What’s the importance of magnetic testing and materials testing to industries?
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by: Editor123
Industries are the backbone of any economy. The degree of development of any nation is measured by the extent of its industrialization. To ensure the smooth running of these industries Destructive and Non Destructive Industrial Testing is used. This is essential to keep the cost of repairs and replacements at lowest possible levels. The repair and replacement costs in large industries such as Nuclear or Power Generation Industries, Automobile industry, Refining & Petrochemical industry, Pulp & Paper industry or Aerospace industry runs into billions of dollars.
Magnetic testing
A common NDT method is Magnetic Testing . Magnetic Testing methods are used to examine faults in pipelines welding and cracks in turbine blades. The prominent techniques of this testing are Magnetic Flux Leakage (MFL) and the Portable Yoke or the Alternating Current Field Measurement (ACFM) techniques. The ACFM technique can be effectively used to test both ferrous and non-ferrous samples and their alloys. In this technique, samples are analyzed through their coatings and no direct contact is required. Magnetic Flux Leakage is ideal for steel structures only. It creates powerful magnetic field in the steel structure. This results in emergence of flux lines, the absence of which in certain areas, indicate the corroded and pitted areas and cracks. An advanced version of this equipment called the Inline Inspection Tool or the MFL-ILI is also available in which the tool travels inside the pipeline and cleans and collects the information. Other magnetic testing methods involve multiple sensors for better resolution and accuracy of the detection and repairs.
Materials testing
However, many a times it becomes essential to carry out destructive tests to ensure that the manufactured component will perform flawlessly and will not fail. This testing is known as materials testing . Sometimes, it becomes imperative to go deeper into the structure of the material so as to define its constituents, the standard of alloying or heat treatment and stress corrosion, extent of fatigue among others. Materials’ testing is done in a metallurgical laboratory with the aid of sophisticated test equipment. The types of materials that could be tested include metals and their alloys, both ferrous and non-ferrous, ceramics and polymers. Such testing is destructive in nature and the results are compared with anticipated values. Similarly, materials testing could be carried out to assess the material's properties of stress, impact, tensile strength, ductility, durability, luster, proof load values hardness etc.
About the Author
The article is contributed by a professional article writer, having experiences of working in different industries. For further information on pipeline inspection, Ultrasonic testing and failure analysis please visit http://www.acuren.com/
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