Almost every industry has seen explosive growth in additive manufacturing (AM or 3D printing) of metal components, either for prototyping or low to medium volume manufacture of often high value and safety critical parts.

Helium is in short supply and its cost is rising. Global sources may even run dry by the end of the century. And yet, it remains the dominant choice for trace-gas-based leak-testing on the production line. How can you make the most of this increasingly precious commodity for your critical quality assurance needs?

Since the early 1990s Lithium ion batteries have entered industrial markets as energy storage technology for mobile consumer electronics and battery-operated tools.

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?

Radiographic inspection is a critical practice across multiple industries, and the development of non-film radiography provides enormous, yet currently untapped, potential to share these images widely and maximize resources.

Consumer products have been transformed by the Internet of Things (IoT), the ability of smart connected devices to communicate and share information with each other. Now, IoT technology is expanding to NDT maintenance inspections and manufacturing QA/QC. 

The National Association of Manufacturers released the results of the Manufacturers’ Outlook Survey for the second quarter of 2020 showing that despite a historic drop in optimism, to nearly 34%, and challenging business conditions, the vast majority of manufacturers (98.7%) have continued or only temporarily halted operations.

Every business or service today has some form of quality control or quality assurance. With such high market competition, quality has become the market differentiator for almost all products and services.

Friction stir weld (FSW) inspections in aerospace manufacturing are challenging for ultrasound technicians not necessarily because they require specialized computations or complex techniques but because scanning with conventional probe setups can be so time consuming.

In aerospace as in many other industries, nondestructive testing (NDT) is the final quality assessment, the final check of a part before it enters into service. Without a quality process and excellent technicians working diligently with a lot of integrity, the parts may just not be of the highest quality and fit for the job.