Non Destructive Testing

Nondestructive testing (NDT) is typically defined as a set of testing methods used to examine objects, materials and systems without causing them to be damaged or altered.  In most cases, NDT focuses on the quality or performance of the object, material, or system to be examined.  Questions such as: a) is there something wrong?  b) is it working as designed?  c) are my test methods altering or damaging it?  are key concerns addressed by this kind of testing.  While there are a number of areas that lend themselves to be tested non-destructively, at Boulder Imaging we focus on those that are primarily inspected visually and thermally and include:

1. Discontinuities – including surface anomalies such as roughness, scratches, gouges, pitting, inclusions, imbedded foreign material, cracks, pinholes, and folds to name a few; and internal anomalies such as cracks, separations, tears, shrinkage, voids, pores, cavities etc.
2. Structure – this includes structural anomalies such as leaks (lack of seal or through-holes), poor fit, poor contact, loose parts, loose particles, foreign objects, assembly errors, misalignment, poor spacing or ordering, deformation, malformation, missing parts etc.
3. Metrology –  measuring  and inspecting displacement, linear position, separation, gap size, discontinuity size, depth, location and orientation; dimensional variations such as unevenness, non-uniformity, eccentricity, shape and contour, size and mass variations, thickness, density or thickness variations, to name a few.

PURPOSES AND CHARACTERISTICS OF NONDESTRUCTIVE TESTING

For nearly 90 years, nondestructive testing has developed from a curiosity to a valuable tool in manufacturing. Nondestructive tests are used to detect variations in structure, small changes in surface finish, the presence of cracks or other physical discontinuities, to measure the thickness of materials and coatings and to determine other characteristics of industrial products.

Nondestructive tests are used to ensure product integrity and reliability.  For safety, these tests are paramount as they help prevent accidents and save lives.  The bottom line is enhanced as failures can be averted, customer satisfaction can be better assured by maintaining uniform quality, product design can be enhanced and optimized, and operational readiness can be assured.

ND Tests are made up of three key elements:

1. A sensor such as a visible camera or an IR Thermal camera
2. A way to record data from the sensor(s)
3. A way to analyze and interpret the results

AN APPLICATION EXAMPLE

Infrared (IR) Thermography is a method for measuring the temperature distribution of a surface. Thermography can be applied in any situation where a problem or condition can reveal itself by means of a thermal difference.  A thermal condition can be seen because the process involves release of thermal energy. One example of this is inspecting electrical distribution equipment. When electrical current passes through a resistive element, heat is generated. Sliding and bolted connections can become resistive through loosening, corrosion, etc. This increase in electrical resistance typically results in an increase in heat generation.

Another example is inspection of concrete bridges.  Concrete can develop delaminations, which can lead to potholes.  When a pothole develops, it is quite easy to detect.  But, what if you can determine that a pothole will develop long before it does?  Clearly, there would be less damage to cars and fewer crashes caused by pothole avoidance etc.  As the sun heats the road surface, subsurface delaminations exhibit a different heating effect than the intact parts of the road surface and thus can be addressed long before a real problem occurs.

Another example can be found in the aerospace industry.  Composite aircraft materials while extremely sturdy and lightweight are subject to a very dangerous problem called water ingress. This is due to the honeycomb structure of this material. Lightning and hail can cause impact damage that is barely perceptible to the human eye. Water enters the honeycomb structure through these damaged areas and freezes at high altitude. As the ice expands it breaks down the structure. As this process continues the entire structural integrity of the component is seriously compromised.

Until recently, the only effective method of diagnosing the problem was through radiography. While this is still the most accurate way, it has several disadvantages: it is expensive in time, equipment, and manpower, and can expose maintenance personnel to hazardous ionizing radiation.  However IR Thermography provides an accurate, much less expensive, and safer solution. After the plane has landed, the ice remains at 0 C while it is melting.  The rest of the plane has warmed to ambient temperatures. The ice pockets are easily detectable at this point. The entire plane can be imaged in 20 minutes or so, making it possible to run this test during normal servicing on the ground.

These are just a few examples.  IR Thermography is used to inspect buildings, roofs, mechanical systems, refineries. electronic equipment such as circuit boards, environmental problems such as location of old waste disposal sites and buried tanks, research and development applications, automotive applications, airborne applications such as pipeline leak detection, steam turbine and hydroelectric generators and many others.

Boulder Imaging Exceeds Your Non Destructive Testing Needs

Testing is normally a well thought through process yet there are instances when serious time constraints and pressures come into play. No matter the situation there's always a need for accurate and dependable data that allows for product and/or process improvements. Sometimes tests may be continual or require a combination of various analytic capabilities and this is where Boulder Imaging truly excels. There's a whole range of reasons why this is the case but here are a few:

• Open Source – Boulder Imaging has adopted a fully integrated design which is architected to maximize interoperability, ease of use, and more.
• Platform plus design - we utilize the Quazar™high performance digital video recorder (HPDVR) platform and determine if additional needs are required to satisfy customer needs, such as high speed cameras and/or high resolution cameras, both visible and infrared. If there are additional requirements we merely build upon our reliable and powerful existing platform.
• FlexArchitecture compliance - this means benefitting from a suite of capabilities all built into the Quazar™ platform (FlexFormat™, FlexStore™, FlexIn™, & FlexControl™).

Our Quazar high performance digital video recording (HPDVR) systems are deployed across a variety of organizations and companies. One example is General Electric. GE Energy engineers called on Boulder Imaging to help solve one critical problem with analyzing the performance of their wind turbine technology but quickly realized that the capabilities of our systems could help them solve many more.  Let us show you how imaging technology can help you.  Please contact us today by clicking here.