From Automotive to Aerospace: Why Non-Destructive Testing is a Non-Negotiable for Many Industries

Whatever your industry, success depends upon the safety and integrity of materials, parts, components, and equipment. Defects that go undetected could lead to early replacement, costly repairs or, in worst-case scenarios, dangerous conditions or failures. Over the past century, non-destructive testing has emerged as a valuable tool to bring hidden defects to light.

Unlike destructive testing, which takes test items beyond their breaking point, non-destructive testing (NDT) methods allow us to inspect components and materials inside and out — without altering or damaging the item or its ability to function. NDT is also commonly known as non-destructive examination or evaluation (NDE) and non-destructive inspection (NDI).

A go-to for the automotive and aerospace industries, NDT is also commonly used to detect and measure defects and flaws in bridges, trains, oil platforms and many other structures.

NDT first found its footing in the industrial world in the early 1900s, as radiography (X-ray) emerged as a means to reveal hidden defects in the internal structures of metal castings. Today, radiography remains one of the most popular methods of NDT in industry, and the field of non-destructive evaluation continues to evolve.

Along with radiography (X-ray or RT), the primary conventional non-destructive testing methods in use today are dye penetrant (PT), magnetic particle (MT), ultrasonic testing (UT) and visual testing (VT). Depending on the customer’s needs and inspection conditions, technicians may also employ advanced NDT, such as the following:

• Automated Corrosion Mapping
• Computed Radiography (CR)
• Full Matrix Capture (FMC)
• Guided Wave Testing (GWT)
• Phased Array UT (PAUT)
• Pulsed Eddy Current Array (PECA)
• Time of Flight Diffraction (TOFD)
• Remote Visual Inspection (RVI)

Today, non-destructive testing is a mainstay in these industries and others:

• Automotive: In each phase of the vehicle manufacturing process, NDT is used as a quality assurance tool to ensure that auto parts and components are not defective or do not otherwise deviate from specifications. The use of NDT in car manufacturing ultimately helps ensure that cars are safe and reliable before they hit the roads.
• Power Generation: In the energy industry, NDT plays a key role in helping power plants supply the electricity that customers and communities count on. NDT is used to inspect critical plant equipment — which is often subject to extreme operating conditions. By helping to identify potential defects early, NDT can help prevent potentially costly failures and unplanned shutdowns.
• Manufacturing: Across industries, manufacturers rely on NDT to enhance product quality, boost productivity, and stay one step ahead of the competition.
• Petrochemical & Chemical: From agriculture to cosmetics to pharmaceuticals, NDT is used throughout the research, development and production of drugs and chemicals to identify potential risks to safety, consistency and regulatory compliance.
• Aerospace: Long before lift-off, the aerospace industry relies heavily on NDT, particularly ultrasonic testing, to ensure the safety and performance of key components, which often must withstand enormous pressure during operation.
• Medical: With its origins in the medical arena, NDT methods such as X-ray and ultrasound remain a mainstay in medical device manufacturing. Perhaps in no other area is NDT more critical than healthcare because it allows for accurate diagnoses without harming the patient.
• Construction: NDT is critical in ensuring a construction material’s ability to withstand extreme loads and, thus, the safety and longevity of buildings, bridges, dams and other critical infrastructure. When used during each item’s construction phase, NDT can prove helpful and cost-effective as welds and materials can be accepted, repaired or rejected during the testing process.
• Oil & Gas: Radiography, ultrasonic testing and other NDT methods help to identify weld defects, cracks, voids and other structural irregularities in pipelines and tanks to help prevent potentially catastrophic leaks and failures.
• Metals & Mining: By reliably assessing the strength and durability of materials being mined, NDT helps ensure safety and quality in the mining industry, and the many other downstream industries that rely on mined materials.

Fast, accurate and versatile, NDT’s primary benefit is found in its very name: non-destructive. Because it maintains the test item’s integrity and functionality, NDT is a highly valuable technique that can improve safety, quality, compliance and the bottom line.

Some of the key benefits of NDT are highlighted below.

• Safety & Quality: Through early, accurate detection of flaws and structural integrity issues, the use of NDT helps to prevent industrial accidents and ensure the safety and quality of products we rely on. In addition, nearly all NDT methods are harmless to people, with the exception of radiographic (X-ray) testing, which requires special precautions.
• Cost Savings: The NDT testing process itself saves money and resources because it can be done relatively quickly with minimal impact to operations, and it maintains the integrity of the material or object being tested. Without the use of NDT, defects and flaws could worsen, leading to costly repairs or replacements, equipment failures and even unplanned shutdowns.
• Reliable Data: In the field and in the lab, a wide variety of NDT methods have been proven accurate in providing reliable data that can bring clarity to everything from product design to run-repair-replace decisions.
• Compliance: The routine use of NDT helps to ensure that materials, components and equipment meet internal design specifications, as well as external standards and regulations. Companies that proactively comply with industry rules and regulations are better able to avoid regulatory issues, potential fines, and damage to public perception.

In light of its many benefits, it’s no surprise that NDT has become a go-to method in many industries.

The NDE Experts

As a trusted leader in non-destructive testing, Industrial Inspection & Analysis (IIA) has been making the world safer for decades. In fact, one of our legacy companies, Independent Testing Laboratories, was originally founded in the 1880s to test steam boilers on trains and industrial steam engines.

Today, we work with a range of non-destructive devices and methodologies in the field and in the lab, including our own proprietary systems, to ensure the optimal approach for your unique needs. From the earliest stages in manufacturing to the investigation of component failures, IIA offers a broad range of NDT solutions and unrivaled customer support.

In addition to practical experience, our professionals have in-depth knowledge of all applicable codes and standards to properly perform non-destructive evaluations and accurately interpret the results.

From buildings and bridges to medical implants and multivitamins, non-destructive testing is a non-negotiable in our modern world. With experience that spans industries and decades, IIA is prepared to deliver the optimal NDT approach to meet your unique needs.