The NDT industry appears to be alive and well, at least among those who attended the International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) in Chicago last month. While I haven’t been attending the show for decades, as some of you may have, I was impressed by the bustling crowds at McCormick Place. The walkway between pavilions was only quiet before the show officially opened in the mornings, and even the exhibitors in the back corners of the show that I talked to said they were happy with turnout and leads.

In fact, the mood at this huge show was not one of an industry in crisis, or a country experiencing what one exhibitor called the R word-recession.

While the economy has taken a hit with the credit crunch and mortgage crisis, the NDT industry seems to be busy developing new products to meet a need in the marketplace. NDT exhibitors were bullish about business, and they were excited to talk about new offerings from X-ray systems to computed tomography software to CT and XRF. The possibilities for X-ray seem endless, and exhibitors easily could have spent hours describing the applications and the potential for this technology. Even though it was a six-day show, there were still plenty of people to see every day.

Along with thousands of square feet of manufacturing technology, I saw demonstrations of many NDT products such as X-ray, X-ray fluorescence and computed tomography and it was a great chance to see new developments firsthand. In addition, the enormous size of some booths made me feel like I was actually on the plant floor, albeit one with carpeting.

Despite the rising costs of travel, it is true that there is nothing like a show to get people in the industry together.

If you didn’t get a chance to attend this year’s show and you don’t want to wait another two years to see IMTS, we can help. Every morning before the show opened, the Quality video crew met with exhibitors to see what they had brought to the show. If you would like to see some of the people I met during my week at IMTS, check out www.qualitymag.com, where we have posted highlights from 10 companies that exhibited at the show.

For other shows this fall, Materials Science & Test (MS&T) will be in Pittsburgh in October, and the ASNT Fall Conference is in Charleston in November. Visit www.matscitech.org and www.asnt.org to learn more, and visit http://en.17wcndt.com for more information on the 17th World Conference on NDT to take place in Shanghai, October 25 to 28. I’ve already heard from exhibitors about new products they will be offering there, and I’m sure it will be a great showcase of NDT technology.

This month's NDT edition brings more information on NDT technology, including leak testing, ultrasonics, hardness testing and computed tomography, along with news, products and an application article. Check out www.ndtmag.com to see what else is new in NDT. And unlike IMTS, you can visit anytime you like.

Michelle Bangert
Special Projects Editor
bangertm@bnpmedia.com