6 Most Effective Equipment for Non-Destructive Testing

Non-destructive testing (NDT) is a wide group of analysis techniques used in science and industry to evaluate the properties of a material, component or system without impairing its future usefulness. There are numerous equipment that are used in non-destructing testing. Here is a list of NDT equipment required during non-destructive testing.

Semi Automated & Motorized Scanners- There are variety of Motorized and Manual Scanners available in the market. This highly effective tools comes in Automated UT (AUT), Semi-Automated UT (SAUT), and Encoded Manual UT (EMUT). They provide perfect solutions for advanced NDT inspection. They are very handy and can be operated easily by anyone.

Ultrasonic Imaging Camera- Ultrasonic Imaging Camera provides easier to interpret images, higher resolution and lower cost. Ultrasonic Imaging Cameras are used heavily in Singapore for conducting non-destructive testing. Since the user is covering 100% of the area with extremely high resolution, defects do not get missed.

Ultrasonic Imaging Camera offers the following advantages:

• Affordable cost.
• Simplified operator training completely free from any complexity.
• Offers high resolution, C scan and real-time imaging.
• High standard video output.

Flaw Detector- With a 50nS (Spike) 200V, a full VGA display, a Pulser 0.5dB gain resolution and an optional rubber boot, flaw detectors are suitable for a number of NDT applications such as corrosion testing and weld inspection.

Thickness Gauges- Thickness Gauges are used for efficient and quick measurement of small dimensions, especially the thickness of wire, paper, sheet metal, film, and similar materials. The convenient grip handle, thumb trigger and spring-loaded plunger make the instrument easy to use.

Welded Flaw Specimen- Standard flawed specimens are designed and manufactured to meet the requirements of all known internationally recognized qualification programs. They are available in all sizes and configurations in materials (CS, SS & Duplex SS) Specimens Types UT & PAUT Flaw specimens. The welded specimens used for NDT inspection in Malaysia and other regions for determining T joints that have defects such as porosity, lack of fusion, cracks, inclusions, among others.

Calibration & Validation Blocks- These blocks are used to find out temperature uniformity. They can be used for:

• Eddy Current Testing
• Time of Flight Diffraction Testing
• Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing
• Conventional UT

Key Features of NDT Level III Training Programs

NDT training provides the student a focused education that integrates the best of theory and practical application. The training courses focus on teaching the students valuable information on different training courses and techniques.

In a well-defined NDT level III training program several specific lessons are provided to the students. Ideal NDT level III training program consists of:

• Training, Assessment Examinations, and Documentation of Time in Method and Verification of NDT Personnel
• NDT Level III Expert Advocacy for Issue Resolution or Research of NDT Method Development
• Preparation of a Written Practice for the Qualification and Certification of NDT Personnel
• Administration of an NDT Program
• Preparation of NDT Test Procedures and Calibration Standards

Ample scopes are provided for hands-on experience with tools and techniques to the candidates during the entire course. In most of the Level III Consulting training in-depth knowledge has been provided so that students can grab overall knowledge of the subject and can deliver their best on any demanding situation.

The standard courses included in an NDT level III training are as follows:

• Magnetic Particle Testing (MT)
• Radiographic Testing
• Radiation Safety (RS)
• Digital Radiographic Testing (DR)
• Liquid Penetrant and Magnetic Particle Testing Combined
• Ultrasonic Testing (UT)
• Visual Testing (VT) and more.

Courses are designed as an event where participants are informed about the latest methodologies and advanced technologies about non-destructive training. These events often offer some form of course credit or continuing education units to those participants successfully completing the course. NDT personnel are satisfactorily qualified through training to perform their tasks.

Institutions that offer NDT level III training in Singapore and Malaysia, have a fully equipped facility to offer amazing training facilities to the students. Looking at the bright career prospects, NDT level III training could prove really handy.

Advanced NDT Inspection for Construction of Buildings

Construction of buildings and skyscrapers in Singapore, Malaysia and other Middle East and South Asian nations is one of the most difficult jobs for construction site engineers. They need to check every aspect starting from the ground level to the highest point of the building, ensuring that all the raw materials as well as the finished products used to create a building are of great quality, and the building will not fall down under any circumstances. Therefore, various testing techniques are used by construction site engineers to ensure the strength and durability of the materials used. As these methods of testing do not damage or destroy the core product in any way and also are cost effective, these testing and inspection methods are known as Nondestructive Testing or in short NDT.

Nowadays, advanced NDT inspection techniques are used by engineers in Singapore, Malaysia and other regions for testing the quality and durability of materials. This is a very safe technique and it also ensures that the materials are not damaged in any way. Nondestructive testing is performed to check the durability of the materials used and also find out whether there are any internal flaws like cracks or leaks present in the material without destroying them while inspecting.

Some of the commonly used NDT techniques for testing buildings and other constructions are:

• Rebound Hammer Testing
• Penetration and Pullout Testing
• Radiographic Testing
• Ultrasonic Testing
• Liquid Penetrant Testing
• Visual Testing
• Windsor Probe Testing
• Ground Penetrating Radar

In building and construction field, NDT is used not just when a new building is constructed, but also to test the integrity of materials present in existing constructions too, thereby preventing probable damages of the building as well as saving human lives. Therefore, it is well advised to perform regular inspections of buildings and constructions through nondestructive methods and repair the internal defects when they arise.

Advanced Inspection Techniques Used for Non-Destructive Testing

NDT or Non destructive testing is the process of inspecting and testing different components for change in characteristics or problems without destroying the component itself. This is the safest way of testing critical materials. There are various advanced NDT inspection techniques used for testing different materials. These are listed below:

Inspection of Pipelines

For pipeline and offshore industries where huge pipes of different diameter and thickness are used, it is of utmost importance to do a proper inspection of girth welds and long seam welds through advanced non destructive testing procedures. Application of PAUT and ToFD is required for inspection of flange joints, elbows, etc., present in the piping welds.

Inspection of Pressure Containers

A pressure vessel is a container built to keep gases and liquids at a pressure that is different from outer pressure. Therefore, a proper inspection using non destructive testing methods on the pressure vessel welds is necessary to prevent any accidents and make the pressure vessel leak proof. Advanced techniques are used for testing dish welds and T-Sections as well as nozzle welds.

Inspection and Monitoring of Corrosion

Non destructive testing is an important aspect when it comes to inspection of critical components like pressure vessels, storage tanks, etc., that are used in heavy industries, plants, and oil & gas industries for any signs of corrosion. A corrosion identifying system identifies any sort of non-conforming alloy components as these are usually susceptible to increased level of corrosion.

Tube Inspection Technique

Assessing the durability of the component is one of the important aspects of tube inspection. Eddy current testing, internal rotation inspection system and magnetic flux leakage are some of the inspection tests used for non ferrous alloy tubes, ferrous tubes in heat exchangers, condensers, and chillers.

Flange Inspection Technique

The flange inspection technique is one of the non destructive testing methods that deals with detection of damage or depreciation of the bore walls in the sealing area of pipes. Flanges can be inspected without the need of dismantling and that helps a lot in reducing cost.

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.

Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing Becoming Reliable across Industries

NDT or nondestructive testing describes a safe way to examine flaws in various products. The conventional ultrasonic transducers normally comprise of either a single active element that receives and sends out high-frequency sound waves or 2 paired elements- one for receiving and the other for generating. Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing in Singapore on the other hand consists of transducers ranging from 16 to 256 tiny individual elements that can be pulsed individually.

The arrangement of these can vary between being a strip (linear array), ring (annular array), circular matrix (circular array) and more complicated shape. With the conventional testing style, Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing or PAUT is devised for direct contact use which is a portion of angle beam assembly with a wedge. It can also be used for immersion with sound doubled through a water path. Transducers generally range within 2MHz to 10MHz. An advanced system will also incorporate a sophisticated automated instrument that drives multi-element testing receiving and digitizing the return of echoes and plotting that echo information in different formats.

PAUT sweeps a sound beam through a wide range of refracted angles which is dissimilar to that of conventional systems. It can also take linear path or dynamically focus at a number of depth ratios that increases the capacity and flexibility in inspection setups.

Usage of PAUT or Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing

NDT training services or nondestructive training services are for students who dream to become efficient technicians. The PAUT can be applied to practically any test where conventional flaw detectors are used. Crack detection and weld inspection are the commonest applications. However, it is practiced in various industries ranging from petrochemical to pipeline construction to aerospace. Sometimes, it is used even in structural metals and general manufacturing. It can also be used to effectively find out wall thickness in corrosion survey applications.

It generally uses multiple elements to steer, focus and scan beams with singular transducer assembly. This test can simplify the testing of components through complicated use of geometries. It also improves ability for sizing critical defects for volumetric inspections. With these advantages, this testing method can be used with great ease.