NDT encompasses a wide range of analytical techniques that enable the identification of damage and irregularities in the materials of safety-critical components without the need for destructive sectioning. It allows the detection of manufacturing and in-service defects that could compromise structural integrity, reduce service lifetimes and increase the likelihood of failures. NDT can be used across a variety of settings – from on-line production quality control through to operational inspection and lifetime management – in sectors such as rail networks, nuclear, automotive, aerospace, marine and many other engineering applications.
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Structural health and condition monitoring is used to ensure the structural integrity and safety of large structures – such as bridges, tunnels and power plants – where undetected failures could have potentially catastrophic consequences. Periodic, systematic monitoring allows any changes in position, shape or performance to be measured and recorded. Any potential problems can then be detected and addressed before they have the opportunity to escalate. Condition monitoring has applications in assessing railway tunnels, nuclear power plants, roads, bridges, waterways, power distribution networks and buildings.
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NDE refers to sensing, imaging and analysis techniques that are used to assess the quality of materials, components and structures. The term is often used interchangeably with NDT, but NDE also includes condition monitoring and some aspects of quality control and process monitoring. This provides a more comprehensive assessment of a material’s properties and structural health.
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NPL – the UK's National Metrology Institute – has many years of experience in NDT, condition monitoring and NDE to ensure the structural health of safety-critical components and vital infrastructure. We combine wide-ranging expertise, state-of-the-art facilities and a technology-agnostic approach to assess the quality and condition of materials, components and structures using numerous sensing, imaging and other surface analysis techniques. This gives customers confidence in our measurements, data analysis, consultancy and research capabilities.
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