Radiographic Testing

See Below the Surface

Radiographic testing, also known as radiographic inspection or examination, uses X-rays to penetrate the surface of products or materials in order to view internal components. Like all nondestructive testing, radiographic inspection does not harm the test piece. Radiographic testing can be quite useful in locating internal discontinuities such as shrinkage, cracking and porosity, verifying the integrity of internal components and determining the quality of welds. This process can be performed on many types of solid products and materials and is often useful in fire investigations to help determine the source.

Radiographic examination is performed at Laboratory Testing Inc. in two ways, which differ in their type of output

• Computed Radiography – digital images
• Conventional Radiography – film

Conventional radiography creates a permanent visible film record and meets the requirements of specifications for certain industries. Computed radiography provides the digital equivalent of the conventional X-ray film, with the added advantages of easy sharing and storage of images.

Most radiographic testing performed at LTI takes place in our 20 ft. x 20 ft. radiographic inspection vault with X-ray equipment that can penetrate metals, plastics and other solid materials of varying thicknesses. This arrangement, along with our high-capacity forklifts and 3-ton crane, allows for the radiographic testing of large products and materials. Our conventional and computed radiography capabilities also include small product inspection such as electronic assemblies using a special X-ray camera in a small cabinet unit.