Military Sector
The military and defence sector operates throughout the world in the most hostile environments - and equipment is operating at the limits of performance. Non-destructive Testing (NDT) equipment must also be up to the task of operating in these environments for use in the field.
NDT plays a crucial role in the military by ensuring the safety and reliability of equipment. Structures are often being deployed to very harsh environments. Military applications can fall under aerospace (fighter jets, cargo aircraft), Maritime shipping (aircraft carriers, submarines, battleships) , automotive (tanks, off-road vehicles, mobile launch platforms), temporary and permanent structures (bridges, towers), to mention a few.
1. Inspection Goals
- Ensure the safety and operational capability of equipment: Equipment may remain unused for long periods of time; inspection ensures that the equipment is operational and safe to use when required.
- Identify flaws: locate and analyse flaws early to allow for repair or replacement before the equipment gets to the field.
2. Challenges
- Harsh environments: Equipment needs to operate in very harsh environments, from high heat, high humidity to cold and dry. Equipment must perform equally in all environments in which the military operates.
- Complex geometry parts: Structural parts, composite sections, and vehicle shielding can all be unconventional shapes, making inspection a highly skilled task for operators.
- Advanced Materials: new and advanced materials used in the military such as special steels, coatings and composites can pose inspection challenges that require specialised equipment and procedures to assess.
Sonatest offers a range of ultrasonic and radiographic solutions for use in military applications. The VEO3 offers the advanced ultrasonic methods phased array, TOFD, TFM and TFMi, which are utilised in the aerospace, naval, automotive and structural applications throughout the defence sector.
The Wave offers the most advanced conventional flaw detector in the world, with CAD-imported interactive scan plans and a host of tools and applications; this set is now the standard for conventional UT.
We also supply Carestream radiographic equipment in the UK region including digital imaging systems used in aerospace applications.
Military Resources
