Technical Diagnostics and NDT

Computed Tomography (CT) has come a long way since its public inception in 1972. The rapid improvement of CT and the increasing capabilities of CT scans have definitely gone hand in hand. CT scans that used to take hours, now take seconds. This increase in capabilities has led to the use of CT scans more often and in more ways than ever before. The use of CT in the industrial nondestructive testing (NDT) field is one segment that has grown tremendously in the past few years. Industrial CT uses a series of 2D images taken at specific intervals around the entire sample. Any type of industrial CT system uses three principal components: an X-ray tube, an X-ray detector, and a rotational stage. Everything is enclosed in a radiation,

First of all let's have a brief look at some of the most common NDT/NDE methods, •Visual inspection: Visual examiners follow procedures that range from simply looking at a part to see if surface imperfections are visible. He can use the help of a magnifying glass or computer controlled camera. It is the most basic method of all. •Liquid penetrant Testing: Engineer evaluates defects on the material surface with help of liquids or sprays. •Eddy Current Testing: Engineer uses equipment with electromagnetic induction to detect flaws in or on conductive materials. •Acoustics methods (mainly ultrasonic, Acoustic emission, Impedance etc…): Engineer uses different forms of acoustic waves (such as sound, ultrasound and infrasound) in order to evaluate defects. You probably have heard of the Ultrasonic sonogram they use in medicine to see the gender of a baby before birth. It certainly is another use of NDT. Figure: Ultrasonic Scanning of a T beam •Magnetic particle crack detection: ...