Technical Discipline: Nondestructive Evaluation

The nondestructive evaluation discipline involves development and application of methods to:

• examine materials or components in ways that do not impair future usefulness and serviceability to detect, locate measure and evaluate flaws;
• assess integrity, properties and composition; and,
• measure characteristics.

This discipline also addresses personnel qualifications, specifications and standards, reliability, training, research and development, and more.

Nondestructive evaluation is used extensively for initial and continued airworthiness of aircraft, engines and other aviation components. Aging aircraft, new materials, new materials applications and combinations of materials (such as composite blades and aircraft components) require utilization of new inspection modalities and new applications of existing inspection technologies.

NOTE:  Nondestructive Testing (NDT) and Nondestructive Inspection (NDI) are the same.

Chief Scientific and Technical Advisor – Alfred L. Broz, PhD