New Zealand Ultrasonic Non Destructive Testing

Ultrasonic Non-Destructive Testing (NDT), also called Non-Destructive Inspection (NDI) is a method used to detect or characterize flaws, defects, imperfections and cracks in materials, including composite materials and sandwich structures.

It is commonly used in the aerospace sector and in wider industry to inspect components during maintenance to ensure they are fit for service. The ultrasonic test setup consists of an ultrasound transducer connected to a diagnostic machine. This is passed over the object being inspected.

The test setup uses a reflection (or pulse-echo) method, where the transducer performs both the sending and the receiving of the pulsed waves as the sound is reflected. Reflected ultrasound comes from an interface, such as the back wall of the object or from an imperfection, crack, flaw or defect in the object. The diagnostic machine displays these results in the form of a signal with amplitude representing the intensity of the reflection and the distance, representing the arrival time of the reflection.

Typical components that are inspected using ultrasonic NDT include turbine blades, engine components, composite sandwich structures and laminates from aircraft, marine and automobile applications. Rocket Lab’s laboratory is based in Parnell , Auckland, New Zealand.