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What Is Visual Examination? Visual Examination is the oldest and most commonly used form of non destructive testing. It involves a trained professional inspecting a material with the eyes to find any surface discontinuities or defects. This is often the first step in any non destructive testing process.  Read more: Why Is Non Destructive Testing Important Visual inspection can either be carried out with the naked eye or with optical aids such as microscopes, telescopes or magnifying glasses. Visual Welding Inspection, though often not categorized as an NDT method, is the most commonly used technique in the welding and fabrication industry. This inspection method involves a thorough visual examination of welds to identify surface-breaking indications and profile imperfections. While it does not detect subsurface flaws, it is invaluable for assessing weld quality and ensuring compliance with design specifications. Its widespread use stems from its simplicity, cost-effectiveness, and ability to quickly detect visible issues that could impact the structural integrity of welded components. To learn more about NDT in general, read our guide to “What Is Non Destructive Testing?”   Contact Us What Can Be Picked Up During A Visual Weld Inspection? Surface Cracking Undersized Welds Incomplete or Excessive Root Penetration Burn Through Overlap & Undercut Excessive Reinforcement How Does A Visual Examination Work? There are three stages to a visual inspection, before, during and after welding. Before welding, an NDT inspector will check the preparation of the welding joint for things such as misalignment, uncleanliness, or incorrectly sized root openings that can have a real negative impact on the weld quality. The second stage is to carry out inspection during welding. This stage is primarily about ensuring that the weld procedure specification is correctly followed, monitoring the likes of shielding gas type and gas flow rate, interpass temperature control, interpass cleaning methods, and welding travel speed, along with environmental factors such as wind, rain & extreme temperatures. Once the weld has been completed, it is then inspected again by an engineer to make sure the weld is of the highest quality and that there are no obvious surface defects. This is often done in conjunction with other commonly used NDT techniques. Get In Touch Limitations While a visual examination is often essential during the process of weld testing to find surface discontinuities, it is often necessary to carry out other forms of inspection alongside this, as a visual examination will not detect subsurface defects, and may often miss things like small cracks that are too minute to see. You can read more about some of these NDT techniques below: “How Does Magnetic Particle Inspection Work?” “How Does Ultrasonic Testing Work?” “What Is Dye Penetrant Testing?” “What Is Positive Material Identification?” “What Is Radiographic Inspection?” How SureCheck Can Help SureCheck NDT has a team of inspectors & technicians that are qualified to the PCN certification scheme, up to and including Level 3, with many also holding qualifications from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. SureCheck provides support at every stage of the inspection process, particularly in cases where clients or specifications demand an independent organization to conduct the final certified visual weld inspection. Our qualified engineers, holding the necessary certifications, ensure that all welds comply fully with the specified requirements. This service guarantees adherence to industry standards and provides clients with the assurance of a professional and unbiased evaluation. Contact us today.

Why Is Non Destructive Testing Important? Non Destructive Testing is a wide array of disciplines and processes that are designed to measure the properties of materials, including structural integrity, hardness and chemical identification, all without causing damage or harm to the material being tested. Non Destructive Testing, or NDT for short, uses physics, maths, chemistry & biology applied to processes to detect any damages, impurities or discontinuities within the given material. This has a particular benefit of ensuring that the material being tested is still fit for purpose after the inspection is complete.  You can learn more about Non Destructive Testing by reading our “What Is Non Destructive Testing?” guide here. Contact Us Why Is Non Destructive Testing Important? Non-destructive testing is crucial for industries where structural integrity of components and welds ensures safety. Applying these methods during a material’s construction or service life safeguards assets, protects personnel, and ensures compliance with industry standards and regulations. Sometimes, equipment, products & materials can develop defects that aren’t detected during production. These components may well need replacing to prevent some sort of malfunction or hazard. Having non-destructive testing systems in place allow for these objects to be continually checked for issues so they can be replaced when any problems are detected. Non destructive testing methods can detect cracks, impurities & other discontinuities, as well as ensuring the material is the correct strength & density, to make sure that the object meets all requirements for safety & quality control. Alongside helping potentially save lives when applied to high risk equipment, NDT can also save companies lots of money, by alerting them to issues with equipment and materials early before failure happens, and giving the opportunity to make small repairs & replacements where needed without having to completely replace expensive pieces of equipment. Some Advantages of Non Destructive Testing Ensures functionality of components Ensures the safety of machinery & equipment Reduces repair costs Causes no damage to materials being tested Gives companies a greater understanding of the materials used in their products or equipment Get In Touch How SureCheck Can Help SureCheck NDT offers a wide range of commonly used NDT techniques and disciplines to satisfy a plethora of different industry applications. You can read more about some of the NDT disciplines we offer below: “How Does Magnetic Particle Inspection Work?” “How Does Ultrasonic Testing Work?” “What Is Positive Material Identification?” “What Is Dye Penetrant Testing?” “What Is Radiographic Testing & How Does It Work?” “What Is Visual Examination?” “What Is Ferrite Inspection?” Surecheck NDT provides a wide range of non-destructive weld testing services both at our Cannock, Staffordshire facility and offsite across the UK. As a leading UK NDT provider, our skilled technicians perform all testing in strict compliance with industry health and safety standards. Centrally located, we offer efficient, fast-turnaround NDT testing nationwide, whether on-site or off-site. Contact us today.

What Are The NDT Techniques Commonly Used? An Introduction To Non Destructive Testing Non Destructive Testing is an umbrella term for a whole range of techniques and approaches that can be used to test materials to make sure they pass the correct specifications for their intended use. Non Destructive Testing is an integral part of many industries such as aerospace, power generation, manufacturing, fabrications, transport, medical & pharmaceutical, and much more, as it is vital that all component parts that are being put to use are correctly made, functional, and not damaged or fallen into disrepair. In many cases, non destructive testing can literally be the difference between life and death for the people working in these industries or using products. In this blog, we will go through what are the NDT techniques commonly used in these industries, as well as giving a brief description of how each one works and some of their applications. Still have questions about NDT? Read our “What Is Non Destructive Testing?” guide here. Contact Us Visual Non Destructive Testing One of the most widely used and often overlooked areas of non destructive testing is Visual Examinations. Often used for visual welding inspections, visual examinations are where a product or material is inspected visually for any imperfections or defects, usually by a trained engineer. While there are some flaws and faults that are too small to be seen, often a qualified technician is able to spot surface discontinuities such as surface cracking, undersized welds, overlap, undercut, either incomplete or excessive root penetration, excessive reinforcement and burn through. Magnetic Particle Inspection Magnetic Particle Testing, often known as an MPI test, is often used to detect surface flaws in welds that are too small to be picked up on during a visual examination. In magnetic particle inspection, a test specimen is magnetised, and very fine iron particles are applied. If the structural integrity of the test piece is sound, the magnetic field will stay within the material, however, if there are flaws, it will create a leakage flux, which will attract the iron particles to the discontinuity, making it visible to the inspector. This is very effective at finding small surface cracks on welds, however, if the flaws are beneath the surface of the material being tested, they may not show up during Magnetic Particle Inspection. Want to know more? Read our in depth guide “How Does Magnetic Particle Inspection Work?“ Radiographic Inspection/X-Ray Inspection Radiography is often used during non destructive testing as it is able to internally map out the structure of welds, rather than just detecting flaws on the surface. X-Ray weld inspection involves the use of X-Rays produced by an X-Ray tube that penetrate the material and help us gain a clearer idea of any imperfections that are present within the weld. These pass through the material onto a film, resulting in the internal structure of the material being displayed on the film, working similar to how X-Ray non destructive testing works in the medical industry. Radiography is used in many industries and is one of the most widely used forms of testing. Dye Penetrant Testing Dye Pen Testing is sometimes used on welds in addition to visual examinations. During these inspections, a brightly coloured liquid penetrant is applied to the test piece, which is left to soak before being cleaned away. After this a developer is applied (usually a white powder), which will then show cracks and discontinuities where the dye penetrant has managed to seep into. There are high margins for error here, so this must be carried out by trained non destructive testing technicians to yield the best results. Read more about PT Testing with our guide: “What Is Dye Penetrant Testing?“ Ultrasonic Inspection Ultrasonic Testing is primarily concerned with testing the thickness of a material, and as such is a very widely used form of inspection to test for corrosion and damage within welds and materials. It works by firing soundwaves at the test piece, which are then picked up by a transducer and used to determine how thick the material is. Ultrasonic NDT can sometimes be specified to ensure no laminations are present in materials that are to be subsequently welded in highly stressed joint configurations or, even after welding has taken place, to ensure imperfections such as lamellar tearing have not occurred during the welding operation. Learn more about Ultrasonic Testing and how it works here: “How Does Ultrasonic Testing Work?“ Positive Material Identification Positive Material Identification, or PMI testing, is a very fast and easily accessible form of non destructive testing. It is used to determine the chemical composition of a test piece, and is important both for assessing the quality of said test piece alongside determining what other materials are best used alongside it. X-Ray Fluorescence is the most common form of PMI Test, which normally is used in the form of a handheld gun. Results from this are normally rapid and accurate, making it an incredibly important practise in many industries. What is Positive Material Identification? Learn more about PMI Testing & X Ray Fluorescence here. Ferrite Scope Ferrite Inspection is a non destructive weld testing method used to detect the amount of ferritic content in austenitic and duplex stainless steels. It is important to make sure these metals have the correct ferritic content for their use, as errors here could have a detrimental effect on a metals service life and usefulness. A Ferritscope is usually used to measure the percentage of ferrite content, which gives fast and accurate results.  Visit SureCheck Today For more information on these types of Non Destructive Testing and their uses and applications, visit our services page, and contact SureCheck for all of your non destructive testing needs, both onsite and offsite. Read more: Why Is Non Destructive Testing Important? Get In Touch

What Is Positive Material Identification? What Is Positive Material Identification? Positive Material Identification is a non destructive testing method used for verifying the chemical composition of various materials, primarily metals and alloys. Positive Material Identification testing is a relatively fast form of non destructive testing, that is primarily used to verify that supplied materials conform to the right specifications and standards for the purpose that they need to be used for. The most common form of positive material identification testing is X-Ray fluorescence, using a handheld gun that is portable, easy to use and cost effective, allowing it to be used on or offsite in the field, production floor or a non destructive testing laboratory. Positive Material Identification is used for safety compliance and quality assurance to make sure that the correct materials are being used for the purpose that is intended. Its use is incredibly important in such fields such as power generation, oil & gas, manufacturing, pharmaceutical, nuclear, aerospace and metal fabrication. Read More: What are the NDT techniques commonly used in industry? Contact Us How Does X-Ray Fluorescence Work? X-Ray Fluorescence, often abbreviated to XRF, is the most widely used form of positive material identification. XRF is a process where electrons are displaced from their atomic orbital positions, which releases a burst of energy that corresponds with a particular element. The X Ray Fluorescence gun works by firing an X-Ray beam with enough energy to displace the electrons from the inner shells from an X-Ray tube within the gun itself. This displacement occurs as a result of the difference in energy between the primary X-ray beam emitted from the gun and the binding energy that holds electrons in their proper orbits; the displacement happens when the X-ray beam energy is higher than the binding energy of the electrons with which it interacts. When electrons are knocked out of orbit, the atom becomes unstable, and must immediately correct this by replacing the lost electron with another from higher up in the orbit. This is known as fluorescence. Because electrons have higher binding energies the further they are from the nucleus of an atom, the atoms will lose energy when this takes place, equivalent to the distance between each electron shell, which is different for each element. The XRF gun then registers this energy, and categorizes the material being inspected by the presence of these energies and allows the user to get a good idea of how much of each material is present in the material being tested.  The entire X Ray Fluorescence process takes only a small fraction of a second, which allows non destructive testing technicians to receive positive material identification results very quickly within seconds. For large samples with lots of different elements in small parts per million quantities this may take slightly longer, but no longer than a few minutes. Positive material identification using X-Ray fluorescence is known for its speed and accuracy with results. For more information on the applications of positive material identification and how SureCheck can help you with other NDT Solutions, contact us today! To learn more about why NDT is essential, read our guide to “Why Is Non Destructive Testing So Important”. Get In Touch What Other NDT Techniques Can Be Used? Alongside Positive Material Identification, there are many other techniques that can be used either in conjustion with PMI testing or as an alternative. You can read more about these below: How does Magnetic Particle Inspection Work? How Does Ultrasonic Testing Work? What Is Visual Examination? What Is Dye Penetrant Testing?

What Is Dye Penetrant Testing? What Is Dye Penetrant Testing? Dye Penetrant Testing (PT or DPI) is a type of non destructive testing using a dye penetrant to inspect for surface breaking faults in non-porous materials such as metals, plastics and ceramics. This form of testing is often applied to non-ferrous materials, as magnetic particle inspection is more often applied to ferrous materials for its reliability and ability to detect a small amount of subsurface discontinuities. In dye pen weld inspections, a liquid penetrant is applied to a surface and left to stand for a period of time, before being cleaned away, where a developer is applied to the surface to draw the penetrant out of any flaws in the material, which will make the flaw show up in an obvious way. It is often used to detect surface discontinuities and defects in forging, casting and welding such as surface porosity, hairline cracks and fractures, fatigue damage and leaks. Want to know more about NDT? Read our “What Is Non Destructive Testing?” guide here. The History Of Dye Pen NDT One of the first known uses of NDT penetration testing was in the 1900’s where a method known as oil and whiting was used in the railroad industry to detect cracks and defects on trains, tracks, and engines. This method used the application of an oil solvent mixed for cleaning, which was then followed by the application of a chalk coating (whiting), which absorbed oil from the cracks allowing them to be detected. By the 1940’s, the technique had developed so that a dye (often fluorescent) was used. Over time, the importance of temperature and the amount of time the material was left to soak was discovered, and the process was gradually refined over many decades until any manufacturers could guarantee a fast, low cost and accurate result by visiting a Dye Pen NDT Technician. Contact Us How Does It Work? The first step in any dye pen weld inspection is to clean the surface thoroughly beforehand to remove paint, dirt, oil, and any impurities on the surface of the material that is to be inspected. This is important as these impurities can show up as if they were cracks and give skewed results if not adequately removed. Modern day cleaning methods include solvents, vapour degreasing, and alkaline cleaning steps. The penetrant is then applied to the surface. The penetrant used is normally a brightly coloured dye with high wetting capabilities, often fluorescent dye is used. This is then allowed to soak into the material for an amount of time, normally between 5 minutes and half an hour, which depends on the size of the flaws being tested for. Larger and more obvious flaws need less soaking time, whereas testing for smaller, harder to detect flaws require much longer. Once the penetrant has been left to settle for an appropriate amount of time, the excess penetrant is removed from the surface. Emulsifiers are a common method used to do this, as they chemically react with the oily penetrant to make it removable by applying water, though solvent removers are also often used, though the Dye Pen NDT Technician must be careful not to spray solvent removers directly onto the surface as this could also remove the penetrant from the flaws needed to be inspected. A white developer is then applied to the surface, normally in the form of a dry powder or non-aqueous wet developer. This developer draws the penetrant out of the defects and onto the surface to give a visual indication of the flaw. This is commonly known as a bleed-out. Areas that bleed out can show the location, orientation, severity and even the possible type of the discontinuity. Development time varies, but is normally between 10 to 30 minutes.  An inspector will then use a bright, intense light source (sometimes ultraviolet if fluorescent penetrant has been used) to inspect the flaws and to see if the material has reached the stand it needed to reach to be considered usable.  Advantages & Disadvantages Of Dye Pen Weld Inspection Dye Penetration Testing has two major advantages over other forms of NDT Weld Inspection, namely its comparative speed and relatively low cost. A Dye Pen NDT Technician is able to carry out dye penetrant testing both onsite and offsite with relative ease. However, some disadvantages are that it can only detect surface flaws, and needs to be carried out on a smooth, flat surface to fully be effective and not come up with false indications. Some common errors that may impede the quality of dye penetrant test results include: Test surfaces are not cleaned adequately, the contact time between the penetrant and the test surface is too short, or the excess penetrant is removed carelessly (i.e. from flaws as well as from the test surface). For these reasons, it is important that personnel carrying out liquid penetrant inspections are properly trained and qualified (for example, in accordance with the British Institute of Non Destructive Testing’s PCN certification scheme or equivalent schemes such as those operated by CSWIP and ASNT) and work for reputable NDT companies in the UK.  At SureCheck, you can be confident in our diligent staff, high quality equipment and years of experience to conduct the job properly and efficiently. Get in touch for a quote or to find out more. For a more detailed look into the importance of non-destructive testing, read our guide to “Why Is Non Destructive Testing So Important”. Get In Touch What Other NDT Techniques Can Be Used? There are numerous other non-destructive testing techniques that can be used either alongside or as an alternative to Dye Penetrant Testing. You can read more about these below: What Is Visual Examination? What Is Positive Material Identification? How Does Ultrasonic Testing Work? How Does Magnetic Particle Inspection Work?

How Does Ultrasonic Testing Work? What Is UT Non Destructive Testing? Ultrasonic Non Destructive Testing (UT) comprises a range of non destructive testing methods that use ultrasonic waves to test for flaws both internal and external in a material or object. High frequency sound waves are passed through the material which are then picked up to map out the structure of said material, including any flaws or discontinuities. The majority of ultrasonic NDT inspections utilise short pulse waves with frequencies ranging from 0.1-1.5 MHz, though in some cases pulse waves with frequencies as high as 50MHz can be used. Ultrasonic testing is an ideal method for non destructive testing, as it can test and map out the internal structure of an object rather than just find surface defects, and causes absolutely zero damage to said object. Ultrasonic non destructive testing has many applications in the welding and fabrications industry, one of the most common is thickness testing, which is used to detect the thickness of an object when assessing pipework for corrosion. Alongside this, periodic inspections can take place to test for corrosion in an object as well as the growth of known flaws. It is commonly used in such industries as construction, manufacturing, automotive, aerospace, metallurgy & medical.  Want to know more about non-destructive testing? Read our “What Is Non Destructive Testing?” guide here. Contact Us How Does Ultrasonic Testing Work? Ultrasonic NDT works by using a piezoelectric transducer, connected to some kind of flaw detector, which often on a basic level comprises a pulser receiver and some form of display. This transducer is then passed over the object, using a couplant which is required to transmit the energy from the transducers sound waves efficiently into the object. The couplant is usually made up of oil, gel, or water. However, in non contact testing techniques such as laser excitation or using an electromagnetic acoustic transducer, this couplant is not required. With pulse echo testing, the transducer both emits and receives the energy generated from the sound wave. During ultrasonic weld inspection, a strong specular reflection is required to resolve a flaw response from the background noise level with pulse echo ultrasonics. For planar flaws such as cracks and lack of fusion, a specular reflection will only happen if the ultrasonic beam is 90 degree angle to the plane of the flaw. Shear wave probes with an angled beam are commonly used for the manual ultrasonic inspection of welds in ferritic steels, as these provide the only way of directing ultrasound into the weld body when the cap reinforcement is still present. Where a weld cap restricts probe movement, the sound can be reflected off the bottom surface and directed into the weld body under the cap. Where soundwaves are emitted at a direct angle to the area of interest, this is referred to as “half skip testing”. “Full skip” testing occurs when the bottom surface is used to reflect the sound before it enters the weld. Typically, for a girth weld, a 45° probe is used for inspecting the root region, and 60°/70° probes for the sidewall fusion faces and weld body. The behaviour of the echo-dynamic pattern and shape of the flaw response (with respect to probe movement) can be used to identify the type of flaw, as well as estimating the length and sometimes the through-wall height of the flaw.  Advantages Of The Non Destructive Testing Ultrasonic Method There are many advantages for using the ultrasonic non destructive testing method. Some of these include its high penetration power, meaning it is able to detect flaws deep within an object rather than just on the surface, along with its high sensitivity, which allows it to detect very small flaws in said object. It can also be used to test an object when only one side of the object is accessible to the tester, and is often a lot more accurate than other non destructive testing methods. Results are available immediately, making it one of the fastest non destructive testing techniques around, and it is non-hazardous to humans and the environment. For more information on Ultrasonic Non Destructive Testing and how it can be used both onsite and offsite, contact SureCheck NDT today. To learn more about why Ultrasonic Inspection, along with other forms of NDT, is so essential, read our guide to “Why Is Non Destructive Testing So Important”. Get In Touch What Other NDT Techniques Are Commonly Used? There are multiple other non-destructive testing techniques that can be used either alongside or as a viable alternative to Ultrasonic Inspection. To help decide which method is best for your purpose, read our guides below: How Does Magnetic Particle Inspection Work? What Is Visual Examination? What Is Dye Penetrant Testing? What Is Positive Material Identification?

How Does Magnetic Particle Inspection Work? What Is Magnetic Particle Non Destructive Testing? Magnetic Particle Non Destructive Testing (also known as MPI inspection of welds), is a form of non destructive testing used primarily to identify defects and discontinuities on the surface of ferromagnetic materials by running a magnetic current through said materials. It can sometimes also be used to detect defects just under the surface of the material, though it is not effective when attempting to map out the internal structure of welds and materials. Some of the defects that can be detected during an MPI NDT test include pores, cracks, cold lap, and incorrect or insufficient sidewall fusion in welds. It is a widely used form of non destructive testing that is very useful in detecting surface discontinuities that are too small to be seen by the naked eye during a visual welding inspection, or would require microscopic enhancement to be able to be seen ordinarily.  Want to learn more about NDT and the principles behind it? Read our “What Is Non Destructive Testing?” guide today. Contact Us How Does Magnetic Particle Inspection Work? The first step when conducting an MPI NDT test is where an NDT technician will magnetise the material that they need to inspect. This can be done either by direct or indirect magnetisation. Direct magnetisation involves an electromagnetic current being passed directly through the test specimen, forming a magnetic field within the material. The lines of magnetic force are at a direct 90 degree right angle to the direction of the electric current, of which both AC (alternating current) or DC (direct current) can be used. Indirect magnetisation is where no electromagnetic current is passed directly through the test object, but a magnetic field is applied from an outside source. If the magnetised test object is sound, without any defects or surface discontinuities, the magnetic field applied to the object will transfer throughout the material without interruption. However, any cracks or defects will cause the magnetic field to be interrupted, creating what is known as a flux leakage field around the location of the defective area. After the material has been thoroughly magnetised and these leakage fields have been created, an NDT technician will spread magnetic particles, usually made from iron, over the test piece. These particles will then gravitate to the areas where the leakage field is present, thus alerting the NDT technician to the crack or defect. This can be done in two ways, sometimes a dry powder made up of these particles can be used, which is known as Dry Magnetic Particle Testing (DMPT), and sometimes a water based solution or a fluorescent dye is used to complain the magnetic particles, known as Wet Magnetic Particle Testing (WMPT). These are often used interchangeably, depending on which method will help the cracks and defects the most visible in the environment in which they are being tested. These are most often applied during the magnetisation process while the test subject is still magnetised, but some materials such as forms of steel are able to hold magnetisation for longer, allowing for residual magnetic NDT to be used, which can offer smaller and more portable solutions for magnetic non destructive testing.  Sometimes, if a crack runs parallel to the magnetic field, there is little disturbance to the magnetic field, meaning that the crack is less likely to be detected during an MPI NDT test. Using a combination of two magnetic fields can produce a magnetic flux that swings and rotates, which can help detect a crack in any orientation of the material, which can be very helpful when carrying out an MPI NDT test. To learn more about about why Magnetic Particle Inspection is so important, along with other NDT techniques, read our guide on “Why Is Non Destructive Testing Important?”. How SureCheck NDT Can Help Surecheck NDT offers a range of non destructive testing solutions including Magnetic Particle Non Destructive Testing both at our NDT Testing UK facility at Cannock, Staffordshire, and also offsite at locations around the country wherever magnetic NDT needs to be carried out. Contact us today to find out more about non destructive testing and how we can help you with all of your magnetic NDT needs! Get In Touch What Other Forms Of Non Destuctive Testing Are Commonly Used? While Magnetic NDT is a widely used form of non-destructive-testing, there are numerous other techniques & processes that can be used alongside MPI testing or as an alternative. Below, you can read some of our guides to these techniques: How Does Ultrasonic Testing Work? What Is Dye Penetrant Testing? What Is Visual Examination? What Is Positive Material Identification?

What Is Non Destructive Testing? What Is Non Destructive Testing? Non Destructive Testing (NDT) refers to a range of processes and techniques to evaluate the properties and qualities of a material without causing damage to said material or affecting its serviceability. NDT is a profession that combines materials science, physics and quality assurance, and is often used to inspect serviceable objects and materials for characteristic differences and discontinuities that may affect the performance of these materials, such as cracks, voids, impurities & welding defects and discontinuities.  Why Is Non Destructive Testing Important? Non destructive testing is an essential process for many industries, as it is paramount that their materials and equipment are all functioning to the highest possible standards without any defects that may cause risk of harm to people, or cost huge amounts of money to repair or replace. Some of the industries that regularly use NDT include aerospace, welding & fabrications, manufacturing, infrastructure, energy, transportation, chemical, maritime & construction. To read more about the many different approaches that can be taken when undertaking non-destructive testing, read our guide “What Are The NDT Techniques Commonly Used?” here. Contact Us Today What Non Destructive Testing Methods Can Be Used? Some of the techniques used in Non Destructive Testing Include: Visual Non Destructive Testing: This is where aspects of materials such as welds are visually inspected to check for any defects or discontinuities. While visual welding inspection is not always associated with NDT, it is in fact the most widely used method of NDT and an incredibly important first step for finding any imperfections in a material. Learn more about Visual Examination by reading our “What Is Visual Examination?” guide.Magnetic Particle Non Destructive Testing: This is where a ferromagnetic specimen is magnetised, and the presence of any cracks or defects on the surface is shown by the use of minute iron particles that congregate around any cracks to show a magnetic flux reflex. This is particularly useful to detect surface discontinuities that are too small to be picked up during a visual inspection. To read more about Magnetic Inspection, take a look at our guide: “How Does Magnetic Particle Inspection Work?“Radiographic Inspection/X-Ray Non Destructive Testing: This involves passing X-Rays through a material to test the internal structure of said test specimen. Radiography non destructive testing allows the user to establish internal quality of a weld without damaging or destroying the component and is one of the most widely used forms of NDT.Dye Penetrant Testing: Dye Pen NDT as it is sometimes known involves applying a brightly coloured liquid to the surface of the test specimen and left to soak. When the dye is removed, cracks and impurities on the surface will show. It can be used to find any imperfections that may not be immediately visible to the naked eye or where a small amount of assisted magnification is used. To find out more about Dye Pen Testing, read our guide: “What Is Dye Penetrant Testing?”Ultrasonic Non Destructive Testing: This is where ultrasonic pulses are sent into the material and received by a machine that creates a map of the internal structure of a weld or a test piece. This can be used to find most manufacturing flaws (lack of sidewall fusion, lack of root fusion, lack of root penetration, porosity, solidification cracking, etc.) and in-service flaws (fatigue cracking, stress corrosion cracking, etc.). Learn more about Ultrasonic Testing with our guide: “How Does Ultrasonic Testing Work?”Positive Material Identification: This is where an X-Ray fluorescence gun is used to determine the chemical properties of any material or substance. This is incredibly useful to find any impurities in any given material. Read more about PMI testing with our guide: “What Is Positive Material Identification?” What We Do Surecheck NDT offers all of the above non destructive weld testing methods at our NDT Testing UK facility in Cannock, Staffordshire, as well as offering many of these services offsite at any location around the UK. As one of the leading non destructive testing companies in the UK, our non destructive testing technicians carry out all NDT activities and work within all the necessary health & safety requirements that are applied within the NDT industry. Our central location means we are well positioned to provide fast turn around NDT testing across the UK, either on site or off site. Get In Touch