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Radiographic inspection (RT)

The area, located within the NDT Business Unit, combines 2D and 3D X-ray technologies to enable the best investigation depending on the type of component, manufacturing process, and final output required.

The HUB has 2 2D radiography systems of 160 KV and 320 KV to which film or digital systems (Computed Radiography and Direct Radiography) can be combined.

With TEC Eurolab, you can always have the best tool to achieve the final goal of the analysis and meet the required quality requirements.

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New radiographic hub at TEC Eurolab

What does the radiographic (RT) method consist of?

Radiographic inspection (identified by the acronym RT), by sending X-radiation through a material, is able to detect discontinuities both localized within and localized at or near the surface. RT control, regardless of the technique employed (FILM or NO FILM) provides, as an output, a projection on a 2D plane of the entire volume traversed by the radiation. RT inspection particularly excels at detecting discontinuities parallel to the direction of propagation of the ionizing beam.

The presence of a discontinuity is evidenced as a darker area (greater radiographic blackening) than the surrounding background, in the case where it is a void (porosity, cavity, lack of melt, missing layers) or in the case of less dense inclusion (e.g., inclusion of slag in a melting process). Discontinuities, on the other hand, are observed as lighter areas (less radiographic blackening) than the background, in the case where their density is greater than the surrounding matrix of material.

Where and when is radiographic method (RT) control applied?

RT control has no particular application limitations except for:
  • Thicknesses to be traversed: the greater the thickness to be traversed, the greater the power required to obtain an image that is in radiographic quality
  • Giacitura of discontinuities: discontinuities oriented perpendicular to the direction of propagation of the RX beam are difficult to detect
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Including these two points, RX inspection can be applied to numerous materials and manufacturing methodologies. In the case of metallic materials, X-ray inspection finds its main applications in the inspection of welded joints, cast products, or components made by additive technology.
The growth of Additive Manufacturing, and its increasing use in structural areas, even for nonmetallic components (plastics/composites) makes RT inspection widely used to search for unmelted layers, gas bubbles, or cavities due to incorrect injection/cooling process.
The ability to traverse numerous materials by representing them with different gray values also makes it possible to use RX control for verifying the placement of components that are not directly visible or accessible. This type of application is particularly useful in the analysis of electronic products where the features to be detected are often hidden or cannot be inspected by other methods.

Do you want to verify the quality of your product by the radiographic method?

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Radiographic control (RT) instrumentation.

TEC Eurolab has 2 radiogenic sources of 160 KV (placed in a modular cabinet) and 320 KV, respectively. The latter is placed in a reinforced concrete bunker and mounted on an anthropomorphic support system to ensure the inspection of components with complex geometry. In relation to the detectors, complementary to the radiogenic source in order to obtain an evaluable radiographic image, TEC Eurolab proposes 3 different solutions, each with distinctive characteristics:

RT Film by Film Technique

TEC Eurolab can perform radiographic inspection on film (Film) in accordance with UNI EN ISO 5579 (ACCREDIA Accreditation 17025) and in accordance with ASTM E1742 / E1742M (NADCAP Accreditation Checklist AC7114/4). Radiographic film inspection can be applied to numerous types of industrial artifacts, guaranteeing high sensitivities and, thanks to the periodic checks carried out, preservation of the data for the timeframes required for quality assurance purposes.

RT No Film CR (Computed Radiography) technique using phosphor screens

TEC Eurolab is ACCREDIA 17025 accredited in the RT Non Film CR method according to UNI EN ISO 16371-2. The acquisition of a CR system in 2015, and the very rapid ACCREDIA 17025 accreditation has allowed to propose a radiographic control that preserves a good part of the RT Film control (Plate flexibility combined with high scanning resolutions) providing a digital type output more easily shared with the customer. This control is carried out on many types of components and finds preferential application in the control of AM artifacts where the higher latitude of pose, compared to RT Film control on film, allows the observation in image quality of larger areas, with the same projection and exposure position.

RT No Film DR (Digital Radiography) technique using DDA panel

TEC Eurolab has recently acquired a system for performing radiographic checks according to ASTM E2798 and ASTM E 2737. This technique, which combines high sensitivity and repeatability, with high throughput capabilities will undergo NADCAP accreditation according to Checklist AC 7114/10 during 2022 to complete the proposal in Radiography.
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FAQ - Radiographic method

Should Non-Destructive Testing be carried out by qualified personnel?
Yes, the UNI EN ESO9712:2012 standard accurately specifies the number of hours provided for personnel training, depending on the method. Each method has three levels of training: level 1 is provided to become an operational technician in the method; level 2 is provided for the technician with a purpose of guiding the technicians of level 1 and therefore gives a thorough knowledge of the control methods; finally, level 3 presents a high, practical and theoretical knowledge of all control methods. Achieving levels in nondestructive testing methods requires a specific training course that ends with a certification exam.
There is no one method better than others: there are methods better suited to detect a certain type of discontinuity than others. In the case of checking a laminate, it is preferable to perform an ultrasonic inspection since the characteristic discontinuities are favorably oriented for detection. In checking a casting, considering the surface geometry and characteristic orientation of the discontinuities, it will be preferable to opt for radiographic inspection.
Plastic materials are very transparent to x-rays, so radiographic inspection is possible. For denser materials (copper alloys, lead), radiography is difficult, whereas with tomography there is absolutely more reliable analysis. Also for plastic materials, tomography is a more complete and effective analysis than radiography alone, because it is possible to investigate internal anomalies (e.g., injection and molding problems) or to extract the surfaces of manufactured parts by comparing them with the design CAD drawing.

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