Comprised of jet engines/turbines, wings, tanks, fuselage, fasteners, landing gears, friction stir welds, orbital welds, composites, and typically a lot of aluminum, both aircraft and spacecraft feature many crucial parts. From verification of new materials to Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO), PAUT, ECT and ECA are used extensively for NDT.

Shell and tube heat exchangers are important fixed assets and require periodic inspection. Most often, the small tubing is inspected for internal/external corrosion, pitting, erosion (especially at baffle plates), cracking (circumferential, axial, or located at the tubesheet) and dents. Ferrous and non-ferrous tubing require different techniques.

Prone to corrosion, cracking and design issues, pipelines require regular checks. Typical applications include screening long lengths for corrosion with GWT from a single point, UT/PAUT/TFM for detection and measurement of cracking (such as SCC) or corrosion mapping, ECA Spyne™ for ultrafast SCC detection in lieu of MT, and RVI pipeline crawlers.

Tube manufacturers rely on NDT during production. Two complementary methods are typically used: ECT and UT. Each have advantages and limitations, depending on criteria like flaw type, flaw size, and inspection speed. Advanced forms (PAUT/TFM and ECA) are ideal to meet high throughputs and maximize profitability while ensuring inspection quality.

Commonly used in power generation and nuclear, rotating equipment like gas and steam turbines are mission critical assets. PAUT is a proven method for rotor grooves and cracking at the blade root area. In addition, surface ECA allows for fast and accurate assessment of dovetails, blades, generator slots, retaining rings, rotor bores and boreholes.

Bolts and threads are critical structural components that require verification during manufacturing and regular integrity assessments while in service. ECA/ACFM® are key methods for both topside and underwater, especially for drillstring connections. PAUT is also ideal : it can be performed in-service, without needing to remove the fastener.

Pressure vessel owners are obligated to ensure their safe use, requiring effective inspection and maintenance programs. Typical applications include PAUT/UT corrosion mapping, PEC for insulated vessels prone to CUI, MFL corrosion surveys, PAUT/TFM and Tangential ECA (TECA™) for welds, and RVI crawlers often eliminating the need for human entry.

Whether topside, subsea or in the splash zone, the list of NDT applications in the offshore world is long. Most relate to key assets like pipelines, jackets, caissons, drill risers, nodes, FPSO, ballast tanks, offshore piles and jetty lines. Depending on requirements, one or multiple NDT methods are needed: ACFM®, PEC, PAUT/TFM or GWT are typical.

Ship inspection can be related to hulls, bilge keels, shafts, propellers or decks, and can involve PEC to monitor corrosion over lined deck plates, PAUT for precise corrosion mapping, LRUT for inspecting pipework, and ACFM® or ECA for welds, even through coatings. Crawlers are also key for Underwater Inspections in Lieu of Dry-Docking (UWILD).

NDT is required for railroad assets such as axles, wheels, bogies, railcars and the railroad itself. The integrity of rail infrastructure is paramount for safe and economical transport systems. In addition to PAUT/TFM and automated RVI, ACFM® is commonly used for detecting and sizing surface-breaking cracks with minimal surface preparation.

Whether in-service or during construction, storage tank inspections allow for optimal maintenance strategies. Typical applications include MFL floor scanning for corrosion, shell assessment with remote access UT crawlers, detailed corrosion mapping with PAUT, weld testing with ACFM®, insulated roof PEC inspections, and RVI for inside condition.