What is NDT?
ThefieldofNondestructiveTesting(NDT)isaverybroad,
interdisciplinaryfieldthatplaysacriticalroleinassuringthat
structuralcomponentsandsystemsperformtheirfunctionina
[Link]
engineersdefineandimplementteststhatlocateand
characterizematerialconditionsandflawsthatmightotherwise
causeplanestocrash,reactorstofail,trainstoderail,pipelines
toburst,andavarietyoflessvisible,butequallytroubling
[Link]
[Link]
words,NDTallowspartsandmaterialtobeinspectedandmeasuredwithoutdamagingthem.
Becauseitallowsinspectionwithoutinterferingwithaproduct'sfinaluse,NDTprovidesan
[Link],NDT
[Link]
usedinthemedicalindustry,butnonlivingobjectsarethesubjectsoftheinspections.
What is NDE?
Nondestructiveevaluation(NDE)isatermthatisoftenusedinterchangeablywithNDT.
However,technically,NDEisusedtodescribemeasurementsthataremorequantitativein
[Link],anNDEmethodwouldnotonlylocateadefect,butitwouldalsobe
usedtomeasuresomethingaboutthatdefectsuchasitssize,shape,[Link]
maybeusedtodeterminematerialproperties,suchasfracturetoughness,formability,and
otherphysicalcharacteristics.
Some NDT/NDE Technologies:
ManypeoplearealreadyfamiliarwithsomeofthetechnologiesthatareusedinNDTand
[Link]
manymothershavehadultrasoundusedbydoctorstogivetheirbabyacheckupwhilestillin
[Link]
NDT/[Link],butaquicksummaryof
themostcommonlyusedmethodsisprovidedbelow.
VisualandOpticalTesting(VT)
[Link]
rangefromsimplylookingataparttoseeifsurfaceimperfectionsarevisible,tousing
computercontrolledcamerasystemstoautomaticallyrecognizeandmeasurefeaturesofa
component.
Radiography(RT)
RTinvolvesusingpenetratinggammaorXradiationonmaterialsandproductstolookfor
[Link]
[Link]
[Link].
Materialthicknessanddensitychangesareindicatedaslighterordarkerareasonthefilmor
[Link].
MagneticParticleTesting(MT)
ThisNDTmethodisaccomplished
byinducingamagneticfieldina
ferromagneticmaterialandthen
dustingthesurfacewithiron
particles(eitherdryorsuspendedin
liquid).Surfaceandnearsurface
flawsdisrupttheflowofthe
magneticfieldwithinthepartand
forcesomeofthefieldtoleakoutat
[Link]
[Link]
imagesabovedemonstrateacomponentbeforeandafterinspectionusingdrymagnetic
particles.
UltrasonicTesting(UT)
Inultrasonictesting,highfrequencysoundwavesare
transmittedintoamaterialtodetectimperfectionsortolocate
[Link]
ultrasonictestingtechniqueispulseecho,wherebysoundis
introducedintoatestobjectandreflections(echoes)from
internalimperfectionsorthepart'sgeometricalsurfacesare
[Link]
[Link]
[Link].
PenetrantTesting(PT)
Withthistestingmethod,thetestobjectiscoatedwitha
[Link]
solutionisthenremovedfromthesurfaceoftheobjectbut
[Link]
[Link]
fluorescentdyes,ultravioletlightisusedtomakethe
bleedoutfluorescebrightly,thusallowingimperfectionsto
[Link],avividcolorcontrast
betweenthepenetrantanddevelopermakesthebleedout
[Link]
defectinthiscomponent.
ElectromagneticTesting(ET)
Thereareanumberofelectromagnetictestingmethodsbut
[Link]
testing,electricalcurrents(eddycurrents)aregeneratedina
[Link]
[Link]
defectscauseinterruptionsintheflowoftheeddycurrents
whichalerttheinspectortothepresenceofadefectorother
[Link]
electricalconductivityandmagneticpermeabilityofamaterial,
whichmakesitpossibletosortsomematerialsbasedon
[Link].
LeakTesting(LT)
Severaltechniquesareusedtodetectandlocateleaksinpressurecontainmentparts,
pressurevessels,[Link],
pressuregaugemeasurements,liquidandgaspenetranttechniques,orsimplesoapbubble
tests.
AcousticEmissionTesting(AE)
Whenasolidmaterialisstressed,imperfectionswithinthematerialemitshortburstsof
acousticenergycalled"emissions."Asinultrasonictesting,acousticemissionscanbe
[Link]
intensityandarrivaltimetocollectinformation(suchastheirlocation)aboutthesourcesofthe
energy.1
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