Texas Research International, Inc.

NDE customers are often frustrated by the one-track mind set found all too often in NDE organizations which have experience in only one or two techniques and little interest in others. The customer is often left wondering if the technique being pushed is actually the best choice for the task at hand. The term "A solution looking for a problem" is all too common in the world of nondestructive testing.

NDE References
Introduction to Magnetic Flux Leakage
Field Tip: Measurement of Residual Magnetic Fields
Accept/Reject Criteria of High Pressure Steel and Aluminum Gas Cylinders
NDE of Aluminum Gas Cylinders
Techhniques for the Nondestructive Evaluation of Polymer Matrix Composites, AMMTIAC Quarterly, Volume 2, Number 4.

At the Texas Research Institute our NDE Division employs a very diverse group of professionals with unique skills and experience. Our people span the entire realm of educational backgrounds including technicians, bachelors, masters, and doctoral degrees. Together, our staff has over 100 years of expertise in nondestructive technologies and is knowledgeable in virtually every field of NDT.

We have the ability to bring together groups of experts to tackle difficult structural problems. In 2004, we received the Nasa Engineering and Safety Center Group Achievement Award for our work in coordinating the Flowliner Independent Technical Assessment Team.

When a customer wants answers, we consider all the angles to their problem before we make a recommendation on an inspection technique!

TRI/Austin and the NDE team has significant hands-on experience in these disciplines:

Electromagnetic Techniques:

Magnetic Flux Leakage
Magnetic Particle Inspection
Magnetic Barkhausen Noise
Conventional Eddy Current
Remote Field Eddy Current

Ultrasonic Techniques:

Lamb & guided waves
Shear wave ultrasonics
Longitudinal wave UT

Sizing methods:

time-of-flight diffraction (TOFD)
db drop methods
amplitude comparison

Acoustic Emission:

Polymer composites
Metals

Infrared Testing:

Thermal Wave Imaging
Thermography

Penetrant Testing:

Liquid Penetrants
Fluorescent Penetrants
Visible Penetrants

Visual Testing:

Borescopes
Fiberscopes

Other NDE Experience:

In-line pipeline inspection tools ("pigs")
Software development for simulation and data acquisition, analysis, and visualization
Developing written procedures for performing nondestructive testing

TRI/Austin's NDT staff has also been involved with the following methods during collaborative efforts with corporate, non-profit, Government, and educational partners:

Radiography:

Neutron
X-ray
Gamma ray
Tangential
Through Wall
Digital & Filmless Imaging
Solid State Detectors
Scintillator & Phosphor Screens
Real Time Radiography

Ultrasonics:

Laser
EMATs

Electromagnetic Methods:

Pulsed Eddy Current
Low Frequency & Deep Penetrating EC
Microwave and Millimeter-wave Inspection

Shearography

Listed below are a few highlight's of TRI's NDE method development.

Purpose	Technology	TRL or Phase	Applications
New NDE Methods	Scanner to detect Corrosion Under Paint	6	Corrosion Deteciton on Aircraft Skins
Develop Testing Methods	Implosion Tests of Pressure Vessels	Phase II Completed.	Underwater Pressure Vessels

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