Nondestructive testing (NDT) is a process that inspects materials, components or assemblies without destroying them to find discontinuities or differences in characteristics. It is used in manufacturing, construction and maintenance to ensure quality, safety and reliability. Close cooperation between NDT and fracture mechanics is essential, with fracture mechanics helping to specify meaningful inspection intervals and acceptability levels for NDT to detect cracks before critical failure.
Nondestructive testing (NDT) is a process that inspects materials, components or assemblies without destroying them to find discontinuities or differences in characteristics. It is used in manufacturing, construction and maintenance to ensure quality, safety and reliability. Close cooperation between NDT and fracture mechanics is essential, with fracture mechanics helping to specify meaningful inspection intervals and acceptability levels for NDT to detect cracks before critical failure.
Nondestructive testing (NDT) is a process that inspects materials, components or assemblies without destroying them to find discontinuities or differences in characteristics. It is used in manufacturing, construction and maintenance to ensure quality, safety and reliability. Close cooperation between NDT and fracture mechanics is essential, with fracture mechanics helping to specify meaningful inspection intervals and acceptability levels for NDT to detect cracks before critical failure.
Nondestructive testing (NDT) is a process that inspects materials, components or assemblies without destroying them to find discontinuities or differences in characteristics. It is used in manufacturing, construction and maintenance to ensure quality, safety and reliability. Close cooperation between NDT and fracture mechanics is essential, with fracture mechanics helping to specify meaningful inspection intervals and acceptability levels for NDT to detect cracks before critical failure.
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What is nondestructive testing?
Nondestructive testing (NDT) is the process of inspecting, testing, or evaluating materials,
components or assemblies for discontinuities, or differences in characteristics without destroying the serviceability of the part or system. In other words, when the inspection or test is completed the part can still be used.
In contrast to NDT, other tests are destructive in nature and are therefore done on a limited number of samples ("lot sampling"), rather than on the materials, components or assemblies actually being put into service.
These destructive tests are often used to determine the physical properties of materials such as impact resistance, ductility, yield and ultimate tensile strength, fracture toughness and fatigue strength, but discontinuities and differences in material characteristics are more effectively found by NDT.
Today modern nondestructive tests are used in manufacturing, fabrication and in-service inspections to ensure product integrity and reliability, to control manufacturing processes, lower production costs and to maintain a uniform quality level. During construction, NDT is used to ensure the quality of materials and joining processes during the fabrication and erection phases, and in-service NDT inspections are used to ensure that the products in use continue to have the integrity necessary to ensure their usefulness and the safety of the public. It should be noted that while the medical field uses many of the same processes, the term "nondestructive testing" is generally not used to describe medical applications. In many industrial applications, non- destructive testing (NDT) and fracture mechanics are individually applied each following its own rules with not so much interaction. Non-destructive testing is usually applied within a frame of what might be designated as a “good workmanship” philosophy, i.e., the product is aimed to be as defect-free as possible both during production and service. Note, however, that “defect-free” does not mean no defects exist, but that either they cannot be detected using the best suitable NDT procedure or they are present, but of a size smaller than proper acceptability levels. Fracture mechanics, on the other hand, is frequently restricted to “crisis intervention” when a defect is detected, especially if its size is not admissible according to conventional design rules. The authors of this presentation are confident that the real potential of fracture mechanics is during the design stage, with respect to both quality control and the definition of acceptability levels for NDT procedures during production as well as for specifying proper NDT inspections during service. When, for example, a crack is detected in a railway axle during an inspection, it will be removed and replaced. Fracture mechanics, in such a case, should assist in specifying meaningful inspection intervals so that a potential crack would be detected before it grows to its critical size. To this aim, close cooperation between non-destructive testing and fracture mechanics is essential and indispensable. The intention here is to provide a discussion about how both disciplines can be applied in a complementary manner for ensuring the safe service of components. NDT methods
Test method names often refer to the type of penetrating medium or the equipment used to perform that test. Current NDT methods are:
Acoustic Emission Testing (AE), Electromagnetic Testing (ET),
The six most frequently used test methods are MT, PT, RT, UT, ET and VT.
Visual and Optical Testing (VT)
Visual Examination can be an effective way to recognize surface imperfections that could adversely affect a part or component. Visual Examiners use knowledge of how a part is manufactured, the function of the human eye, lighting requirements, and precise measuring tools to evaluate materials. Computer controlled camera systems and optical aids such as borescopes may also be used to recognize and measure features of a component.
Radiography (RT) Radiographic Examination involves using radioactive isotopes (gamma rays) or X-rays on materials to peer qualitatively for indications the same way a doctor looks for fractures or other conditions within the body. Radiation is directed through a part and projected onto film or a digital detection device leaving an image which can be examined by the qualified Radiographer.
Ultrasonic Testing (UT)
Ultrasonic Examination uses high-frequency sound waves which are transmitted into a material to detect discontinuities or locate changes in material characteristics. Sound is introduced into the object being examined and reflections from internal imperfections, areas of acoustic impedance, or varying geometrical surfaces are returned to a receiver.
Magnetic Particle Testing (MT)
Magnetic Particle Examination is accomplished by inducing a magnetic field into a ferromagnetic material and applying iron particles to the surface of the item being examined. Surface and near-surface discontinuities affect the flow of the magnetic field within the part causing the applied particles to gather at locations of flux leakage, thus producing a visible indication of the irregularity on the surface of the material. Magnetic Particle Testing uses one or more magnetic fields to locate surface and near-surface discontinuities in ferromagnetic materials. The magnetic field can be applied with a permanent magnet or an electromagnet. When using an electromagnet, the field is present only when the current is being applied. When the magnetic field encounters a discontinuity transverse to the direction of the magnetic field, the flux lines produce a magnetic flux leakage field of their own as shown in Figure 1. Because magnetic flux lines don't travel well in air, when very fine colored ferromagnetic particles ("magnetic particles") are applied to the surface of the part the particles will be drawn into the discontinuity, reducing the air gap and producing a visible indication on the surface of the part. The magnetic particles may be a dry powder or suspended in a liquid solution, and they may be colored with a visible dye or a fluorescent dye that fluoresces under an ultraviolet ("black") light.
Penetrant Testing (PT)
Penetrant Examination is performed with a dye solution. Once applied to the surface, the dye will effectively penetrate any surface-breaking cavity. Excess solution is removed from the object. A developer is then applied to draw out any penetrant that remains unseen. With fluorescent dyes, ultraviolet light is used to make the “bleed-out” fluoresce brightly, allowing imperfections to be readily seen. With visible dyes, a color contrast between the penetrant and developer makes the "bleed-out" easy to see.
What is the importance of nondestructive testing in the field of fracture mechanics?
Nondestructive Tests Are Tests That Determine The Usefulness, Serviceability, or Quality of A Part or Material Without Limiting Its Usefulness. Is Important For Quality
