In the second part of his article, Critical non-destructive testing applications: Part two of two, Michael Rakos, district manager at Magnetic Analysis Corporation, discusses the various specific testing situations that illustrate the use of non-destructive testing for ensuring the safety and quality of different products.
Rakos gives a specific example about Shuttle Rocket Booster Structural Pins during the years of the Space Shuttle Program in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania. They were made from a multiphase nickel cobalt alloy for withstanding temperature extremes while maintaining a very high tensile strength, he explains in the article. At the time, MAC supplied an ECT solution for the finished pin to meet this critical application. A focused differential probe and instrument was supplied to look for any surface defects developed during manufacturing that could act as stress risers. The testing technique used a small lathe to spin the pin under the probe. The moving carriage ensured the complete part surface is scanned.
For the full article, please email Catarina Muia at c.muia@kci-world.com for the PDF.