About Us

  Greetings From Your Section Vice Chair,

The holiday season has past and we start a new year and as well a new decade.  This is such an exciting time to be in NDT.  Technology is exponentially increasing our detection capabilities.  As computer capabilities increase and processing speeds get faster, so goes our Probability of Detection (POD).  It was not that long ago when we were tethered by extension cords, UT techs were hanging off bridges or rolling around in the dirt under pipeline with slide rules and drawing on the instrument screen with china markers.  Ultrasonic units do all our calculations automatically including AWS flaw severity.  Who would have thought we would be inspecting ferrous weldments with eddy current.  Digital Radiography (DR, CR, CT) is making film and development chemicals obsolete.  MT & PT now have LED UV lights which use little power, generate very little heat, have instant on capabilities and extremely long operational lifespans.

We have digital meters to accurately measure intensity outputs.  Digital Hall Effect Gaussmeters have made shot calculations obsolete.  Battery technology has matured and we now have powerful UV portable flashlights.  Our instruments can be operated for much longer periods of time without recharging.  We have ET & UT phased array field instruments which can give us colorful C-Scan images of whatever we are inspecting.  Inspection of composite materials are becoming the norm.  Advanced usage of light, heat and sound are being utilized (UT, AE, IR).

However, we cannot lose sight of the fact it takes trained and dedicated technicians to operate the advanced equipment and to interpret the test results.  In the end analysis, no matter how detailed specifications and procedures may become, no matter how automated equipment may become, it always comes down to the fidelity and integrity of the equipment operators and inspectors.  As materials evolve and become thinner and lighter weight, NDT becomes more and more critical.  Aerospace is increasingly making use of various composite matrices whereas pipeline is using HDPE plastics.  What a great time to be a part of NDT.  

Finally, Our Section Officers sincerely wish a Healthy, Happy, and Prosperous New Year to all our members and their families.  Again, many thanks for the support form our membership at large and from our local Corporate sponsors.  Thanks again for making 2019 a success.  I look forward to our 2020 schedule and seeing all of you again in March.  Additionally, our Chair, Ms. Tara Kavanaugh, is planning some exciting activities to consider this year.

Sincerely,

Ed Dukich

ASNT Section Vice Chair METNY/NNJ

Level III Resources

ASNT NDT Level 3 - 51342

MT, PT, ET & UT