Advanced NDT Technology Helping the Aviation Industry to Function Seamlessly

NDT technology is changing the way aviation industry functions on certain aspects. Unexpected downtime costs and maintenance delays cause a lot of trouble within the aviation industry. They spend almost around $8 billion each year and that is made worse by costs and delays. More and more advanced equipment have been introduced into the aviation industry which has posed more challenges to the industry and its technicians. These equipment must be tested with the help of advanced nondestructive methods so that the equipment do not incur any form of damage.

The process of aircraft engine production or manufacture is quite complicated. It is demanding as well. In fact, all the components are precision crafted to tight tolerances, using high-performance materials and additive manufacturing techniques. These equipment require rapid and accurate inspection results to maintain safe and reliable aircraft operations. The demand is that of new techniques of inspection. The digital drivers behind emerging inspection technologies are changing the NDT industry. These changes are also influencing the aviation organization with the needed assurance that aircraft will experience only necessary and minimal downtime.

The major advancements include:

• 3D Computer Technology (CT)
• Visual Inspection Borescopes
• Connected Mobile and user-interface

All of these appeal greatly to the next generation of industry experts. These transformation have ushered in a new era for NDT and maintenance practices in aviation.

The CT technology is being used for advanced manufacturing. For instance, a turbine blade manufacturer will be able to measure and evaluate the parts of his production in stages. A 3D manufacturer will also be able to check for defects in complex internal structures in real time. CT can now be used as a potent quality control measure and process optimization tool. It will provide accurate results.

In fact, the speed with which CT can be used has also increased now. Therefore, part manipulation, scan time, work-flow and software can now speed up per shift. There can be more scans on an hourly basis. This has drastically shortened the downtime for manufactures and operators.

Advanced Visual Inspection

While CT has enhanced the inspection process for complex aviation parts, other modes of inspection for remote technicians on the flight line have also entered the digital age. The latest boreoscopes are equipped with 3D measurement technologies and wireless connectivity along with collaboration software to capture and connect remote field inspectors to analysis through secure Internet connections.

Mobile and Connected Workforce

With the introduction of NDT technology in Malaysia there is a rise of a mobile and connected workforce within the aviation industry. With the help of advanced technology, the inspectors are collaborating and sharing timely data. Storing documents have become easy along with asking for second opinions regarding various security measures. Inspectors can now communicate with other inspectors anywhere in the world. In fact, advanced technology has brought the entire workforce together and has integrated them for better results.

Thus, advanced NDT methods have changed the way aviation industry functioned even years back. This is a great way to integrate the system along with the workforce who are also finding new things to work on.

NDT Inspection - It’s Definition, Scope and Benefits

Inspection using non-destructive techniques or NDT inspection as it is popularly known, is a term used for examining materials and components in such a manner that allows those materials to be evaluated without changing or destroying their structure or usefulness. NDT is also known as NDE and can be used to find, size and spot flaws or discontinuities within the components or materials. Advanced NDT inspection in Malaysia has become quite widespread and all the industries have accepted it heartily so that they can use the techniques in a good way to evaluate the components.

NDT inspection plays a major part in our everyday life though not directly, but it still does. It is necessary to ensure safety and reliability regarding the products that are being used for infrastructural purposes. Normally, the stuff on which NDT techniques are applied include spacecraft (shuttle), aircraft, pipelines, power stations, refineries, oil platforms, building materials, bridges, trains and motor vehicles. Of course, all these materials are used for various essential purposes on a regular basis.

Quality Assurance Management Tool

NDT is a quality assurance management tool. It can provide impressive results when used properly. It needs an understanding of the different methods available, their capacities and limitations. Knowledge of the applicable standards and specifications for performing the tests is relevant for performing the tests. Products, equipment and materials which fail to pass the design requirements or standards will be detected through the tests. The projected life due to undetected flaws might get reduced and require expensive repair or early replacement. Such flaws might also be the cause of hazardous conditions or catastrophic failure along with loss of revenue due to unplanned factory shutdown.

The best part about non-destructive testing is that it can be applied to every stage of production. The materials and welds can be evaluated using NDT and can either be accepted, repaired or rejected. Non-destructive testing techniques can then be used to assess the integrity of the product or structure throughout it’s design tenure.

Application of NDT Techniques

The objective of using NDT include:

• Provide information on repair criteria.
• Determine acceptance to a given requirement.
• Improve product authenticity.
• Accident prevention and cost reduction.

To be able to derive proper information and obtain valid results, the following is needed:

• Acoustic Emission
• Magnetic Particle Inspection
• Visual Inspection
• Liquid Penetrant Inspection
• Radiographic Inspection
• Ultrasonic Inspection
• Eddy Current Inspection

Application of all these techniques provide certain advantages to the applicants. Application of these nondestructive testing methods require some degree of technical expertise as well. There are some companies which are arranging for online courses as well as off-line courses for people aspiring to become part of this practice. These courses are concise, industry-driven, and computerized thus making any it easy for the students to enroll in the programs and learn the processes easily. The courses are structured in a way to provide ample opportunities for the students to learn and then perform within the non-destructive testing industry.