NONDESTRUCTIVE TESTING
Nondestructive Testing (NDT) refers to
technology that allows a component to be
inspected for serviceability, without impairing
its usefulness.
The use of noninvasive techniques to determine
the integrity of a material, component or
structure or quantitatively measure some
characteristic of an object.
NONDESTRUCTIVE TESTING
Purpose:Flaw Detection and Evaluation
Leak Detection
Location Determination
Dimensional Measurements
Structure and Microstructure Characterization
Estimation of Mechanical and Physical properties
Stress (Strain) and Dynamic Response
Measurements
Material Sorting and Chemical Composition
Determination
NONDESTRUCTIVE TESTING
Why to use NDT Testing?
To assist in product development
To screen or sort incoming materials
To monitor, improve or control manufacturing
processes
To verify proper processing such as heat
treating
To verify proper assembly
To inspect for in-service damage
NONDESTRUCTIVE TESTING
Notable Events In NDT
1854: Hartford, Connecticut A boiler at the Fales
and Gay Gray Car works, explodes, killing 21
people and seriously injuring 50
1895: Wilhelm Conrad Rntgen discovers Xrays.
1880 1920: The "Oil and Whiting" method of
crack detection is used in the railroad industry
to find cracks in heavy steel parts.
1920: Dr. H. H. Lester begins development of
industrial radiography for metals.
NONDESTRUCTIVE TESTING
Notable Events In NDT
1924: Lester uses radiography to examine
castings to be installed in a Boston Edison
Company steam pressure power plant (source).
1926: The first electromagnetic eddy current
instrument is available to measure material
thicknesses.
1927 1928: Magnetic induction system to
detect flaws in railroad track developed by Dr.
Elmer Sperry and H.C. Drake.
NONDESTRUCTIVE TESTING
Notable Events In NDT
1929: Magnetic particle methods and equipment
used (A.V. DeForest and F.B. Doane.)
1930s : Robert F. Mehl demonstrates
radiographic imaging using gamma radiation
from Radium, which can examine thicker
components than the low-energy X-ray
machines available at the time.
1935 1940: Liquid penetrant tests developed
(Betz, Doane, and DeForest)
NONDESTRUCTIVE TESTING
Notable Events In NDT
1935 1940: Eddy current instruments
developed (H.C. Knerr, C. Farrow, Theo
Zuschlag, and Fr. F. Foerster).
1940 1944: Ultrasonic test method developed
in USA by Dr. Floyd Firestone.
1950: J. Kaiser introduces acoustic emission as
an NDT method.
NONDESTRUCTIVE TESTING
Elements
Regardless of application or method, all
nondestructive testing shares the same basic
elements:
Source
Modification
Detection
Indication
Interpretation
Laser testing
Profilometry
Holography
Shearography
LIQUID PENETRANT
Characteristics:The flaws are more visible.
Limited training is required for the operator
although experience is valuable.
Low testing costs.
Proper cleaning is necessary.
Rusty parts have to be sanded to bare metal.
Penetrant, developer and cleaner are polluting.
Any of the penetrant dyes stain cloth, skin and
other porous surfaces brought into contact.
LIQUID PENETRANT
Main Steps:Below are the main steps of Dye Penetrant Inspection:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Pre-cleaning:
Application of Penetrant:
Excess Penetrant Removal:
Application of Developer:
Inspection:
Post Cleaning:
LIQUID PENETRANT
Portable Equipment
ULTRASONIC TESTING
History:First recorded Ultrasonic Testing experiment
conducted by Russian scientist J.Y. Sokolov in
1929
First patent for UT equipment in 1931
Becomes a practical technique during WWII with
the introduction of pulse echo techniques
derived from sonar
Initial experiments with EMAT UT in the 70s
ULTRASONIC TESTING
Characteristics:Frequencies used
0.5-15 MHz up to 50 MHz.
It is commonly used to
Determine the thickness of the test object.
Monitor pipe work.
ULTRASONIC TESTING
Method:initial
pulse
crack
echo
back surface
echo
crack
0
10
plate
ULTRASONIC TESTING
Advantages:Superior penetrating power.
High sensitivity, detecting extremely small
flaws.
Only one surface need to be accessible.
Greater accuracy in determining the depth of
internal flaws and the thickness of parts with
parallel surfaces.
Capability of estimating the size, orientation,
shape and nature of defects.
Nonhazardous to operating environment.
ULTRASONIC TESTING
Capable of portable or highly automated
operation.
Rough
Irregular
Very small or thin
Not homogeneous
ULTRASONIC TESTING
Thickness Tester
ULTRASONIC TESTING
Thickness and Discontinuity tester
ULTRASONIC TESTING
Straight-Beam Transducers
ULTRASONIC TESTING
ULTRASONIC TESTING
Some methods used:Phased array ultrasonics
Time of flight diffraction ultrasonics (TOFD)
Iris (ultrasonics) for tubular examination
ELECTROMAGNETIC TESTING
Electromagnetic Testing is more often used to
mean the whole class of electromagnetic test
methods.
The process induces
Electric currents
Magnetic fields
Both inside a test object
ELECTROMAGNETIC TESTING
Different methods:Eddy-Current Testing.
Remote field testing.
Magnetic flux leakage testing.
Wire rope testing.
Magnetic particle inspection.
Alternating Current Field Measurement.
Pulsed eddy current.
Coil's
magnetic field
Eddy current's
magnetic field
Eddy
currents
Conductive
material
Specimens
Magnetic Images
VISUAL TESTING
Robotic crawlers permit observation in
hazardous or tight areas, such as air ducts,
reactors, pipelines.
VISUAL TESTING
Portable video inspection unit with zoom allows
inspection of large tanks and vessels, railroad
tank cars, sewer lines.
VISUAL TESTING
Glasses mounted Monitor
VISUAL TESTING
Mini TV
RADIOGRAPHIC TESTING
Radiography involves the use of:Gamma Radiation
XRadiation
Source of Radiation
An Xray machine
Radioactive Isotope(Ir-192, Co-60, or in rare
cases Cs-137)
RADIOGRAPHIC TESTING
The radiation used in radiography testing is a
higher energy (shorter wavelength) version of
the electromagnetic waves that we
see as visible light. The radiation can come
from an X-ray generator or a radioactive
source.
RADIOGRAPHIC TESTING
X-ray film
= less exposure
= more exposure
RADIOGRAPHIC TESTING
APPLICATIONS
Automotive
Engine parts
Frame
Aviation / Aerospace
Airframes
Space frames
Power plants
Reciprocating Engines
Jet Engines
Rocketry
APPLICATIONS
Manufacturing
Machine parts
Castings and Forgings
Construction
Structures
Bridges
Railways
Rail Inspection
Wheel Inspection
APPLICATIONS
Industrial Plants
Nuclear
Petrochemical
Power
Refineries
Pulp and Paper
Fabrication shops
Mine processing.
Pressure vessels
Storage tanks
APPLICATIONS
Industrial plants
Welds
Boilers
Heat exchangers
Turbine bores
In-plant Piping
Miscellaneous
Pipelines
In-line Inspection using "pigs"
Pipeline integrity
APPLICATIONS
Miscellaneous
Tubular NDT, for Tubing material
Corrosion Under Insulation (CUI)
Amusement park rides
Medical imaging applications