We’re pleased to welcome two new faces to IK Trax – Amaia Muñoz Iluore and Ian McGilvray, who have both joined us as Technical Sales Engineers this month.

Amaia brings over 12 years’ experience in Sales within the Oil & Gas sector, having worked with some of the industry’s biggest names to support pipeline performance across a range of areas.

Ian joins us with more than 25 years of experience in global oil and gas operations. He’s built a career on delivering high service quality and brings strong technical know-how to customer support.

Outside of work, Amaia enjoys reading, exploring art and history, trying out new technologies, travelling, and spending time with family and friends. Ian is a keen beekeeper, enjoys restoring and driving vintage vehicles, and is also a Trustee at the Grampian Transport Museum.

We’re excited to have them both on board as we continue to grow our team and capabilities.

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Tell us about yourself.

My name is Andrew Donnelly, and I work as a mechanical design engineer at IK Trax. I earned my master’s in mechanical engineering at RGU. Throughout university, I had various work placements, and after graduation, I was lucky enough to be accepted as a graduate mechanical engineer at a start-up oil and gas company and that is where I learned my trade. I now have 6 years of experience in mechanical engineering.

Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my family, whether it’s dog walks on the weekends or dinner dates with my fiancé. I am getting married next April, so wedding planning is currently taking up a lot of our time.

Can you tell us about the mechanical capabilities we have at IK Trax and how they are integrated with our electronics engineering capabilities?

At IK Trax, our CAD software allows me to create 3D working assemblies of all our products and prototypes. We also use finite element analysis software and an in-house design calculation package to ensure our prototypes pass the necessary pressure tests before moving to production.

Our electronic engineers can create a 3D model of a PCB, which I can import into my CAD software. I then design an enclosure to house and secure the PCB and other internal components. These components are often subjected to harsh vibratory conditions, so we work together to create an optimal and mechanically robust PCB mounting method.

What projects have you been involved in at IK Trax, and what have been some key highlights and challenges?

I have been involved in various projects at IK Trax, including new prototype Electromagnetic transmitters, our new bespoke Pig Signallers, and BWGP and ROV cradles.

One of my favourite projects was the EMTx50, the largest EM transmitter we’ve ever designed. You can read about the design process in the EMTx50 case study.

The EMTx40 EM transmitter is a product I have worked on from conception. This was my first major project at IK TRAX, in which I was the lead mechanical design engineer.  This was also my first project that involved designing enclosures for ATEX certification and while it was challenging learning all the requirements, our prototype type successfully passed all ATEX requirements and testing on our first attempt.

What do you find most rewarding about your role, particularly in the context of developing innovative products like we do at IK Trax?

For me, the most rewarding part of the job is talking to other engineers and seeing a concept design become a working production unit. At IK Trax, I can observe and participate in the production of units I’ve designed. It’s exciting to see something that started as a sketch in a notepad get packed into a crate for a job halfway across the world.

Finally, what are your career goals in the area of mechanical engineering?

My career goal is to apply for and achieve chartered engineer CEng status. This will be an important milestone in my engineering career.

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We are excited to announce the addition of Lee Galloway as our new Technical Sales Engineer. Lee brings over 30 years of experience in the pipeline and pigging industries, enhancing our technical expertise and pig tracking and pig signaller offerings.

With a strong pipeline systems and pigging technologies background, Lee is poised to drive our sales strategies forward and provide exceptional customer support.

Outside of work, Lee enjoys mountain biking, running and hiking.

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Sturt Leslie has recently joined IK Trax as our Global Head of Tendering. 

With a decade of experience in proposals and tendering, Stuart brings invaluable expertise that enhances our commercial strategy. 

Outside of work, Stuart enjoys family trips, spending time on the golf course and supporting his favourite football teams.

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Tell us a bit about yourself?

My name is Sergey and I am an Android App Developer at IK Trax. I was born in Moldova and moved to Italy when I was 14. I came to the UK in 2014, firstly living in London and then moving to Aberdeen where I decided to study Software Development.  I attended college for three years and I am now completing my Honours year at Robert Gordon University.

Outside of work, I have a passion for music – I attended music school and have participated in numerous theatre productions.  I also enjoy martial arts and spending time with my wife and our three-year-old son.

Can you share your journey at IK Trax, from being a summer intern to your current position?

At University, we were encouraged to seek a summer placement to give us further hands-on experience and develop our professionalism.  This is something that has helped me in my studies as well as the workplace.  My primary task during my internship was modifying and improving the EMRx Receiver App.  This was challenging, and  I was pushed to conduct my own research utilising online sources and AI technologies to navigate the process.

I have found my colleagues to be very approachable and constructive during my time here.  This has allowed me to grow both as a developer and a professional.  At the end of my internship, I was lucky enough to be offered a part-time position which I am now balancing alongside the completion of my degree.

What are some of the key highlights and some of the biggest challenges you have faced during your time at IK Trax?

During my time at IK Trax, one of the key highlights (and challenges) has been developing the 4003 App. Prior to this, I  was mainly tweaking and fixing applications which were already in existence. Starting a project from the ground up was a first for me and it allowed me to work on my weaknesses and grow professionally. Building the 4003 App was a significant achievement, and I found great enjoyment in the process.

Another key highlight was presenting the completed Apps to my colleagues, explaining updates made and demonstrating the functionality. I have always enjoyed public speaking and consider it one of my best skills. I would like more opportunities to do this in the future. 

How do the Apps you have worked on and developed contribute to pig tracking and detection and what specific functionality do they offer?

All of our Apps allow the operator to input their required parameters directly into a phone or tablet. This is often a simpler and more user-friendly method compared to using the single push button on the receiver or signaller.

The EMRx App provides a visual display of the received electromagnetic or magnetic signal whilst the 4003 Pig Signaller App provides pig passage information in real-time to the device. Information can also be exported from the Apps for further review.  This all provides the user with more flexibility and control during their operations.

Looking ahead, what are your career goals in the field of App Development?

I don’t want to limit myself to App development. As a software developer I believe I should be expanding my horizons and my goal is to learn about different technologies across various fields. I look forward to broadening my knowledge in all areas of software development.

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