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How to become Non-Destructive Testing Specialist in 2024

Non-Destructive Testing Specialist Test the safety of structures, vehicles, or vessels using x-ray, ultrasound, fiber optic or related equipment.

Non-Destructive Testing Specialist is Also Know as

In different settings, Non-Destructive Testing Specialist is titled as

  • Industrial Radiographer
  • NDE Technician (Non-Destructive Evaluation Technician)
  • NDT Coordinator (Non-Destructive Testing Coordinator)
  • NDT Inspector (Non-Destructing Testing Inspector)
  • NDT Specialist (Non-Destructive Testing Specialist)
  • NDT Technical Specialist (Non-Destructive Testing Technical Specialist)
  • NDT Technician (Non-Destructive Testing Technician)

Education and Training of Non-Destructive Testing Specialist

Non-Destructive Testing Specialist is categorized in Job Zone Two: Some Preparation Needed

Experience Required for Non-Destructive Testing Specialist

Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is usually needed. For example, a teller would benefit from experience working directly with the public.

Education Required for Non-Destructive Testing Specialist

These occupations usually require a high school diploma.

Degrees Related to Non-Destructive Testing Specialist

Training Required for Non-Destructive Testing Specialist

Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.

Related Ocuupations

Some Ocuupations related to Non-Destructive Testing Specialist in different industries are

What Do Non-Destructive Testing Specialist do?

  • Supervise or direct the work of non-destructive testing trainees or staff.
  • Produce images of objects on film, using radiographic techniques.
  • Evaluate material properties, using radio astronomy, voltage and amperage measurement, or rheometric flow measurement.
  • Develop or use new non-destructive testing methods, such as acoustic emission testing, leak testing, and thermal or infrared testing.
  • Document non-destructive testing methods, processes, or results.
  • Map the presence of imperfections within objects, using sonic measurements.
  • Make radiographic images to detect flaws in objects while leaving objects intact.
  • Visually examine materials, structures, or components for signs of corrosion, metal fatigue, cracks, or other flaws, using tools and equipment such as endoscopes, closed-circuit television systems, and fiber optics.
  • Interpret or evaluate test results in accordance with applicable codes, standards, specifications, or procedures.
  • Identify defects in concrete or other building materials, using thermal or infrared testing.
  • Identify defects in solid materials, using ultrasonic testing techniques.
  • Select, calibrate, or operate equipment used in the non-destructive testing of products or materials.
  • Conduct liquid penetrant tests to locate surface cracks by coating objects with fluorescent dyes, cleaning excess penetrant, and applying developer.
  • Prepare reports on non-destructive testing results.
  • Interpret the results of all methods of non-destructive testing (NDT), such as acoustic emission, electromagnetic, leak, liquid penetrant, magnetic particle, neutron radiographic, radiographic, thermal or infrared, ultrasonic, vibration analysis, and visual testing.
  • Examine structures or vehicles such as aircraft, trains, nuclear reactors, bridges, dams, and pipelines, using non-destructive testing techniques.

Qualities of Good Non-Destructive Testing Specialist

  • Problem Sensitivity: The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
  • Written Comprehension: The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Deductive Reasoning: The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
  • Near Vision: The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • Oral Comprehension: The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Inductive Reasoning: The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
  • Information Ordering: The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
  • Oral Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Far Vision: The ability to see details at a distance.
  • Written Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
  • Speech Clarity: The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
  • Speech Recognition: The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
  • Flexibility of Closure: The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
  • Perceptual Speed: The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.
  • Visualization: The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
  • Selective Attention: The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
  • Control Precision: The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
  • Category Flexibility: The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
  • Speed of Closure: The ability to quickly make sense of, combine, and organize information into meaningful patterns.
  • Arm-Hand Steadiness: The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
  • Manual Dexterity: The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
  • Visual Color Discrimination: The ability to match or detect differences between colors, including shades of color and brightness.
  • Mathematical Reasoning: The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.
  • Number Facility: The ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly.
  • Auditory Attention: The ability to focus on a single source of sound in the presence of other distracting sounds.
  • Depth Perception: The ability to judge which of several objects is closer or farther away from you, or to judge the distance between you and an object.
  • Finger Dexterity: The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
  • Multilimb Coordination: The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
  • Fluency of Ideas: The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
  • Time Sharing: The ability to shift back and forth between two or more activities or sources of information (such as speech, sounds, touch, or other sources).
  • Reaction Time: The ability to quickly respond (with the hand, finger, or foot) to a signal (sound, light, picture) when it appears.
  • Memorization: The ability to remember information such as words, numbers, pictures, and procedures.
  • Trunk Strength: The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without "giving out" or fatiguing.
  • Originality: The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
  • Hearing Sensitivity: The ability to detect or tell the differences between sounds that vary in pitch and loudness.
  • Rate Control: The ability to time your movements or the movement of a piece of equipment in anticipation of changes in the speed and/or direction of a moving object or scene.
  • Extent Flexibility: The ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.
  • Spatial Orientation: The ability to know your location in relation to the environment or to know where other objects are in relation to you.
  • Gross Body Equilibrium: The ability to keep or regain your body balance or stay upright when in an unstable position.
  • Static Strength: The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.
  • Response Orientation: The ability to choose quickly between two or more movements in response to two or more different signals (lights, sounds, pictures). It includes the speed with which the correct response is started with the hand, foot, or other body part.
  • Wrist-Finger Speed: The ability to make fast, simple, repeated movements of the fingers, hands, and wrists.
  • Glare Sensitivity: The ability to see objects in the presence of a glare or bright lighting.
  • Dynamic Strength: The ability to exert muscle force repeatedly or continuously over time. This involves muscular endurance and resistance to muscle fatigue.
  • Gross Body Coordination: The ability to coordinate the movement of your arms, legs, and torso together when the whole body is in motion.
  • Stamina: The ability to exert yourself physically over long periods of time without getting winded or out of breath.
  • Sound Localization: The ability to tell the direction from which a sound originated.
  • Peripheral Vision: The ability to see objects or movement of objects to one's side when the eyes are looking ahead.
  • Explosive Strength: The ability to use short bursts of muscle force to propel oneself (as in jumping or sprinting), or to throw an object.
  • Night Vision: The ability to see under low-light conditions.
  • Speed of Limb Movement: The ability to quickly move the arms and legs.
  • Dynamic Flexibility: The ability to quickly and repeatedly bend, stretch, twist, or reach out with your body, arms, and/or legs.

Tools Used by Non-Destructive Testing Specialist

  • Acoustic emissions systems
  • Acoustic testers
  • Amp meters
  • Binocular polarizing microscopes
  • Binoculars
  • Black lights
  • Capacitance testers
  • Charge-coupled device CCD cameras
  • Closed circuit television systems
  • Computer assisted tomography CAT inspection equipment
  • Depth gauges
  • Desktop computers
  • Digital micrometers
  • Digital oscilloscopes
  • Digital refractometers
  • Digital video cameras
  • Eddy current inspection equipment
  • Electric hoists
  • Electrical conductivity meters
  • Fiber optic strain sensors
  • Fluorescent microscopes
  • Gamma ray testing equipment
  • Gauss meters
  • Ground penetrating radar GPR systems
  • Handheld accelerometers
  • Handheld sprayers
  • Height gauges
  • Immersion tanks
  • Infrared thermographic scanners
  • Inspection endoscopes
  • Laptop computers
  • Laser alignment tools
  • Light meters
  • Load indenters
  • Magnifying glasses
  • Measuring tapes
  • Metallurgical microscopes
  • Microwave meters
  • Neutron detectors
  • Personal computers
  • Piezoelectric sensors
  • Portable microscopes
  • Power drills
  • Precision rulers
  • Radiation detection badges
  • Recirculating hot air drying ovens
  • Remote reading electronic thermometers
  • Scanning electron microscopes SEM
  • Schmidt rebound hammers
  • Stereo microscopes
  • Telescopes
  • Timing equipment
  • Two-channel oscilloscopes
  • Ultrasound inspection equipment
  • Velocity meters
  • Vernier calipers
  • Vibration analysis equipment
  • Volt meters
  • Width gauges
  • Windsor probes
  • X ray equipment
  • X ray microscopes

Technology Skills required for Non-Destructive Testing Specialist

  • Autodesk AutoCAD
  • Dassault Systemes CATIA
  • Fractal Concept SoftScan
  • GE Sensing & Inspection Technologies Rhythm UT
  • Geographic information system GIS systems
  • IBM Notes
  • Microsoft Access
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Office software
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Microsoft Project
  • Microsoft Word
  • National Instruments DAQ Assistant
  • National Instruments LabVIEW
  • National Instruments NI Motion Assistant
  • National Instruments NI Vision Builder for Automated Inspection AI
  • Operating system software
  • SAP software
  • Visualization Sciences Group VSG Avizo Fire
  • Visualization Sciences Group VSG Open Inventor