r/nondestructivetesting

Hello,

I'm planning on getting into this type of work, however I had some questions on the logistics of how it all works.

I understand that I can expect 7/12s, however what about the more nitty gritty things like what is the standard lodging situation, are rentals given for transportation back & forth between there and work location?

What is the food situation? If working 12 hours a day are people expected to fend for themselves and cook in their crappy motel or eat garbage like fast food because the work locations are in the middle of nowhere?

I'm currently in the military so I'm used to roughing it, but at least there would be passable quality food provided and a gym nearby within walking distance, 2 pretty important things for me.

I know answers will vary based on location and company, please share whatever's worth sharing.

Tldr: I'm curious about the quality of life while working these jobs, particularly if doing contract work.

Hello everyone,

I am conducting research on manual visual inspection, focusing on human factors and visual perception, and I would really value input from people working in the field.

I am especially interested in understanding:

• In which use cases is manual visual inspection still necessary, despite advances in automation and AI?
• At what stage of the inspection process are humans typically involved?
  • Do operators perform the full inspection process manually?
  • Or do automated systems make preliminary decisions, with humans mainly verifying or validating the final result?
• Are there particular defect types, environments, or industries where human perception still outperforms automated inspection systems?
• From a human factors perspective, what are the biggest challenges operators face during visual inspection (fatigue, attention, lighting, training, false positives/negatives, etc.)?

I would greatly appreciate hearing about real-world workflows, experiences, or examples from manufacturing, quality control, aviation, medical devices, electronics, automotive, or other relevant industries.

Thanks in advance for your time and insights!

I was just curious of some setups that everyone uses, or has seen, for high-volume Fluorescent Penetrant Testing. The parts themselves are rather small (~6" x 6") but there are over 20,000 of them. What are some good PT setup ideas if I already have the space? I know a couple of longer tables and a sink with running water is ideal, but I am somewhat lost on what else it should contain.

I am currently looking to advance my career in quality assurance and am considering pursuing Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) certifications and the CWB (Canadian Welding Bureau) Level 1 Welding Inspector exam.

My background

I have a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from a foreign country and three years of experience as a quality assurance technician in an aluminum extrusion company in Canada . My background is primarily in product and process quality, and I am now looking to specialize further into technical inspection roles.

I would appreciate insights from those who have taken this path:

NDT vs. CWB Level 1

For a Quality Technician with a mechanical engineering background, which certification typically offers the best "day one" ROI in terms of job opportunities? Does it make more sense to pursue a specific NDT method (like UT or MPI) before tackling CWB?

2. The Learning Curve

Given my experience with technical standards and quality systems, how challenging is the transition into the more "hands-on" technical requirements of welding inspection and NDT? Are there specific areas where my engineering background will give me a significant head start?

I am confused where to start ?

Please advise
it would be a wise decision to take this route considering no experience in NDT and welding inspection ?

hey so as the title suggests, just looking to hear from someone who has gone through the AATA apprenticeship program, more specifically in California. i’m in the process of applying and currently knocking out PT Lvl 1 classroom hours and saw the AATA program. any help would be appreciated!

I am a 27yr old woman who made a huge career change and decided to go into NDT.. I’m about to finish my schooling and I’m feeling so discouraged with my job hunting. I am in a major aerospace city and can’t seem to get the attention of any of the larger companies and the smaller ones have told me they don’t want to use resources on certifying new people.
I guess I just wonder if it was the same for you guys or if you have any helpful information?
I’m technically working in aerospace right now doing ECC but there are no level 2 or 3s at this facility so there is no way to be certified in anything here at the moment.

Where in the ASME code says excesive penetration is a criteria for rejecting a weld by radiography?

A collegue, with vast experience, at least 15 years, from other company rejected a weld for excesive penetration, supposedly ASME VIII on a 3/4" pipe weld. But other 2 collegues from other 2 different companies, say the weld is acceptable. I too think that is acceptable but because after carefully reading the code, it does not say that you can reject a weld by excesive penetration, only lack of fusion, lack of penetration, pores and cracks. Im talking about UW 52 and UW 51 (if i recall correctly).
So where in the code a radiographed weld could be rejected by excessive penetration?

Hey I am looking into taking level 1 and 2 for PT. Should I take MT as well or just save for the UT level 1 and 2. A friend of mine mentioned MT is not as common.

I've been working on a radiographic exposure calculator called RadShot Pro. I know there are other calculators out there that do similar things, but I wanted to make one that includes a few more things I wish the others had.

It covers the stuff other calcs already include like RT exposure times, Ug checks, barricade distances, and pipe schedules. I also built in code acceptance and IQI selection calc.

The web version is live at https://radshotpro.app if anyone wants to check it out.

The Android app is pending. Once it clears, I'll need around 20 people to install the beta for 14 days.

Feedback is welcome since I am still working on it.

Step 1 — Join the tester Google Group

Open this link:

https://groups.google.com/g/radshot-testers

Sign in with the Google account you use on the Google Play Store, then click Join group.

You do not need to email the group. Joining the group tells Google Play that your account is approved for the closed test.

Step 2 — Become a tester

After joining the group, open this opt-in link:

https://play.google.com/apps/testing/com.precisioncodelabs.radshotpro

Click Become a tester.

This step is important. If you skip it and go straight to the Play Store link, Google Play may say “App not available.” You might see an option "Send to device", in which case you can skip step 3 since your phone will now download the app automatically.

Step 3 — Install RadShot Pro

After clicking Become a tester, open this Play Store link on your Android phone:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.precisioncodelabs.radshotpro

Click Install.

Important

Use the same Google account for all three steps.

For example, if you join the Google Group with yourname@gmail.com, make sure the Play Store is also signed into yourname@gmail.com.

If you use a different Google account, Google Play may say “App not available.”

If it still does not show up, close and reopen the Play Store app, wait 5–10 minutes, and try again.

Thank you.

Hi there! I’m a 24-year-old woman, and I understand that opportunities for women aren’t always easily given. However, I’m curious about how to secure a trainee or assistant job. I haven’t pursued any certifications yet, but I’m interested in doing so, but they do cost. In December i graduated from a MC3 program, where I completed over 400 hours of hands-on construction training. Additionally, I obtained my OSHA 30 and HazWoper 40-hour certifications. I really am eager to get to working and just applying to job boards hasn’t taken me far.

So like the title says, I’m looking for some opinions on a new PAUT machine. Weight is one of the biggest concerns for me because it’ll be hopefully the only machine I carry around to also do normal shear wave and straight beam. Familiar with the Omniscans so I’m leaning towards the SX because it’s half the weight of the X3 and X4 but still double the weight of my 650. Any and all options are welcome, especially from anyone using other brands.

I was told by a company that UT testing schedule 10 stainless pipe will not work well. Wanted to know what the NDT community thought of it. Thanks in advance

Hey.

I'm currently prepping to take the API 510 exam, but I feel as if im missing something.

Im using the CASTI course as a method of preparation, and it sometimes feels like they are pulling numbers from out of nowhere.

Is there a book of codes that I'm meant to look for answers while I study. If so, where can i find it.

Thanks

Can I transition from a pipe fitters welding course to NDT? I’m about three months away from graduating, and during class, we were introduced to NDT. It’s been a strong interest of mine ever since, and i don’t want to withdraw from the program. So, I was hoping someone could share some tips on transitioning from welding school to NDT. Or what I should do after welding school.

what should I anticipate to make as a cwi in wi , non union job shop enviornment? asking because if I get an offer I want too know what is a good fair wage and what would be selling myself short?. Google has some numbers however looking for as much info as I can get. Thanks in advance

Eddy Current Tube Inspectors

What are your biggest gripes with your current Mapping solution?

What is missing that you would use?

What would make you move to a different platform?