Quality Magazine, a leading trade publication on manufacturing quality assurance, has published an article written by Vibrant Vice President Greg Weaver. Weaver, a noted aerospace industry expert in nondestructive inspection with Level III certifications in radiography and penetrant inspection from the American Society for Nondestructive Testing (ASNT), addressed the challenges for nondestructive inspection of parts made with additive manufacturing (AM). In the article, Weaver describes the advantages AM offers for design optimization and rapid production, while also identifying the challenges AM poses for traditional inspection methods, including surface roughness, geometric complexity, and the layered material microstructure. Weaver then goes on to describe the advantages of whole-body inspections that use data directly linked to a component’s material state, with a focus on Process Compensated Resonance Testing (PCRT).
Weaver writes, “What is needed now is an inspection method that is capable of measuring and assessing each AM-produced component quantitatively, a method that is driven by the part’s structural integrity. There are not many choices of inspection that can provide this, but one worth discussing is Process Compensated Resonance Testing or PCRT.”
The article may be found at:
https://www.qualitymag.com/articles/94838-additive-manufacturing-and-inspection-difficulties
About Vibrant
Vibrant provides Process Compensated Resonance Testing (PCRT) services to the Aerospace and Power Generation industries worldwide through its facilities in the United States and Europe. PCRT applications range from quality assurance and process capability assessment for Original Equipment Manufacturers to in-service structural assessment and life monitoring for Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul organizations. Vibrant is certified to AS9100 Rev D, and ISO 9001:2015. www.vibrantndt.com