1.

Visual Testing (VT)

Definition: Visual Non-Destructive Testing is the act of collecting visual data on the
status of a material. Visual Testing is the most basic way to examine a material or
object without altering it in any way.

How to Conduct Visual Testing

Visual Testing can be done with the naked eye, by inspectors visually reviewing a
material or asset. For indoor Visual Testing, inspectors use flashlights to add depth to
the object being examined. Visual Testing can also be done with an RVI (Remote Visual
Inspection) tool, like an inspection camera. To get the camera in place, NDT inspectors
may use a robot or drone, or may simply hang it from a rope.

Read our guide on visual testing.

2. Ultrasonic Testing (UT)

Definition: Ultrasonic Non-Destructive Testing is the process of transmitting high-
frequency sound waves into a material in order to identify changes in the material’s
properties.
How to Conduct Ultrasonic Testing

In general, Ultrasonic Testing uses sound waves to detect defects or imperfections on

the surface of a material created.

One of the most common Ultrasonic Testing methods is the pulse echo. With this
technique, inspectors introduce sounds into a material and measure the echos (or
sound reflections) produced by imperfections on the surface of the material as they are
returned to a receiver.

Here are some other types of Ultrasonic Testing:

 Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing (PAUT)

 Automated Ultrasonic Testing (AUT)

 Time-Of-Flight Diffraction (TOFD)

Read our guide on ultrasonic testing.

3. Radiography Testing (RT)

Definition: Radiography Non-Destructive Testing is the act of using gamma- or X-
radiation on materials to identify imperfections.

How to Conduct Radiography NDT Testing

Radiography Testing directs radiation from a radioactive isotope or an X-ray generator

through the material being tested and onto a film or some other kind of detector. The
readings from the detector create a shadowgraph, which reveals the underlying aspects
of the inspected material.

Radiography Testing can uncover aspects of a material that can be hard to detect with
the naked eye, such as alterations to its density.

Read our guide on industrial radiography.

4. Eddy Current (Electromagnetic) Testing (ET)

Definition: Eddy Current Non-Destructive Testing is a type of electromagnetic testing
that uses measurements of the strength of electrical currents (also called eddy currents)
in a magnetic field surrounding a material in order to make determinations about the
material, which may include the locations of defects.
How to Conduct Eddy Current Testing

To conduct Eddy Current Testing, inspectors examine the flow of eddy currents in the
magnetic field surrounding a conductive material to identify interruptions caused by
defects or imperfections in the material.

Read our guide on eddy current testing.

5. Magnetic Particle Inspection (MPI)

Definition: Magnetic Particle Non-Destructive Testing is the act of identifying
imperfections in a material by examining disruptions in the flow of the magnetic field
within the material.
How to Conduct Magnetic Particle Inspection

To use Magnetic Particle Inspection, inspectors first induce a magnetic field in a

material that is highly susceptible to magnetization. After inducing the magnetic field,
the surface of the material is then covered with iron particles, which reveal disruptions in
the flow of the magnetic field. These disruptions create visual indicators for the locations
of imperfections within the material.

Read our guide on magnetic particle inspection.

6. Acoustic Emission Testing (AE)

Definition: Acoustic Emission Non-Destructive Testing is the act of using acoustic
emissions to identify possible defects and imperfections in a material.
How to Conduct Acoustic Emission Testing

Inspectors conducting Acoustic Emission Tests are examining materials for bursts of
acoustic energy, also called acoustic emissions, which are caused by defects in the
material. Intensity, location, and arrival time can be examined to reveal information
about possible defects within the material.

Read our guide on acoustic emission testing.

7. Dye Penetrant testing (PT)

Definition: Dye Penetrant Penetrant Non-Destructive Testing (also called Liquid
Penetrant Testing) refers to the process of using a liquid to coat a material and then
looking for breaks in the liquid to identify imperfections in the material.
How to Conduct Penetrant Testing

Inspectors conducting a Penetrant Test will first coat the material being tested with a
solution that contains a visible or fluorescent dye. Inspectors then remove any extra
solution from the material’s surface while leaving the solution in defects that “break” the
material’s surface.

After this, inspectors use a developer to draw the solution out of the defects, then use
ultraviolet light to reveal imperfections (for fluorescent dyes). For regular dyes, the color
shows in the contrast between the penetrant and the developer.

Read our guide on dye penetrant testing.

8. Leak Testing (LT)

Definition: Leak Non-Destructive Testing refers to the process of studying leaks in a
vessel or structure in order to identify defects in it.
How to Conduct Leak Testing

Inspectors can detect leaks within a vessel using measurements taken with a pressure
gauge, soap-bubble tests, or electronic listening devices, among others.

Read our guide on leak testing.

Welding NDT
Welding NDT is the use of non-destructive testing to inspect a weld.

Welds are one of the most common parts of industrial assets that inspectors test. Using
non-destructive weld testing equipment, inspectors can determine whether a weld is
strong or has potential defects that could compromise its integrity.

The most common flaws found in weld NDT are:

 Poor weld quality due to the presence of slag

 Fatigue caused by human error

 Flaws caused by incorrect technique or setup in how the weld was created

 Environmental damage to the weld (i.e., temperature extremes, the presence of

moisture, or the use of incompatible metals)

The most common welding NDT methods include:

 Ultrasonic testing NDT

 Magnetic particle inspection NDT

 Acoustic emission NDT

 Dye penetrant NDT

  Radiography NDT

 Eddy Current NDT

A visual inspection can be used for weld NDT, to help inspectors make basic
determinations about the strength of a weld, though its findings may be more limited
than the above welding testing methods.

Welding NDT test of a crack performed via magnetic particle inspection

The goal of using NDT for welding is to identify defects on the surface or within the weld
that could cause the weld to deteriorate or fail.

If a weld fails, the consequences can be very serious, since welds are often crucial for
the integrity of large industrial assets, like boilers or pressure vessels.
WHAT IS THE BEST NDT WELDING INSPECTION
METHOD?
Although all the methods listed above can be used for welding NDT, the best method is
ultrasonic testing using the phased array approach.

This welding test method can be done fairly quickly without a lot of setup work required
or extra NDT equipment, providing high quality data in a short period of time.

DESTRUCTIVE AND NON-DESTRUCTIVE TESTING IN

WELDING
We've already covered the primary welding NDT methods, which are inspection
methods inspectors use to test weld without causing any damage to them.

But inspectors also use destructive testing to inspect welds.

The most common types of destructive weld testing are:

 Guided bend weld test. Bending a sample section of the weld to predetermined
radius to make determinations about its internal structure.
  Macro etch weld testing. Removing a small sample from the weld, polishing the
samples, then etching on the samples with an acid mixture in order to test the
internal makeup of the weld.

 Transverse tension test. Testing the tensile properties of the base metal, the
weld metal, and the bond between them.

How Drones Can Help with NDT

In the last several years drones equipped with cameras have become another tool
commonly used in NDT for collecting visual data.

Due to limitations in the technology, for some time drones could only provide
supplementary visual data for inspectors, but could not take the place of inspectors
physically collecting visual data themselves.

However, as drone technology has improved, inspectors have been able to use drones
more and more as RVI tools, in some instances completely replacing the need for them
to collect visual data manually.

Here are two of the primary ways drones are helping with NDT these days:
SAFETY
By removing the need for inspectors to enter dangerous confined spaces in order to
collect visual data drones are helping improve safety in the workplace.

For outdoor inspections of assets like power lines or towers, using a drone to collect
visual data reduces the amount of time a person needs to physically be in the air on the
tower or line.

For indoor inspections of assets like pressure vessels or boilers, using a drone like
the Elios 3 to collect visual data means the inspector does not have to enter a confined
space to do so, again helping significantly reduce the exposure to risk.

SAVINGS
Drones can help companies improve their ROI in both indoor and outdoor scenarios, but
savings are especially significant for indoor inspections.

Using a professional indoor drone instead of sending an inspector in to collect visual

data manually means that companies save on not having to build and take down
scaffolding, and can reduce downtimes associated with those requirements, in some
cases by as much as one to two days.

Because a drone inspection can be mounted quickly, inspections can be conducted

more frequently, helping to identify issues earlier and increasing the longevity of the
asset. These early discoveries can save companies hundreds of thousands of dollars
with a single inspection.
What’s Next for Drones in NDT?
To date, the primary use case for drones in NDT has been for the collection of visual
data.

But in the last few years, in addition to cameras, several types of sensors used in NTD
have been attached to drones, including thermal, ultrasonic, magnetic, and radiographic
sensors.

New sensors supporting NDT methods are constantly being developed for use with
drones, allowing inspectors to collect an even wider variety of data without even
touching an asset.

In addition, software developed to meet the needs of inspectors is growing in both

market and capability. The software can work directly with a drone’s data collection,
like Inspector 4.0, the most up-to-date version of Flyability’s inspection software.

Using Inspector 4.0, inspectors can quickly create a sparse 3D model of the asset
they’re inspecting after the data collection process that shows exactly where defects are
located in the asset, successfully addressing a long-time pain point for inspectors.
Inspectors can see a defect with the imagery the drone collected and then know where
it was using the model's locational information, saving hours of work.
Manually reviewing the mountains of data provided by inspection drones would
overwhelm a human. As a result, software designed to help inspectors make sense of
the information gathered has become a necessity rather than a