MEETING stringent technical standards is crucial as interdisciplinary industries update and modernise. In this milieu, non-destructive testing (NDT) methods are evolving fast as advances in computers, electronics and material science put forth new testing challenges.
“Accepting that no single method can provide all the necessary NDT information, industry participants are working towards integrating several methods with the idea that complementing capabilities offer greater detectability and overlapping enhances reliability,” said Frost & Sullivan research analyst, Vijay Shankar Murthy.
“Ultrasonic and eddy current testing equipment using core hardware and interchangeable transducers and modules are now available, and software packages process data obtained from various NDT methods.”
However, NDT techniques such as phased array ultrasonics and digital radiography need to tackle limited awareness, which will affect demand for the relatively newer techniques.
While customers are still partial to NDT, many demand a host of features from the equipment that cannot be incorporated due to technological or economic reasons. In fact, certain NDT techniques have inbuilt flaws that can detract from their testing abilities.
Ultrasound testing, for example, can be influenced by background noise, which may result in off-the-mark measurements. The selected method and inspection requirements depend on the inspected structural configuration and the lifecycle stage.
The future of NDT techniques appears strong despite these setbacks. Part of this reason is that the industrial and scientific communities use combinations of techniques to test components and materials - an idea which is fast becoming a major trend.
Advanced materials need specialised equipment capable of testing their performance in simulated as well as real-time environments. The resulting demand for NDT is expected to counter the effects of other technology barriers - such as the difficulty in detecting minute cracks in the structure and delamination in composites hindering accurate testing.
Further support for NDT techniques is likely to pour in from all quarters due to the rapid evolution of all industries. For instance, advances in microelectronics have led to devices integrated with software, especially among testers. This miniaturisation is leading to reductions in cost, instrumentation weight and size with greater enhancement of capability.
Phased array technology, with its potential to revolutionise the entire NDT landscape, has moved from the medical to the manufacturing industry as a result of increased demand. The electronically controlled multiple probes, preset in phased array technology, reduce the time taken for inspection, which will gradually help in reducing the overall cost of a product.
“The emergence of composite structures as a material of choice for aircraft manufacturers has also brought with it a sophistication of techniques used to inspect them,” said Murthy. “Here, the transition from X-ray inspection to non-film digital methods of testing structures results directly from the use of new and cost effective methods for manufacturing composites.”
Major applications for this technology are expected in the aerospace, automotive, nuclear and power generation industries.
The growing interdependence of industries and steady growth in technology, combined with increased credibility and customer awareness, enforce a durable future for NDT techniques.