Non-destructive Testing (NDT) and the Automotive Industry go hand in hand. The automotive industry spans a wide range of corporations that involves the marketing, development, and manufacturing of motor vehicles. Motor vehicles serve many functional roles these days. They also serve to drive our desire for adventures, long journeys, road trips and exploration. Motor vehicles have made our lives easier. Travelling, going to work, and driving children to school over long distances is now commonplace.
We take for granted, the safety a modern motor vehicle provides and we place little thought into the advanced testing each one has undergone prior to, during and after production. Lesser still are any thoughts to the little-known process called non-destructive testing or NDT.
During the production and testing of a vehicle, engineers can calculate approximations of wear and breakage of vehicle components. Ultimately these parts must be assembled and tested. Many tests occur on individual components prior to the assembly of a vehicle, and many tests occur after the assembly is complete. It is when something breaks down, or becomes defective that a measure of that defect must be taken. A non-destructive technician will then perform an inspection primarily for data collection. This data then aids an engineer to redesign the component to ensure greater longevity or safety. The use of NDT results is helpful to the outcome.