Graduate students from Oklahoma State University-Tulsa’s Materials Science and Engineering program recently toured Webco Tubing’s new Technology Center in Sand Springs, Oklahoma, where they gained practical insights into how destructive and non-destructive testing (NDT) techniques safeguard industry operations.
The three-hour tour provided a first-hand look at advanced testing laboratories, including metallurgical, R&D, and corrosion labs, where methods commonly studied in academia are applied daily in industrial settings to prevent costly failures.
“It is important for students to see that what they are learning is not just in textbooks or labs, but also widely used in real-world industries,” said Dr. Feng Lu, OSU research scientist and Core Labs manager at OSU-Tulsa’s Helmerich Research Center (HRC). “Many of these skills are things they can apply on the first day of their job. We truly appreciate our industry partners like Webco Tubing for opening their facilities, testing labs and R&D labs to OSU students.”
Students on the visit said the experience emphasized the real-world importance of testing and inspection. “The tour helped us see how materials characterization and testing techniques from research are applied in industry,” said graduate student Ahmed Abdelrahmana. “Many of the methods we use at the HRC are routinely used at Webco for developing better materials for oil and gas drilling, mining and other applications. It really changed my mindset about the techniques we study.”
Webco TechCenter Manager Tucker Melvin highlighted the long-term value of such exchanges: “We always welcome OSU faculty and students to tour our facilities. This empowers both sides through knowledge and information sharing about cutting-edge tools and technologies. We have worked with HRC Core Labs on several projects in the past and are currently collaborating on two more. This kind of partnership strengthens education, research and workforce development.”
The OSU-Tulsa School of Materials Science and Engineering continues to emphasize experiential learning and industry collaboration, ensuring future engineers understand how NDT techniques translate from lab research to industrial practice across sectors including aerospace, energy, transportation, and advanced manufacturing.
Reference: https://news.okstate.edu/articles/tulsa/2025/osu-tulsa-mse-students-tour-webco-tubing.html
