Non Destructive Testing

Non-Destructive Testing plays a crucial role in the production and maintenance of most constructions. Whether it is aircraft, ships, drilling rigs, bridges, power stations, petrochemical plants, cars or oil and gas pipelines, NDT is used to examine metal structures everywhere. Certainly, it is vital to be able to check whether welding joints are 100% secure. With Non-Destructive Testing, it is important that an object or a structure can be examined for possible faults without that object being destroyed or permanently deformed. Precisely because it causes no damage during examination, NDT is ideal for carrying out checks during production process and maintenance. This is also the reason why NDT is used in so many different fields.

NDT has been used in some form since evolution of mankind. Visual inspection is probably the first NDT method utilized by primitive man to acquire the most "visually appealing" object/ animal or person. The second would have been sonic testing whereby "sounding" an object would give an impression on the quality of the product.

Non destructive testing has come a long way since that time. Today we can create an internal 3-Dimensinal image from almost any material including metals, composites, concrete and Soil Strata using such techniques as Radiography, Ultrasonic and Ground Penetrating radar. Rapid detection and evaluation of discontinuities is possible by utilizing the most modern automated feedback based computer controlled systems. The possibilities are almost limitless.

Destructive testing is very useful during the design, production and subsequent verification stage. However, in cases where a very high reliability is desired from a component or an assembly being placed into service, up to 100% of the parts may need to be verified. Non destructive testing, as the name implies, becomes imperative in such cases. The NDT techniques are being used across all industrial segments to detect flaws, asses internal condition and properties of materials.

Non destructive testing has no defined boundaries. A simple Visual inspection is considered NDT, as also is the measurement of obscure physical property such as Barkhausen noise. NDT is utilized for detecting discontinuities and separations that are on the surface, surface-related and internal; to check microstructure, matrix structure, small and gross structural flaws; for dimensioning and metrology to find displacement and/ or position, dimensional variations, thickness or density; to determine such material properties as electrical, magnetic, thermal, mechanical and surface; for chemical composition and elemental analysis, impurity concentrations, metallurgical content and physicochemical state; stress and dynamic response such as stress, strain, fatigue, mechanical damage, chemical damage and dynamic performance; and Signature analysis of electromagnetic fields, thermal fields, acoustic and radioactive signatures.

ITS has the necessary knowledge, skills, personnel and equipment to meet your most demanding NDT needs. We are involved with equipment manufacturers in research and development of non destructive testing even further. We have highly qualified and experienced ASNT ACCP NDT Level III and II personnel to understand and find solutions to your routine as well as unique problems.