In the quest to improve the reliability of partial penetration welding validation, advanced ultrasonic testing techniques have replaced other less accurate methods. This case study compares weld penetration inspection results from phased array ultrasonic testing and the total focusing method in a rib-to-deck assembly on the top part of an orthotropic steel bridge deck.

Nondestructive evaluation comprises a large family of specific test disciplines including visual inspection, dimensional metrology, ultrasound, radiography, penetrant tests, magnetic particle tests, leak tests, eddy current tests, potential drop tests, flash and vibrothermography, shearography, acoustic emissions, and many other methods. This article offers an overview of NDE science and discusses some key considerations for choosing specific techniques.

Use of radiography to inspect insulated generator components without the need to strip insulation offers advantages over other inspection methods to assess serviceability and need for repair. This article outlines some of the considerations involved in using nondestructive radiography techniques to assess component integrity.

Increasing use of nonmetallic materials in wind turbine blades is driving the development of nondestructive microwave test methods.

Modeling and simulation are proving to be an effective alternative to the trial-and-error practices often used when developing and evaluating nondestructive tests for materials characterization. This article demonstrates the benefits of modeling in different cases where eddy current and ultrasonic inspection methods are employed.

Phase coherence imaging is a new approach for processing ultrasonic signals generated during nondestructive testing. This article shows how it compares with amplitude-based focusing methods for detecting hydrogen-related microfissures, creep-induced damage, and stainless-steel weld voids.

Automobile performance and passenger safety both rely on sound spot welds in advanced high-strength steels. A new, high-frequency ultrasonic matrix phased array probe performs nondestructive inspection of these welds, saving time and cost.

This article provides an overview of nondestructive test methods and their application in the study of material properties and structures. It covers the most widely used NDT technologies, including optical examination, radiography, acoustic emission, and ultrasonic testing, and discusses the impact of recent advancements.

Acoustic micro imaging is widely used for inspecting IC packages, but readily adapts for the detection of defects in parts and assemblies up to 1 m or more on a side. This article describes a typical imaging setup consisting of a scanning acoustic microscope and water tank and presents examples in which it was used to detect delaminations in solar panels and clogs in brazed aluminum-copper cooling-ring assemblies. It also explains how to deal with issues that arise when scanning large-area parts.

Fire risk in electric vehicle batteries can be reduced by detecting flaws through nondestructive visualization. Industrial computed tomography (CT scanning) combined with advanced software that makes sense of CT-generated images, allows users to measure voids and particle sizes within electrode active material during the research and development phase, detect delamination and contamination during cell manufacturing, analyze electrical connections and electrolyte fill levels, and provide many other quality-assurance functions that were once impractical or even impossible to perform.

Compared to traditional power plant materials, creep strength enhanced ferritic steels require new approaches to nondestructive examination and weld repair. The metallurgical complexity of these steels prompted EPRI to conduct research to define and/or improve the detection limits of ultrasonic testing techniques, explore novel electromagnetic techniques, evaluate the sensitivity and applicability of acoustic emission testing, and conduct studies on improved weld repair procedures.

Stress corrosion cracking is an insidious form of damage that can occur when a susceptible metal is subjected to a tensile stress in a specific environment. To relieve tensile stresses at welded joints, postweld heat treatment can be helpful in reducing the susceptibility of carbon steel fabrications to SCC. When planning to use stainless steels in chloride-containing environments, it is advisable to select alloys that have been specifically developed to resist stress chloride cracking such as ferritic-austenitic (duplex) alloys, low-carbon ferritic alloys, and 6% Mo austenitic alloys or to select high-nickel alloys.

This article describes how shielding gas composition, either argon or nitrogen, affects the hardness, tensile strength, and toughness of high-power, high-brightness laser welds made on various base materials, including A508 forging steel, 316L stainless steel, Inconel 690, and solution-annealed IN718.

Two case studies highlight the strengths and weaknesses between traditional metallurgical techniques and 3D micro-computed tomography, as well as the interplay between the two.

Recent advances in neutron sources and detector technologies enable new contrast mechanisms to determine crystalline information for metal components. This new capability can help validate emerging additive manufacturing processes used to produce parts with complex geometries.