MISTRAS performs high-quality laboratory non-destructive testing (NDT) inspection services with high accuracy, quick turnaround times, and a comprehensive range of available NDT techniques.
MISTRAS is a global leader in providing traditional and advanced non-destructive testing (NDT) services for any asset and industry. Our laboratory NDT inspection solutions help our clients detect, locate, and define the severity of a wide range of anomalies and damages, identify material characteristics, and comply with regulatory codes and standards.
Our labs use state-of-the-art inspection technologies and equipment, including but not limited to:
- Automated Ultrasonics (AUT)
- Acoustic Emission (AE)
- Digital Radiography (DR)
- Eddy Current (EC)
- Magnetic Particle Testing (MT)
- Penetrant Testing (PT)
- Positive Material Identification (PMI)
- Radiography (RT)
- Spot Micro
- Ultrasonic Testing (UT)
- Immersion UT
- Phased Array (PAUT)
MISTRAS performs these NDT inspections on newly-manufactured products to detect discontinuities introduced in the manufacturing process, and on previously-used components and materials to ensure they continue to operate in a fit-for-purpose condition.
Some of the most common defects we inspect for include:
- Corrosion
- Cracks
- Gas Pockets
- Inclusions
- Incomplete Penetration
- Lack of Fusion
- Laminations/Delamination
- Porosity
- Shrinkage
- Slag Inclusions
- Tears
- Undercut
Learn more about some of our advanced in-house lab NDT services below.
In-House Radiography (RT) Inspection Services
Operating labs around the world with multiple RT bunkers, MISTRAS performs traditional RT and direct radiography (DR) inspection services to detect surface and subsurface defects, including changes in thickness, corrosion, voids, cracks, and material density changes.
Our personnel are trained, certified, and backed by years of industry experience to perform RT inspections accurately, efficiently, and within strict safety parameters.
Computed Tomography (CT) Inspection Services
Computed Tomography (CT) is a versatile and quick form of advanced digital radiography (DR). In CT inspections, a test component is placed between an imaging system and a radiation source. The imaging system produces a standard 2-dimensional shadowgraph, but its prime differentiator is its ability to output three-dimensional cross-sectional images, even for components with complex geometries.
Traditional RT enables technicians to determine if a flaw exists in an asset or material, but the flat images cannot determine the defect’s depth or volume. MISTRAS’ CT inspections convert flat images into 3D reconstructions, making it ideal for lab inspections of complex parts, including castings, welded structures, plastics, ceramics, and special alloys.
CT inspections are often conducted on aerospace components, as CT can inspect for wall thickness, hot spots that can restrict airflow in engine components, and delamination and porosities in composites. The imaging system outputs ASTM- and DICONDE-compliant images, ensuring inspections are conducted to international imaging standards.
Linear Accelerator (LINAC) Inspection Services
MISTRAS' 3-6 MeV Linear Accelerators (LINAC) accelerate electrons to energies high enough to penetrate deep into large or thick metal components for radiographic inspection. This enables them to complete a single exposure in minutes verses the dozens of hours it takes utilizing traditional radiographic methods.
Traditional inspection methods can’t always accommodate your largest assets, and can often take multiple days for inspections to be completed.
MISTRAS’ 3-6MeV Linear Accelerator (LINAC) enable MISTRAS to be one of the only NDT laboratories in the United States to penetrate up to 16 inches of steel, enabling us to cut inspections times from days to minutes.
LINAC inspections can be used for any component, large or small. Some examples of components we’ve inspected before include:
- Blow-Out Preventers (BOPs)
- Drawbridge Components
- Gears and Gear-Housing Components
- Railway Axles or Housings
- Castings
- Heavy Wall Valve Bodies
- Large-Diameter, High-Pressure, Forged Flange Components
In-House Laboratory Ultrasonic Testing (UT) Inspection Services
Ultrasonic inspection is a common NDT technique thanks to its wide range of applications across assets, components, and industries. Some of our common applications of in-house UT inspections include:
- Flaw detection (cracks, inclusions, porosity, delamination, etc.)
- Erosion/Corrosion thickness gauging
- Assessment of bond integrity
- Estimation of grain size in metals
- Estimation of void content in composites and plastics
MISTRAS performs multiple kinds of UT inspections in our labs, including but not limited to:
- Conventional UT
- Immersion UT
- Phased Array (PAUT)
- Time-of-Flight Diffraction (TOFD)
Immersion Ultrasonic Testing (UT) Services
During Immersion Ultrasonic Testing (UT), a transducer is placed in water and sound beams are projected to detect internal and surface breaking defects, along with measuring wall thickness on hard components or structures. The presence of water allows for improved probability of detection, along with better sound travel from the transducer.
MISTRAS uses immersion UT to accurately locate, classify, and size defects in large plate, bar, and forged materials, and in irregularly-shaped componentry. Immersion UT results can be produced in real-time, and all data is accurately recorded and stored for further analysis.
MISTRAS performs immersion UT out of our in-house testing laboratories and is especially common for our aerospace industry clients both pre- and post-forging.
GR
