The Best Tool in Your Non Destructive Test Arsenal

The Best Tool in Your Non Destructive Test Arsenal

If you work in an industry that requires error-free quality control and/or is due for a top to bottom inspection, you’re probably in the process of overhauling your assembly analysis methodology. One option you have is reverse engineering, but taking apart one prototype to check for malfunction hazards doesn’t guarantee the entire product line is error free, plus it’s expensive.
Luckily, technology has already caught up to your needs in the form of 3D imaging options. Now, x-ray inspections are possible thanks to computerized tomography scans.
What is a computerized tomography scan?
CT scanners (Also known as CAT scanners), are highly powerful x-ray machines that produce 3D images. Invented in the 1970s, these devices were considered so important to the medical field (even at their glacial original rate of one image per several hours), that their inventors won the Nobel prize. Today, modern CT scan machines can take up to 30 images per a second, and are used far beyond the field of medicine.
How can I use CT scanning in my industry?
Well, this depends on your industry, but what makes CT scanning so great for engineers is that it is a non destructive testing option. One popular test method involves a CT part calibration scan. There are a few different methods for conducting a CT part calibration scan, but the key thing to remember is that CT scans can help you hone in on tricky parts within a prototype and get them up to performance standards. A CT part calibration scan may also help you identify problems you were not aware of and fix safety issues proactively, rather than after something bad occurs.
What if we don’t have this kind of expertise in-house?
Have no fear. Non destructive testing and self-initiated inspections have long been the arena of outside enterprises and consultants. Hiring an outside party that has specialized expertise in this kind of thing will free you up to focus on your own innovations and will give you the peace of mind you’re craving. It will also save you undue cost, since chances are you’re not going to want to buy a CT scanning machine outright just for inspections. It’s far better to let the outside firm use theirs when needed.
How do I find the best Non Destructive Testing Team?
The bad news is, you’re going to have to do a bit of research. The good news is, this is a niche industry with a very short list of competent competitors. For now, our advice is to start with word-of-mouth. If you know anyone in aerospace, defense, electrical engineering, forensics, or a like field, start by asking them about their NDT methods. Identify the common names that keep coming up and go from there.