The use of X-ray-based nondestructive test methods dates back more than a hundred years, with the advent of film-based radiography. This article describes a number of X-ray-based offerings for today’s nondestructive testing applications.

This summer marked the deadline for implementation of ISO/IEC 17025: 2005 General Requirements for the Competence of Calibration and Testing Laboratories. This came after a two-year transitional period in which accreditation bodies recognized by the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) had been assessing laboratories to the requirements of the superseding standard, which replaces ISO 17025: 1999.

Used to check material uniformity or processing treatment, most hardness tests employed in quality control applications yield numerical values based on a material’s resistance to indentation under the conditions imposed by the particular test. Resistance to scratching and the measurement of the amount of energy absorbed by a material when struck by a falling object also are measures of hardness.

Industrial borescopes generally fall into two categories: rigid borescopes and flexibleborescopes, also known as fiberscopes. The type of borescope employed is contingenton the application. These devices are used in a number of industries to attainquality assurance, enabling inspection for manufacturing defects withoutnecessitating part destruction. They also are used in equipment maintenance programs,eliminating the need for teardowns when checking for defects.