NDTkit UT empowers clients to revolutionise their data analysis workflow for non-destructive testing

Focus on UT diagnosis, while the software helps with the repetitive tasks

(This article was first published in Aerospace Testing International, March 2024 issue)

One major challenge of non-destructive testing in the aerospace industry is the growing complexity of data. Consequently, there is a growing demand for diagnostic assistance software from companies involved in the design, industrialization and manufacturing of parts.

This demand is fed by two different perspectives: At the larger scale, companies face challenges to assure security and quality in face of production ramp-ups. Meanwhile from an individual view, inspectors and engineers lose much time on data handling. One solution to this issue is to embrace modern software solutions. With the right tools, experts are positioned at the core of the decision-making processes without the distraction of manual data processing.

Customisation is key

However, many of the software solutions on the market are non-customizable black boxes: Without the option to add bespoke post-processing functions, users cannot leverage the full potential of automatisation for their specific needs. These shortcomings are addressed by NDTkit UT. The new version 4 is an example of commitment to innovate digital NDT solutions for the aerospace industry. NDTkit UT benefits greatly from 20 years of continuous evolution and aerospace expertise. Its sustainable software architecture ensures long-term operability and has convinced customers like Dassault, Safran amongst others.

NDTkit UT is a solid post-processing solution for both basic and advanced use cases. It truly shines at directly addressing clients’ specific needs with custom scripts and plugins. They can be added either by the customer or with the support from the Testia team. For example, analysis sequencers, labelling of defect types, position defects compared to predefined structures and many more bespoke features have already been implemented for satisfied clients.

Tangible benefits

If customers choose to add custom additions to the software, Testia can guide and support this process. Based on the client’s specifications or procedures, the NDTkit UT team will adjust the software accordingly with macros and/or scripts. Thorough test runs ensure that the final delivery will exactly meet the requirements. The time frame for a customisation project like this depends on the complexity, with straightforward cases being possible within a few weeks.

The outcome of the NDTkit UT integration for the customer is tremendous: Thanks to the new solidified and reliable process, the client can achieve measurable time savings, scale their productivity and ensure the repeatability of precise analytics results. While the standard post-processing features already add real benefits to the workflow, the pro automation capabilities of NDTkit UT go the extra mile: They aim to minimise the human factor by relieving the experts from manual data processing so they can concentrate on critical processes and decision making. Existing users have identified this as the crucial element in enhancing production efficiency.

A foundation for the future

The optimised workflow with NDTkit UT brings huge advantages to its users to cope with the changing conditions in the aerospace industry – and any other industry sector. This leap in productivity is based on the versatile features of the software, but NDTkit UT also assures long-term reliability.

Accessing data throughout the entire lifespan of an aircraft or components is a key requirement of industrial standards. For users it is also important to access UT data collected from various devices over a long period. This principle is at the core of the NDT 4.0 paradigm, to which Testia is committed. Another factor at play is digital continuity and traceability like secure cloud-based data management, Digital Mock-Ups (DMU) – NDTkit UT is ready to take the next steps.