Radiography in Industry

Imagine being able to see inside a heavy casting, or a weld, to determine if there are areas with less metal, if there are cracks, or if internal alignments are improper. Now, further imagine that you can “look” at the inside of a part, and after you’re done with your inspection, you have not harmed it, so it could go into service as intended. That’s what we do every day with Industrial Radiography.

The basics of Radiographic Testing (RT) are simple: on one side of the part is a source of ionizing radiation that will pass through the part, and depending on density or thickness, the amount of radiation that gets all the way through will vary. On the other side, we need something that will record the differences in how much radiation passed through, and where these differences occurred. Commonly, film has been used to record these variations, but increasingly we are able to use advanced equipment that records and digitizes the information.

The source of ionizing radiation may be from an X-Ray tube, from one of several metal isotopes, or even a linear accelerator. The circumstances of the inspection determine which source of radiation is appropriate. Isotopes like Iridium 192 or Cobalt 60 offer great portability, but must continuously be controlled and shielded, as exposure to ionizing radiation is a health hazard. X-Ray tubes offer the benefit of being able to shut them off after they are no longer needed, but they require a power source to work, and are hazardous while generating X-Rays.

Safety is always the first concern when performing RT, in order to reduce the exposure of personnel to any ionizing (penetrating) radiation. Technicians must be properly trained, certified, and monitored. Once the required safety measures have been implemented, inspection can begin.

The dependability and repeatability of RT inspection has made it a favourite for a long time.  The intuitive nature of radiographic images makes them relatively easy to monitor. Because film is a permanent record, the images may be audited for Quality Control, used for training purposes, etc.,

At Nortech Advanced NDT, we have highly skilled certified technicians performing radiography on a variety of parts. Along with 20 portable darkrooms we also have three bunkers on site at our Edmonton location. Two of our bunkers are indoors, where we also have a 10 Ton crane to lift and move heavy parts as necessary. Our top quality inspection and quick turnaround for parts and reports has made us the first choice for many manufacturers and equipment owners all over western Canada.

And of course, along with all the other advantages we bring you, we also have our proprietary NorTrack data base and tracking system. You never need to worry about losing a report and wasting money re-inspecting a part when you can easily search for your data from anywhere in the world.

Call or stop in today, and have a look at our exceptional indoor bunker setup.