Gregory James Weaver

The imaging/inspection method has greatly evolved since its inception and it is now used in many industries for diverse types of product. 

Medical devices, both the actual equipment and patient hardware, are some of the most regulated items in all of industry. Medical manufacturers are held to the highest of standards and these typically equal, and can even exceed, the aerospace and nuclear sectors.

X-ray diffraction (XRD) is a nondestructive testing method that has been around for over 100 years. It is used in many industries and it has several specific applications that are very critical. So, what is it and how does it work?

Nondestructive testing (NDT) is an extremely critical step in many industries. The safety of individual parts, entire systems, and even people can be directly tied to NDT.

Additive manufacturing (AM) is everywhere and anywhere nowadays. Every day technical websites, and even most social media sites, are posting cool videos and new applications. 

Over the last 10 to 15 years, NDT methods have grown smarter and smarter. New methods have been developed and old methods have been improved. Some of today’s NDT is leaps and bounds ahead of where it used to be. 

According to ASTM E1316-17a and NET.net, a flaw is defined as ‘‘an imperfection or discontinuity that may be detectable by nondestructive testing and is not necessarily rejectable.” 

Additive manufacturing (AM) is one of the hottest and most revolutionary processes to come along in many years. The thought of popping a design into a machine and having a functional part come out the other side was science fiction a generation ago. We are nowhere near the Star Trek replicators, but we are closing that gap.