mechanical Engineering Society, the event received joint support from nearly 100 authoritative domestic and overseas institutions, universities and industrial enterprises such as the China Promotion Association for Special-equipment Safety and Energy Conservation, the China Special Equipment Inspection Association and Newcastle University in the United Kingdom. Boasting extensive industry participation, high-end conference standards and an unprecedented lineup, the event reached an unparalleled scale.

Challenge Competition

       On the eve of the conference opening, the 2026 Far-East Conference Zhijiang Excellence-Cup NDT Innovation Challenge Competition kicked off first. Engineers from Doppler took part in the challenge rounds. Intense on-site practical-operation contests unfolded. Leveraging advanced testing equipment and solid technical know-how, the team stood out from competitors. It claimed the championship in Track 2 for Hot-Melt Joints of Thick-Wall Nuclear-grade Polyethylene Pipes, winning two major honors: the Ingenuity Craftsman Award and the Sharp-Tool Award.

Overview of Challenge Station No.2

1 Hot-Melt Joints of Thick-Wall Nuclear-Grade Polyethylene Pipes

2  Description of Detection Difficulties

      (1) Polyethylene (PE) pipelines for nuclear-power stations generally feature large-diameter and thick-wall structures. Owing to complex on-site operating conditions, various defects tend to emerge in hot-melt butt welds. Nondestructive testing (NDT) technologies are required to conduct joint quality assessment and safety evaluation.

(2) The thick-wall configuration and viscoelastic property of polyethylene material lead to acoustic attenuation and dispersion during ultrasonic wave propagation. Meanwhile, the structural geometry of internal and external beads at hot-melt joints restricts the effective layout area of ultrasonic probes. Combined with weld misalignment at joints, ultrasonic inspection of polyethylene pipe joints faces considerable challenges.

(3) Radiographic testing delivers high-sensitivity detection for volumetric internal defects within hot-melt butt joints of polyethylene pipelines. Nevertheless, it shows limited recognition capability and low sensitivity for planar-type defects such as cracks and incomplete fusion, failing to effectively identify all defect categories.

In summary, in view of the structural and material-specific characteristics of hot-melt joints on large-size nuclear-station pipelines, it is urgent to develop high-adaptability, stable and reliable nondestructive-testing technologies together with corresponding evaluation methodologies.

Doppler Attends the Forum

      Centered on the theme “Advanced Nondestructive-Testing Technologies Driving High-Quality Development of the Manufacturing Industry”, the conference brings together worldwide experts, scholars, industry elites and enterprise representatives in the NDT sector. Participants discuss cutting-edge technological innovation, industry-university-research integration and new pathways for industrialized application of nondestructive testing, empowering quality-safety management and technical upgrading for key sectors including highend manufacturing, aerospace, energy and nuclear power, as well as special-equipment industries.

Boasting an intensive academic atmosphere and a wide range of exchange activities, the event runs a concurrent exhibition showcasing state-of-the-art NDT equipment. Dozens of premium domestic and overseas exhibitors display the latest research achievements, technologies and products. The platform bridges academic research and industrial implementation, accelerating the commercialization of universitybased research outcomes and iterative technological progress across the whole industry.

Doppler made a prominent appearance at the forum with its advanced NDT solutions. Its exhibited-equipment drew widespread on-site attention owing to precise and stable inspection performance, premium hardware configuration and outstanding cost-performance ratio. Numerous industry guests stopped by for hands-on trials, consultations and technical exchanges.

Keynote Speech

       The conference featured a total of 18 thematic parallel sessions covering numerous popular research tracks, including Aerospace & Composite Materials, Sensors and Instruments, and AI-enabled Non-Destructive Testing. These sessions span all segmented application sectors of NDT, precisely catering to attendees’ demands for academic discussions, technical exchanges and industrial collaboration.

The R&D team of Doppler delivered keynote presentations at two sessions: Advanced Ultrasonic Technology & Equipment, and Sensors and Instruments. They shared in-depth insights into the company’s R&D achievements, innovative processes and practical engineering cases in the NDT field. The professional technical sharing and mature industry solutions won high recognition and warm applause from all participants, fully demonstrating Doppler’s robust core technical strength within the NDT industry.

Speaker: Qin Long (Application Technology Manager)

Presentation Title: 

A Comparative Analysis of Total Focusing Method, Dynamic Focusing and Phased Array Technologies

Speaker: Liu Youjian (Senior Engineer)

Presentation Title: 

Research on Development and Application of Air-Coupled Ultrasonic Probes