OPG’s Advanced Inspection and Maintenance team celebrates 50 years

At a glance

• OPG’s Advanced Inspection and Maintenance team performs critical inspection services for OPG and the broader energy industry.

• Founded in 1972 at OPG’s predecessor company, Ontario Hydro.

• AIM team includes divers, drone operators, and advanced nuclear inspection specialists.

  

A team responsible for delivering innovative inspection and maintenance solutions at OPG and to the world’s energy industry celebrates its 50^th anniversary this August.

From skilled divers, to Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems inspecting from above, to industry-leading nuclear inspection tools, OPG’s Advanced Inspection and Maintenance (AIM) division plays a crucial role inspecting, maintaining, and ensuring major component fitness for service.

This important work ensures OPG can continue to provide low-cost, clean energy safely and reliably to meet Ontario’s power needs and the company’s climate change goals.

“I’m so proud to have led this incredible team for the past two years,” said Leslie McWilliams, Vice President of AIM. “In my 23 years with OPG, I had the opportunity to work with many of the AIM team previously, but seeing first-hand how hard this team works, and the pride and tenacity each of them bring to their work is inspiring. I know the future is bright for this team, and I can’t wait for the next 50.”

Known by many different names over the past five decades, AIM began in 1972 at OPG’s predecessor company, Ontario Hydro.

John Graham, one of the founding members of AIM, was adamant that Ontario Hydro needed its own in-house team to provide inspection services across the company, and it was from this idea the group was born.

Since its founding, AIM’s approach and tooling have evolved to some of the most cutting-edge technology, such as the new, first-of-a-kind Rapid Delivery Machine, an automated machine that will be used to execute fuel channel inspections in future outages at the Darlington Nuclear station. The project will help replace manual inspection techniques, resulting in shorter outages and improving employee safety.

OPG congratulates AIM on this significant milestone.

Major AIM achievements

• AIM completed OPG’s first-ever all-female dive in August 2021.
• In 2015, AIM was the first group at OPG to conduct drone operations, deploying them to inspect Darlington's vacuum building during an outage.
• In order to improve fuel channel inspection equipment and provide faster, more efficient inspections, the AIM team (then Fuel Channel Inspection & Maintenance Department) developed the Universal Delivery Machine (UDM) in 2001, providing a common delivery mechanism for a variety of fuel channel inspection tooling.