Glossary

Eddy Current Testing
Eddy Current Testing is an electromagnetic non-destructive testing method making use of electromagnetic induction to detect and characterize surface and sub-surface flaws in conductive materials. 

Liquid Penetrant Inspection
Liquid Penetrant Inspection, also known as Penetrant Inspection (PI) or Dye Penetrant Inspection (DP), is a widely applied and  relatively low-cost inspection method used to check surface-breaking defects in all non-porous materials (metals, plastics, or ceramics).

Magnetic Particle Inspection
Magnetic particle Inspection is a Non-Destructive Testing process for detecting surface and shallow subsurface discontinuities in ferromagnetic materials such as iron, nickel, cobalt, and some of their alloys. The process puts a magnetic field into the part.

Metal Fatigue Testing 
Metal fatigue testing is used to identify a weakening of metal due to stress, resulting in an accumulation of small cracks.

Non-Destructive Evaluation
Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDE) is a term often used interchangeably with NDT. However, technically, NDE is used to describe measurements that are more quantitative in nature. For example, an NDE method would not only locate a defect, but it would also be used to measure something about that defect such as its size, shape, and orientation. NDE may be used to determine material properties, such as fracture toughness, formability, and other physical characteristics.

Non-Destructive Inspection
Non-Destructive Inspection (NDI) is synonymous with Nondestructive Testing (NDT) and Nondestructive Evaluation (NDE).

Non-Destructive Testing
Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) is any of a wide group of analysis techniques used in science and technology industry to evaluate the properties of a material, component or system without causing damage.

Radiographic Inspection
Radiography is an imaging technique using X-rays, gamma rays, or similar ionizing radiation and non-ionizing radiation to view the internal form of an object.

Ultrasonic Testing
Ultrasonic Testing (UT) is a family of non-destructive testing techniques based on the propagation of ultrasonic waves in the object or material tested. In most common UT applications, very short ultrasonic pulse-waves with center frequencies ranging from 0.1-15 MHz, and occasionally up to 50 MHz, are transmitted into materials to detect internal flaws or to characterize materials.

Visual Inspection
Visual Inspection (VI) is a form of Non-destructive Testing commonly used in maintenance of facilities, inspection of equipment and structures using either or all of raw human senses such as vision, hearing, touch and smell and/or any non-specialized inspection equipment. 

Weld Inspection
Weld inspection utilizes Non–Destructive Testing (NDT) to locate welding problems after the fact, when the weld is completed.