Current Trends and advanced techniques in NDE practices

Author: Dinesh Gupta (M.Tech, NDT Level-III- RT, UT, MT, PT,ET,VT,LT,IRT)
Director Satyakiran Engineers Pvt ltd

Abstract

Nondestructive Testing is relatively a new born child, of less than 100 year age in the world of
engineering that dates back thousands of years. It is not that simple testing methods were
completely absent but assuming a nomenclature of its own and developing NDT into full time
degree and post graduate degree programs has happened only lately. People have taken up full
time careers in research and development, manufacturing of equipment, sales and services in
NDT. Probably this technology has the broadest spectrum of application across all industry
sectors and all stages of equipment life cycle- i.e. raw material to manufacturing to in-service
to repair and rehabilitation. This technology integrates materials science with electronics and
robotics, computing and imaging, physics and chemistry just to name a few. Designers now
need to have on board NDT application experts so that the designed products have inbuilt
inspection feasibility at lowest cost of inspection. They need to know the available NDT
technology, application and limitation of each NDT technique to build a design that can be
manufactured whilst supported with a robust inspection and test plan. The high risk prone, high
stress functional areas, need to be monitored for health with help of NDT in the product life
cycle. Demand on functional performance of engineering equipment is rising and so are the
challenges of NDT inspection. The inspection techniques have rapidly advanced in the last two
decades to cope with the requirement. The array of testing solutions now available is so big
that no NDT expert can be master of all that is in the NDT spectrum. So there are sector specific
and technique specific experts now. A humble attempt is made here to bring a comprehensive
picture of the old and new under one eyepiece. Needless to say, it cannot be a complete picture.
Introduction
Nondestructive Testing techniques rely on the concept of response of materials to different
forms of energy that they are exposed to. Most common energy forms applied are ionizing
radiations, electromagnetic energy, mechanical vibrations, thermal radiation, visible radiation,
surface tension, and electric currents. The defects in materials alter the response of a normal
material. Detection and analysis of this altered response provides information about presence
of undesirable deviation (defect) from the homogenous properties of materials assumed during
design and operation. More often than not, such defects grow dynamically with time and/ or
stress cycles and the load bearing ability of the material gets compromised. Failure is an
ultimate eventuality. Growth of a defect means growing risk of life reduction. NDT allows
detection and monitoring of defects without contributing to the generation or growth of the
defects in any way. Thus; the importance and relevance. NDT monitoring can plot the growth
rate of defects and ideally lend itself to RISK based inspection planning.
Need for various energy forms
Human capability to directly interact with energy is acutely limited to tiny portions of the entire
spectrum of various forms of energy. Understandably so because that is what is necessary for
survival of the bio form of material composition on this earth. Engineering pushes the
boundaries. Humans need more from materials and nature than what GOD assigned to them.
All materials are different. So is their interaction with energy forms. Different defects will
respond best to specific form of energy only.

Need for variety of equipment and accessories

Energy is neither created nor destroyed. It only changes form. To introduce a specific energy
form at a particular level into a test material, humans can only transform an existing (say
electric charge) form into another (say ultrasound) with the help of equipment. The energy
exiting from the test material modulated with response from defect needs to captured and
transformed for display to humans for interpretation and analysis with the help of equipment.
Thus, NDT equipment is the interface between humans and the Ultra/Infra forms of energy
necessary to interact with the engineering materials.
An NDT technologist is not permitted to alter the test material in any way. He can only modify,
evolve and develop his own devices and accessories to suit the test material for the purpose of
meeting with the requirements of principles of physics essential to make the energy interaction
possible. This is a dynamic situation. NDT technologists are continuously at work writing
newer test procedures involving customised accessories specific to every new testing
application.

Need for validation and prove up:

All QMS systems globally recognise NDT as “special process”. By definition when the output
of a process cannot be verified, the inputs are verified and controlled to validate the special
process. Nobody has seen the real defect inside the test material without sectioning the material.
NDT has indirectly co-related the change in energy response to the size, location and character
of the defect. It is not possible to ascertain that the test results issued by an NDT operator are
accurate. Therefore, the NDT procedures written by experts shall be demonstrated on samples
containing planted known defects called prove up. Other parameters of control require
controlling 5Ms – Men (Personnel certification to skill levels I, II or III), Machines (Calibration
traceable to National Standards and periodic performance checks), Methods (Procedures
devised and approved by Level-III experts), Mission (Characterisation of defects, defining
acceptable quality levels), Management (confidence level and probability of detection, stage
of inspection, frequency of inspection, cost benefit analysis, criticality of inspection i.e. RISK
perception, RISK assessment and RISK mitigation). Validation records of NDT processes
shall be maintained on file and performed at defined intervals.
Weakest link in the chain
End user awareness on the “special process” status of NDT and effective management of this
challenge in most cases is abysmally low. More often than not, NDT services are outsourced
and purchase is completed without an NDT Level-III expert on board on purchasing side to
perform vendor approval of NDT service and to effectively ensure that only validated NDT
process is applied. Contract review stage is generally devoid of expert NDT Level-III inputs
and orders are accepted that do not have adequate provisions for resources required to meet the
customer expectations. Education and training in NDT needs to be formalised and recognised
as branch of engineering by the governments. At present it is mostly industry driven and is
structured towards recognising only skill levels of testing operators. A bachelors degree
program followed by Masters in specialised branches of application is the need of the hour.

Classification of NDT methods

Surface breaking flaws, however small, act as stress concentrators thus initiating cracks that
grow rapidly. Defects embedded deep are closer to the neutral axis and are less stressed
therefore more tolerable in most cases.
NDT techniques are broadly classified into SURFACE techniques and VOLUMETRIC
techniques based on the capability to detect surface/subsurface defects more effectively or
deeply embedded defects more effectively.
Visual Testing (VT), Eddy current Testing (ET), Liquid Penetrant Testing (PT), Magnetic
Particle Testing (MT), Infrared Thermography (IRT)are surface inspection methods.
Ultrasonic testing (UT including PAUT, TOFD), Radiography Testing (RT including X-Ray
and Gamma ray), Neutron Radiography Testing (NRT), Acoustic Emission Testing (AET),
Leak testing (LT) are volume inspection methods.
RT, UT, MT, PT, VT are very commonly used methods and reasonably generic in their
application. Equipment and accessories are such that a very wide variety of product forms can
be tested without any specific custom modifications. These methods evolved during the First
and Second world war. These are generally known as conventional NDT methods. There is
heavy dependence on human skill for process control, detection and interpretation of test
results. Easily available and probably most widely used till date.
Advanced NDT is a term used to convey that the modern-day electronics, computation
techniques, programmed operations, image processing, artificial intelligence, automation,
robotics, data management, wide area networking, remote controls, sensors designed for
extreme operational environments, high performance sensors, wireless sensing et.al. are used
to minimise human intervention and skill dependence, improve accessibility and productivity
and minimise downtime due to inspection activity. Advanced NDT makes the online inspection
dream a reality.
Research is ON. NDT experts worldwide are experimenting with other energy forms and
evolving newer methods of interacting with materials to generate information from areas of
interest that were not possible to inspect non-destructively in earlier days. All such
developments be default qualify for the TAG “Advanced NDT”.
Current Trends in advancement and associated limitations
PAUT-TOFD, LRUT, Digital Radiography, Microfocal Radiography, Inline Pigging, IRIS,
MFL, XRF, UCI, Guided Wave, RFT, Corrosion under Insulation, Oxide scale measurement,
3D Borescopy, Infrared Thermography, AET are just a few to name in the modern world of
advanced NDT.
Whereas the robotics, artificial intelligence, advanced image processing and mechatronics have
greatly enhanced the accuracy of test results, these developments shall be viewed with a pinch
of salt. Most of these advancements have successfully reduced the uncertainty in test results
contributed earlier by human factors. The data acquisition is far more reliable, stable and easier
to analyse. Larger amounts of real time data are now acquired to arrive at more precise results.
Yet, advancements in the physics of interaction of energy with matter in terms of response of
defects to the energy form introduced in the materials is yet to see an equivalent advancement.
Ultrasound remains ultrasound inside test material whether it is conventional manual or
automated immersion phased array. Magnetic Field inside a test material remains the same
magnetic field whether applied in Magnetic Particle testing of Magnetic Flux leakage. So does
the defect response. Ionizing radiation in the test material still continues to respond by way of
attenuation difference.

Relevance to Risk based Inspection

Any RBI program begins with FMEA for Risk assessment and Criticality Matrix generation.
NDT assists in a big way to establish the actual occurrence of the perceived risk. However,
the Probability of detection and Probability of Sizing are not the same or even remotely
comparable between different NDT techniques. More so, the trends of POD and POS
capability vs defect size and defect type vary significantly between different NDT methods.
Therefore, no one NDT or even the most advanced NDT technique is distinctly better than
others. There are documented cases where the simple manual conventional NDT has proven
more effective than the most advanced modern techniques.
A successful RBI program thus requires a close coordination between the NDT experts and
the designers to establish some important goals at the initial design stages of a product life
cycle like:-
i) Defect types that need detection (NDT method capability demand)
ii) Critical defect size that shall be detected and monitored (POD demand)
iii) Accuracy required in sizing for growth prediction modelling to work (POS
demand)
iv) Reliability Bathtub Weibull distribution of failures (Inspection frequency
demand)
v) NDT process validation (demand on Accuracy and Availability of prove up
samples)
vi) Tolerance on common juncture operational parameters (demand on
limitations)
A summary of Advanced NDT selection guide composed form BINDT publications

Material Inspection task Best Application NDT Technique code

Metal Surface opening A1,A2,LP,O1,U1,
Acoustic emission A1
cracks E1,E2,E3,E4,E5
Metal Surface corrosion LP,O1,O2,
Resonant inspection A2
pits etc E2,E3, E4,EC
Metal Severe corrosion A2,O1,U2,
Acoustic ranging A3
thinning E1,E2,EC
Metal Coating thickness
Internal cracks A2,R1,U2,U3 C
measurement
Metal Porosity Stress measurement S
R1,U1
Metal Lack-of-fusion Magnetic particle
E1
defects A2,U1,U3 inspection
Metal Internal voids Magnetic flux leakage
E2
inclusions R1,R2,U3 methods
Metal Defect sizing Eddy current testing E3
R1,U1,U3,E4,E5
Metal Thickness
A2,O2,U1,U2 ACFM E4
measurement
Metal Microstructure Potential drop flaw
A2 E5
variation detection and sizing
Metal Stress/strain
Erosion/ corrosion EC
measurement O3,S,E4,E5
Metal Tube blockages A3,O4 Leak testing LE
Coated Coating Liquid penetrant
C,U2,Z LP
metals thickness inspection
Coated Coating
Visual inspection O1
metals delamination U1
Coated Coating Optical metrology and
O2
metals ‘pin holes’ LP holography
Composite Delaminations
Laser-based inspection O3
materials and disbonds A2,U1,U2,U3
Composite Incomplete cure
A2 Thermography O4
materials of resin
Concrete Concrete Ultrasonic flaw detection U1
A2,U1,U2,U3
thickness and sizing
Concrete Reinforcing-bar Ultrasonic thickness U2
Z
corrosion gauging
Ultrasonic advanced U3
Ceramics Surface cracks A2,LP,U1
methods (TOFD etc)
Internal cracks
Ceramics Radioscopy R1
porosity U1
Any Assembly
A2,O1,O2,R2 Neutron radiography R2
verification
Any Sorting A1,A2,C,E2,Z Other methods Z
Conclusion:
Non destructive Testing is the key to a successful Risk based inspection program. Although a
new science in the engineering industry, the current trends in NDT indicate exponential
growth in industry acceptance, broad spectrum applications, capability enhancement and
integration with the modern-day developments in automation and artificial intelligence. NDT
is a special process and very specific to each detection requirement; therefore, careful
validation must precede application. Businesses are convinced of the cost benefit ratio and
are investing in NDT. NDT experts no longer mean only the skilled technicians. Design
experts and NDT experts have to work hand in hand right from conceptualisation stages
through the entire life-cycle of a product until the end of life for maximum longevity.

Acknowledgements:
This is a status paper and the contents are largely the perception of the author on the
current trends. Author has performed literature survey from several sources listed
below and thanks the publishers of the open source information. During the course of
education and professional trainings received by the author, several other published
materials were read which are not possible to be listed here yet profusely thanked.
1. British Institute of NDT website
2. Wikipedia
3. ASNT handbooks
4. Company websites and catalogues of equipment manufacturers like GE,
Olympus, Eddify, Magnaflux, Sonatest, Physical Acoustics, Kuka, TuV, Saudi
Aramco, FLIR, FLUKE et.al.