NON DESTRUCTIVE TESTING

Definition of NDT

• The process of determining the characteristics of the materials,

components or systems where we can detect and locate the
discontinuities and harmful defects without reducing the usefulness
of such materials, components or systems.

• Inspect or measure without doing harm.

• Even after testing the sample will serve its purpose.

What are Some Uses of NDE Methods?

• Flaw Detection and Evaluation

• Leak Detection
• Location Determination
• Dimensional Measurements Fluorescent penetrant indication

• Structure and Microstructure Characterization

• Estimation of Mechanical and Physical Properties
• Material Sorting and Chemical Composition Determination
• Automobiles, Pipe lines, Pressure vessels, Power plants.
 When are NDE Methods Used?

• 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

 Characteristics of NDT

• Applied directly to the product

• Tested parts are not damaged

• Various tests can be performed on the same product

• Specimen preparation not required

• Can be performed on parts that are in service

• Low time consumption

• Low labour cost.

 Scope of NDT
(1) to ensure product integrity, and in turn, reliability
• To detect internal or surface flaws
• To measure the dimensions of materials
• To determine the materials’ structure
• To evaluate the physical and mechanical properties of materials
(2) to avoid failures, prevent accidents and save human life
(3) to make a profit for the user
(4) to ensure customer satisfaction and maintain the manufacturer's
reputation
(5) to aid in better product design
(6) to control manufacturing processes
(7) to lower manufacturing costs
(8) to maintain uniform quality level
(9) to ensure operational readiness.
Comparison between destructive and non-destructive testing

DESTRUCTIVE TEST NON- DESTRUCTIVE TEST

• Specimen is broken to determine the • Specimen is not destroyed.

physical and mechanical properties.
• Mainly used to find out the defects of
• Mainly used to detect properties of the material.
materials.
• Measurements are indirect and the
• Measurements are direct and reliable.
reliability is to be verified.
 DESTRUCTIVE TEST NON- DESTRUCTIVE TEST
• Mainly involves quantitative • Mainly involves qualitative
measurement. measurement.
• Co relation between the test measurements
• Skilled labour is required to interpret
and material properties are direct.
the results.
• It cannot be repeated on the same
• An NDT test can be repeated on the
specimen as it is being destroyed.
same specimen.
 DESTRUCTIVE TEST NON- DESTRUCTIVE TEST

• Testing is not made on the object • Testing is done on the actual

directly. component.

• Test equipment is not portable. • Test equipment is often portable.

• Using a single specimen, only one or • Many properties can be measured as

few properties of the materials can be many NDT methods can be applied to
measured. the same specimen.
 DESTRUCTIVE TEST NON- DESTRUCTIVE TEST

• Test are not made of objects actually • Tests are made directly upon the
used in service. objects to be used in service.

• Measurement of properties over a • NDT permits repeated checks of a

cumulative period of time cannot be given unit over a period of time.
measured in a single unit. • Little or no specimen preparation is
• Specimen preparation is costly. needed.
 DISADVANTAGES

• Lack of skilled operators.

• There may be an interference of background noises with the actual

signal which is reflected back from the original material.

• Lack of protecting equipments may cause damage to the operator.

• Surface preparation is necessary. Presence of oil, grease, paint may

cause error in output.
 NDT METHODS
1. Visual Inspection
2. Liquid penetrant method
3. Ultrasonic Inspection
4. Radiography methods
• X-ray radiography & fluoroscopy
• γ- ray radiography
5. Eddy current testing
6. Magnetic particle testing
7. Thermography
• Borescopes are used for visual inspection work where the area to be
inspected is inaccessible by other means.
• Borescopes are mostly used in nondestructive testing techniques for
recognizing defects or imperfections.
• They are commonly used in the visual inspection of:
• aircraft engines
• aeroderivative industrial gas turbines
• gas and steam turbines
• diesel engines, and automotive and truck engines.
• building inspection
• weapon inspection
• Flexible borescopes
• The standard flexible borescope comprises a package of optical fibers
that divide the image into pixels. This is also known as a fiberscope,
and it can be used to gain access to cavities that are around a bend
like combustion chambers, to verify the condition of the compressed
air inlets, seals, and turbine blades, without dismantling the engine. 
• Rigid borescopes
• These devices are similar to fiberscopes except that they offer a better
image at a lower cost compared to flexible borescopes. Only objects
that are in a straight line can be accessed using a rigid borescope.
They are commonly used to examine hydraulic manifold bodies,
automotive cylinders, fuel injectors, and for gunsmithing as well
Components
• Eyepiece – Magnifies the image carried back by the imaging bundle so the human eye can view
it.
• Imaging bundle – Continuous strand of flexible glass fibers that transmit the image to the
eyepiece.
• Distal lens – The combination of micro lenses that take images and focus them into the small
imaging bundle.
• Illumination system- A Fiber optic light guide that relays light from the source to the target area
• Articulation system- The ability of the user to control the movement of the bending section of
the fiberscope that is directly attached to the distal lens.
• Fiberscope body – The control section that is designed to help aide one hand operation.
• Insertion tube – Most of the length of the fiberscope, made to be durable and flexible. This
protects the optical fiber bundle and the articulation cables.
• Bending section – The most flexible part of the fiberscope, it connects the insertion tube to the
distal viewing section.
• Distal section – Where the ending points of both the illumination and imaging fiber
Applications of fiberoscope
• A fiberscope is typically used for remote visual inspection of the interior
of areas that would otherwise not be visible.
• Common Inspections Include internal viewing of:
• Impellers
• Surgical and medical components
• Turbine blades
• Internal Combustion Engines
• Gearboxes
• Welds
• Cast Parts
• Manufactured or machined parts
1. Back Lighting
• backlighting is the process of illuminating the
subject from the back.
• In other words, the lighting instrument and the 
viewer face each other, with the subject in between.
• This creates a glowing effect on the edges of the
subject, while other areas are darker.
• The backlight can be a natural or artificial source of
light.
• When artificial, the back light is usually placed
directly behind the subject
2. Front Lighting
• In frontlighting is the process of illuminating the subject is from the
front.
• Lighting instrument is focused towards the workpiece from the viewer
side
• High Intensity light can be used since it is focused towards the
workpiece than the eyes.
• Front lighting may be natural lighting or artificial lighting.
3. Structured lighting
• Structured Light Imaging captures the 3-
dimensional topography of a surface using
specific patterns of light
• a known pattern is projected onto a surface.
When the camera views the pattern from
one (or more) different perspectives, the
surface features of the target distort the
pattern, as shown in Figure 
• The direction and size of the pattern
distortions are used to reconstruct the
surface topography of the target object.
4. Strobe Lighting
• A strobe light or stroboscopic lamp, commonly called a strobe, is a
device used to produce regular flashes of light. It is one of a number
of devices that can be used as a stroboscope.
• Strobe lights usually use flashtubes with energy supplied from a 
capacitor, an energy storage device much like a battery, but capable
of charging and releasing energy much faster
• Strobe lights are used in scientific and industrial applications, and are
often used for aircraft anti-collision lighting both on aircraft
themselves and also on tall stationary objects
5. Ultraviolet lighting
• One aspect of UV lighting that gives it the
edge is that it provides visibility into the area
under inspection where otherwise, there is
none.
• The magnetic particles or penetrants that
are applied to the surfaces of the areas to be
inspected become fluorescent, providing
visibility into the tiniest of flaws, such as
cracks, breaks, and positioning changes
• To achieve the most efficient, successful, and
safe examinations, it is important to choose
the correct UV lamp for the task at hand.