NDE Basics

What is NDE?

Nondestructive Evaluation (NDE) is a collection of tools and techniques that can be used to detect defects and measure physical or mechanic characteristics of a material or component. The feature that separates NDE from other physical or mechanical testing is that the inspections or measurements are made without impacting the future usefulness of the item. In other words, NDE is inspecting and measuring without doing harm to the subject.

Where are NDE methods used?

NDE methods are used by a variety of manufacturers to evaluate their processes and products. NDE evolved from the need to find critical defects in components used in high risk industries, such as aerospace and nuclear, where failure of a component could have very serious consequences. Today, however, NDE methods are commonly used in a variety of industries to improve product quality, reduce waste, and improve productivity through reduced rework, and the applications are nearly endless. NDE tools are becoming increasingly important as companies, large and small, strive to improve product quality and performance to contend with growing competition.

When are NDE methods used?

NDE methods can be applied at any stage in the production or life cycle of a component. They are used to screen incoming material for defects to verify proper processing (such as heat treatment of aluminum alloys or complete cure for plastics) and to check for in-service damage such as fatigue cracking or metal thinning due to corrosion. The list of possible applications in nearly endless.