1.
Non-Destructive Testing Equipment List
1.1.
Visual Testing Tools
1.2.
Ultrasonic Non-Destructive Testing Equipment
1.3.
Eddy Current Testing (ECT) Tools
1.4.
Acoustic Emission (AE) Testing Equipment
1.5.
Thermographic Testing Equipment
1.6.
Dry Film Thickness Gauges
1.7.
Leak Testing Equipment
1.8.
Magnetic Particle Testing (MPT) Equipment
1.9.
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2.
Factors To Consider When Choosing Non-Destructive Testing Equipment
Non-destructive testing (NDT) is the cornerstone practice for ensuring asset integrity. Early degradation detection reduces maintenance costs, prevents costly downtime, and keeps you on the good side of regulations.
However, the effectiveness and value of NDT hinge on two factors: Human expertise and non-destructive testing equipment used. Learn about the classic and new tools available to asset inspection teams.
So you’re on a non-destructive testing equipment procurement mission. You want to get the best tools for the task(s) and ideally, keep the cost lean.
Below is our big list of recommendations, covering:
Visual testing helps identify surface-level damage proliferation at the early stages via direct observations. Irregularities on the surface, color fading, or delaminations can be signs of more severe damage — corrosion, sliding abrasion, cracking, and spalling — that affects asset lifespan and operational safety.
Non-destructive testing crews have a variety of hand-held and remotely operated visual testing tools at their disposal:
Video borescopes come in handy when you need a direct line of sight into narrow, confined spaces — inside the piping, ventilation shafts, or assembled equipment. The lumen output on a borescope varies from 20 lm on more compact models (6mm-8mm) to 50-100 lm on industrial 10 mm models. Higher-end models also offer better video resolution and several lenses for a sharper output.
Everest Mentor Visual iQ (MViQ) video borescope features a 1/6” Color Super HAD CCD camera image sensor, processing up to 1200k pixels. Apart from providing high-precision optics, MViQ also has a powerful suite of proprietary image transformation functions for taking measurements from increased distances and capturing point cloud data for 3D asset modeling.
Digital inspection cameras are also ample on the market — RGB, thermal, snake, and radiography models from manufacturers like Sony, Bosch, and RIDGID among others.
Bosch recently released two new snake camera models — GIC 12V-4-23 C Professional with a 4.3-inch display with 800 x 480 px and GIC 12V-5-27 C Professional has a 5-inch screen with 1280 x 720 px. Both boast an IP54 protection rating against dust and water. GIC 12V-5-27 C also includes an “AutoUp” feature, which automatically adjusts image orientation upwards.
Sony has a wide range of professional cameras for industrial photogrammetry and visual inspection tasks. Sony α7R IV 35mm mirrorless camera with an Exmor R CMOS sensor and BIONZ X image processing engine boasts exceptional image depth and dimension. Back-illuminated structure and effective noise reduction techniques enable high sensitivity and realistic reproduction of textures.
The LX-LR1 model is a 61 MPX inspection camera for drones. Similar to α7R IV, Sony LX-LR1 features an Exmor R CMOS sensor and BIONZ X image processing engine for sharp, realistic image quality. A wide ISO range of 100-32000 also ensures a great level of detail during inspections even in sharp daylight.
Generally, more and more teams are adopting inspection drones, featuring embedded imaging systems or mountable camera payloads. Top enterprise models like Skydio X10, DJI Matrice, and ANAFi Ai include formidable visual inspection cameras. Skydio combines a 1/2″ 48MP CMOS wide, narrow, and telephone camera into one lightweight package. DJI Zenmuse H20 series cameras have a 23X hybrid zoom and an integrated laser rangefinder for industrial photogrammetry. ANAFI Ai camera covers a 14-EV dynamic range.
Learn more about drone payloads from our previous post.
Ultrasonic testing allows inspection crews to locate subsurface level defects (cracks, fractures, corrosion, and debonds), plus take wall thickness measurements to identify structural thinning, due to damage, fatigue, or environmental impacts.
The big advantage of ultrasonic testing is that it’s universally applicable to almost all materials — steel, concrete, metal alloys — as long as you have the right tools for the job.
Ultrasonic transducers and probes come in every size, shape, and price point:
Olympus is well-recognized for its selection of advanced ultrasonic testing tools, including phased array probes in the range from 0.5 MHz to 18 MHz, angle beam transducers for welding inspections, single and dual element contact transducers, EMAT, and high-frequency transducers (going from 20 MHz up to 225 MHz).
Baker Hughes also has a catalog of over 600 ultrasonic probes and transducers: contact, immersion, phased array, and special application models. The latter include hand-held roller transducers, low-frequency transducers, high-temperature transducers, and transverse wave straight beam transducers among other options. The company can also produce custom models, based on your specs and requirements.
Additionally, you’ve got specialized ultrasonic thickness gauges for:
PosiTector UTG from DeFelsko Corporation is a popular choice for ultrasonic wall thickness measurement of steel, plastic, and other composite materials.
Last, but not least you have drone-mountable ultrasonic transducers. The obvious constraint of held-held devices is that you need direct access to the surface. That can be problematic when you need to inspect high-rise structures (chimneys, ship loaders, stacks, transmission towers), or cover large surfaces and complex geometries (elevated piping, large chemical storage tanks, silo structures).
Voliro developed an inspection drone, designed specifically for contact-based work at heights. Boasting six-degree freedom of movement, Voliro T can approach structures from any direction and apply direct force to the surface. Onboard navigation sensors and AI autonomy ensure steady hoovering and effective obstacle avoidance.
We offer two UT payloads. Both are dual-element, 4 MHz wall thickness measurements payloads in two temperature characteristics (regular 0-60 °C and high temp 0-260 °C).
With Voliro technology, you can perform ultrasonic testing at heights, saving substantially on inspection costs and asset downtime. With Voliro, a refinery saved over $150,000 in crane rental and labor costs during a flare stack inspection. Another company collected over 700 readings during five storage tank inspections, performed in just 1.5 days with a reduced team size.
Eddy current testing is the go-to method for identifying corrosion and loss of thickness in conductive materials including stainless steel, iron, nickel, aluminum, zinc, carbon fiber composites, and different types of anodized coatings.
By sending eddy currents through the object’s surface and measuring their timing and strength, inspectors can identify the type, severity, and location of defects with high precision. Because of its versatility and high sensitivity, ECT is widely used for asset integrity inspections in chemical, power generation, oil and gas industries.
Specialized eddy current testing instruments include:
Many of the EDC tools on the market are specially configured for particular use cases. For example, Zetec InSite is an eddy current crack and flaw tester, designed for easy integration into production lines of automotive and medical device components. The Ether WeldCheck series brings a 10Hz-20MHz frequency range to weld inspections.
If you’re looking for a more portable option, the Eddyfi Reddy system is rugged for heavy-duty, in-field use. Developed specifically for cracking in carbon steel, Reddy combines semi-flexible ECA probes with embedded data analysis software for more effective pipeline inspections.
Voliro, in turn, will be releasing the first-ever drone-enabled Pulsed Eddy Current (PEC) payload later this year. Designed for corrosion under insulation (CUI) detection in aluminum jackets and low-carbon steel assets, our PEC payload works at a thickness range of 3-18 mm. In fact, during proof of concept tests at Tupras refinery, our tool successfully detected early-stage CUI with up to 100 mm of insulation thickness.
Acoustic emission testing is useful for detecting structural fatigue and degradation, caused by external stimuli like pressure, load, or temperature changes.
By analyzing patterns in acoustic emissions, inspectors can estimate the likelihood of structural failures, analyze the damage mechanisms, and categorize developing vs stagnant defects. However, AE only provides qualitative data on the damage and may not point toward the exact location of the defect, unlike ultrasonic testing.
Commonly used AE equipment includes:
Mistras Pocket AE is a popular compact tool with dual-channel capabilities, wide bandwidth, high speed, and accurate sampling rates, compatible with those of much larger stationary systems. AMSY-6 from Vallen Systeme is a common choice for on-premises installations. It combines an AE-sensor, preamplifier, one channel of an ASIP-2, and user software for data analysis. Monitoring features include time of the first threshold crossing (arrival time), rise time, duration, peak amplitude, energy, and counts.
For custom setups, you’ve got a great choice of piezoelectric, resonant, and broadband AE sensors on the market to continuously monitor bridges, pipelines, and pressure vessels from different non-destructive testing equipment suppliers.
Thermal testing helps identify temperature anomalies, indicative of insulation defects, electrical hotspots, or fluid leaks. Abnormalities in heat signatures can signify overheating in components in electrical systems (from solar panels and wind turbines to transformers and manufacturing equipment), indicate problems with the thermal efficiency of industrial furnaces, or pinpoint leaks in pipelines, storage tanks, or HVAC systems.
The best tool for thermographic testing is a high-resolution electro-optical (EO) / infrared (IR) camera.
FLIR offers a good selection of thermal cameras. Pistol-grip FLIR E96 camera with a640 × 480 thermal resolution allows easy surveying for electrical failures. FLIR T865 is an excellent hand-held model with a 180° rotating optical block and advanced temperature measurements down to -40°C. High accuracy, enhanced contrast, and laser-assisted autofocus are part of the deal. It can also be paired with a 6° FOV IR lens for inspecting small targets from long distances.
Fluke infrared thermal imaging cameras also serve well in industrial inspections. Fluke TiX580 Infrared Camera can produce up to 1280 x 960 image resolution with aSuperResolution mode (the standard is 640×480 px) at a thermal sensitivity (NETD) of ≤ 0.05 °C at 30 °C. The temperature measurement range is an impressive -20 °C to 1000 °C (-4 °F to 1832 °F).
For field inspections, consider a thermal camera payload for a drone. Having an aerial thermal view is advantageous for power line inspection for electrical failures or inspection of industrial storage tanks for leaks.
DJI Zenmuse H20T payload combines a wide angle, zoom RGB camera, with a laser rangefinder, and a 640×512 px radiometric thermal camera. Trillium offers a range of gimbal EO/IR cameras with advanced optical zoom, day/night optics, and onboard electronic stabilization. The best drones for power line inspection also feature embedded thermal cameras with great characteristics.
Generally, when shopping for an industrial EO/IR camera consider the total number of detector pixels and the field of view (FOV) specs. Pixels provide a higher level of detail, while spatial resolution determines the smallest detectable object size.
Focus mechanisms also vary between models, with options like fixed, manual, auto-focus, laser-assisted, and multifocal available. Fixed focus offers simplicity, while laser-assisted and multifocal provide better shooting precision. The supported temperature range of the camera should align with the highest and lowest temperatures in your inspection environment. Some models offer automatic range selection. Others also have manual controls.
Choosing the right combination of these features ensures optimal performance and accurate results during inspections.
Dry film thickness (DFT) measurements help verify the correct application of protective coatings and survey their state for signs of degradation. Coatings protect underlying materials from moisture, chemicals, and contaminants, which is crucial for asset longevity.
Thus, transmission towers, power generation equipment, heat exchangers, and storage tanks must be regularly re-coated to prevent corrosion and environmental damage.
Dry Film Thickness (DFT) tools include:
The best industrial DFT gauges have a dual magnetic-eddy current mode. These include handheld tools like Elcometer 456, PosiTest DFT gauge, and Fischer DUALSCOPE® FMP100/150H. Popular ultrasonic DFT equipment includes Olympus 39DL PLUS™ gauge, Dakota CMX, and PosiTector 200.
At Voliro, we also offer a drone-mountable DFT gauge. It has a magnetic induction and eddy current measurement mode with a range of 0 to 1.5 mm and 0.7 mm respectively. Securely hoisted to a Voliro inspection drone, it allows inspection crews to take precise thickness measurements at height, eliminating the need for lifting equipment and rope climbing. Greater personnel safety and faster inspection times are a given too.
EnerTrans inspection crew used a Voliro drone with a DFT probe to evaluate fresh coating applications on transmission towers. The task that previously required asset shutdown and a large crew, became a one-person operation with no downtime. The teams can inspect 10+ towers inspected per day, right after painting.
Leak testing helps detect breaches in sealed or pressurized systems like chemical storage tanks, heat exchangers, and industrial pipelines to prevent environmental contamination, risky industrial accidents, and subsequent regulatory penalties.
A proactive approach to leak testing reduces the costs of unplanned downtime and the complexity of damage repairs, lending to learner operating costs.
Popular leak testing equipment includes:
In other words, there’s a great variety of tools, each best suited for different application scenarios. Helium leak detectors, for example, use low molecular size and high sensitivity features for detecting tinies leaks. INFICON has a range of helium leak detectors, including portable helium spray guns, mobile vacuums, and stationary systems — all with stellar performance characteristics.
Dye penetrant test kits effectively detect surface leaks in non-porous materials as they quickly reveal leak points through dye seepage. For instance, Magnaflux Spotcheck SK-816 penetrant inspection kit includes an SKL-SP2 solvent removable penetrant, developer, and remover in easy-to-use aerosol form. It’s a cost-effective way to test welds, forgings, and pressure vessels.
Ultrasonic leak detectors help pinpoint the exact source of a leak by analyzing sound wave propagation in the test system. Superior AccuTrak® ultrasonic leak detectors come in several configurations. VPE-1000 is a lower-cost digital option with an airborne sensor sensitivity of -80db/V-µbar and an airborne frequency response of 34kHz-42kH. It’s a common choice for leak detection. VPX-WR is a higher-end model for gas leak detection, featuring Detect and Discriminate (DND) technology for enhanced differentiation between various gas types. It’s one of the most powerful ultrasonic gas leak detectors on the market, boasting a sealed sensor sensitivity of -75db/V-µbar.
Pressure decay testes can quickly tell if the system holds pressure within an acceptable limit. They don’t provide an exact location of the leak but do indicate possible damage in a complex system. Marposs T3LP tester has a full scale of up to 30 bar in a vacuum and provides measurements up to 0.1 Pa resolution.
Magnetic particle testing uses magnetic field characteristics to detect surface-level defects in ferromagnetic materials. Specialized magnetic particles are sprinkled on the surface of the test material and then a magnetic flux is sent through it, enabling inspectors to visually detect defects.
In most cases, inspectors use magnetic yokes (contour probes) to generate a magnetic field on the test objects. The best contour MPT tools like Parker Research B-300 probe and Magnaflux Y-2 magnetic yoke have two operating modes with an alternating current and direct current, which allows greater precision in defect detection. Both are ergonomically designed and have fully adjustable legs. Magnaflux also sells all-in-one MPT kits that include magnetic powders, paint markers, and cleaning materials.
You can also have a choice of stationary bench units for quality assurance tasks. Magnaflux has a range of wet benches, differing in terms of equipment strength and versatility.
Each type of non-destructive testing assumes a different toolkit — and in each case, you also have multiple equipment choices. To ensure you’re getting the right type of gear, you should factor in:
Material characteristics. Test material type significantly influences the choice of NDT equipment. Eddy current tools only work with conductive materials. Ultrasonic probes are more universal but have different depths of thickness penetration. Decide on your use case(s) first and then evaluate the options.
Use case. Although there are some universal options, most NDT tools are designed for a specific use case: corrosion under insulation detection, dry thickness film measurements on metallic structures, or welding inspections. The same manufacturer may offer slightly different configurations of the same model for different defect types.
Testing environment. Do you plan to do field testing? Then you certainly need ruggedized, portable equipment with a good battery life. Will you perform work on assets in use? Then you might want to look for tools that tolerate contact with hot surfaces. Inspection drones, in turn, are great for doing work at heights or in confined spaces.
Portability. Can your teams easily haul the selected equipment to the work site and then lift it to the test surface? The last thing you’d want is an NDT tool that is just too challenging to transport due to weight, dimensions, or fragility.
Tech specs. All NDT equipment manufacturers provide exhaustive spec sheets, covering parameters like accuracy, resolution, frequency range, etc. Higher performance tools obviously cost more, but you can often settle for a lower-range model if it hits all your internal requirements.
Data analysis. In digital tools, pay attention to the data formatting and integrations. Does it come in a convenient format for easy exports? Can you easily integrate it into your reporting or analytics software?
Standards. Does the tool comply with applicable NDT standards? Is it certified for a particular use case? Compliance with standards means that the obtained inspection data can be confidently used for compliance reporting.
Future-proofing. Can the tool serve more than one purpose? Are there any opportunities for customization or upgrades? The last thing you’d want is to be stuck with an expensive, obsolete system.
Ultimately, to make a sound choice, decide on the NDT technique first. Make a list of the materials you work with the most and the tool characteristics you require. Look for NDT equipment that matches all your boxes and complies with industry standards.
