Quality November 2011

NOVEMBER 2011, VOLUME 50/NUMBER 11

WWW.QUALITYMAG.COM

MODEL BASEDMODEL BASEDDEFINITIONDEFINITION PROMISES BIG DIVIDENDSPROMISES BIG DIVIDENDS pp. 30. 30

50 YEARS OF 50 YEARS OF QUALITY:QUALITY: NONDESTRUCTIVE TESTING NONDESTRUCTIVE TESTING p.p. 18 18

ELIMINATE ERRORS IN ELIMINATE ERRORS IN VIDEO MEASUREMENT SYSTEMS VIDEO MEASUREMENT SYSTEMS p.p. 22 22

CMM MARKET: CMM MARKET: A LOOK AT THE FUTURE A LOOK AT THE FUTURE p.p. 26 26

ASSESSING AEROSPACE ASSESSING AEROSPACE RISK MANAGEMENT RISK MANAGEMENT p.p. 34 34

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50 YEARS OF QUALITY

18 A LOOK AT NONDESTRUCTIVE TESTING This month 50 Years of Quality takes a look at how nondestructive testing (NDT) has been covered throughout the years. NDT became such an important topic for our readers that a special section called, NDT including Materials Test, launched in 2003.

QUALITY MEASUREMENT

22 ELIMINATE ERRORS IN VIDEO MEASUREMENT SYSTEMSTake a closer look at sources of error in video measurement systems and their comprehensive analysis.

QUALITY TEST & INSPECTION

26 CMM MARKET: A LOOK AT THE FUTUREManufacturers are looking to build CMMs that are more reliable, efficient and suitable to various types of end users, which require significant R&D investments.

QUALITY SOFTWARE

30 MODEL BASED DEFINITION PROMISES BIG DIVIDENDS Inspection planning greatly enhanced with MBD and GD&T.

QUALITY MANAGEMENT

34 ASSESSING AEROSPACE RISK MANAGAMENTRealize the benefits of an aerospace risk management process and why it should be part of every organization’s culture.

6 FROM THE EDITOR Focus on Growth

8 INDUSTRY NEWSBoeing Delivers First 787—Three Years Late

Honda Recalls 100,000 Vehicles

Global Manufacturing Execs Make Growth a Priority

14 FACE OF QUALITY What’s Wrong with

Strategic Planning?

16 OTHER DIMENSIONS Conditions and Causes

38 CASE STUDY FEA Increases Notebook Reliability

47 CLASSIFIEDS

48 ADVERTISING INDEX

In the long evolution of 3-D computer aided design (CAD), you would not think innovative progress is possible at this point. Take model based definition (MBD), for example. Surprisingly, there is significant activity in this area, and genuine value this technology can bring to the manufacturing table. Source: Hexagon Metrology

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CONTENTSQUALITY MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER 2011 | VOLUME 50 | NUMBER 11

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NOVEMBER 2011, VOLUME 50/NUMBER 11

WWW.QUALITYMAG.COM

MODEL BASED DEFINITION PROMISES BIG DIVIDENDS p. 30

50 YEARS OF QUALITY: NONDESTRUCTIVE TESTING p. 18

ELIMINATE ERRORS IN VIDEO MEASUREMENT SYSTEMS p. 22

CMM MARKET: A LOOK AT THE FUTURE p. 26

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Videos show you the latest products and technology to improve manufacturing processes.

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Eddy Current Testing: Its Many Benefi ts and Applications

Why the Buzz on Metrology Software in 2011?Between 2003 and 2007, the majority of software vendors spent substantial amounts of money on research and development (R&D) and marketing aimed at increasing awareness among end users about the benefi ts of software enhancements. This has continued over the past three years, although the economic slowdown has had a negative impact on demand for new applications. End users have now become more aware of the cost-saving potential of software, and this is opening up new market opportunities for suppliers.

Cost Savings Elusive for Lean-Leaning ManufacturersLean manufacturing principles, widely touted by companies as an effective way to eliminate waste and boost the bottom line, often do not achieve targeted cost savings, according to a recent study.

S. 1619 Will Not Improve U.S. Global Competitiveness On October 11, the Senate passed with a vote of 63-35 the Currency Exchange Rate Oversight Reform Act, S. 1619. The bipartisan bill, sponsored by Sens. Chuck Schumer and Sherrod Brown, would place new duties on imports from nations that devalue their currency in order to keep their export prices low.

CONNECT WITH QUALITY:

Industry experts share their views on the latest in quality and manufacturing:

• Jim’s Gems: Weekly Updates!

• Shifting the Paradigm

• Quality Remix

• NDT: Key to Quality and NDT Round-Up

• Learning with Lecky, Vision Round-Up and Perspectives in Vision

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W hile the name of the game the past few years has

been controlling and cutting costs, senior man-

ufacturing executives are apparently loosening the

death grip on their wallets, according the 2011 Global

Manufacturing Outlook from KPMG International.

The KPMG annual survey of 220 manufacturing

executives—including 61 in the United States—from

global companies with at least $1 billion in revenue

found that businesses are cautiously optimistic on

near-term prospects and are shifting their stances

from cost containment to a focus on top-line growth

as a priority in the next two years.

During the past two years, in addition to cost

containment, U.S. executives were most focused on

customer relationships, process efficiencies and shared

services. Looking at their top priorities for the two

years ahead, 26% of the U.S. executives say they will

focus on top-line growth, followed by 13% saying

R&D and innovation, and 12% indicating customer

relationships, according to the report. Seventy-nine

percent of U.S. respondents were either very optimistic

or optimistic about their company’s business outlook

for the next two years.

When asked to compare the primary focus areas

of their growth strategies in the next two years with

the two previous years, the survey revealed a shift in

focus: 56% of manufacturers globally are planning to

sell new products in new and existing markets during

the next two years, up from 37%.

This eagerness to release new products was evident

at the recent Quality Expo, held Sept. 20-22 at Chi-

cago’s McCormick Place. A bevy of new products was

unveiled at the show, and I spoke with several mar-

keting people whose companies plan to release new

products in the first quarter of 2012, a good indicator

going into an IMTS year. It’s encouraging when one

considers how many companies traditionally wait

until IMTS to make a splash with new products.

I’m also seeing more new product announcements

come across my desk than in recent memory, a

sure sign that more money is going toward product

development—whether it’s brand new product or a

tweaking of existing products.

“Many companies emerged from the 2008-2010

downturn with significantly reduced cost structures,

more cash and liquidity, and a laser focus on their

customers and markets. These survivors have the

mindset and strategy to define the standard of suc-

cess in the next five years,” said Jeff Dobbs, KPMG’s

global head of Diversified Industrials and a partner in

the U.S. firm.

Where do you think manufacturing is headed in

the short and long term? Is the industry poised for

growth or is this recent revival a response to pent-up

demand that will eventually fizzle out? Share your

thoughts with me at [email protected], or

with other members of the Quality community at the

Quality Magazine LinkedIn Group page, the QualityFacebook page and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/

QualityMagazine.

FOCUS ON GROWTHLARGE MANUFACTURERS READY TO SHIFT GEARS.

FROM THE EDITOR

Gillian Campbell, Editor

[email protected]

GILLIANCAMPBELL

Measuring Force & Torque? Just Plug & TestTM!

BUSINESS NEWS | COMING EVENTS | PEOPLE NEWS | MERGERS

ININDDUSTRYUSTRY


View the latest in quality industry news by visiting our headlines at qualitymag.com—updated daily. Just click the tag now and see what you’re missing. If you don’t have the mobile app on your smart phone, visit http://gettag.mobi to get started.

BOEING DELIVERS FIRST 787—THREE YEARS LATEEVERETT, WA—After three years of

production and design delays, Boeing

delivered its first 787 Dreamliner to All

Nippon Airways at a handover ceremo-

ny in Everett, WA, on Sept. 26.

ANA signed delivery papers Sept. 25,

and flew its new jet from Seattle to Tokyo

on Sept. 27, the Associated Press (AP) says.

The 787 is said to give to 20% fuel

savings over other passenger jets,

mainly because about half of its primary

structure—including its fuselage and

wings—is constructed from composite

materials. Yet it travels at the same

speed, Mach 0.85, as other wide-body

planes. And it has the newest aviation

technologies, including an on-board

health-monitoring system that allows

the Dreamliner to monitor itself and

automatically send in maintenance reports

to ground-based computer systems.

In 2008, Boeing first revealed the

Dreamliner, and said then that it had

already taken 677 preorders. But at the

time, the company said the first Dream-

liner would fly by September of that year,

and that the first passengers would be

flying by May 2008. It would take Boeing

until December 15, 2009, to get the plane

into the sky. And only now will paying

passengers be able to climb aboard.

The Dreamliner issues began in

September 2007, when Boeing delayed

the first flight for a month because of

“challenges with out-of-sequence pro-

duction work, including parts shortages,

and remaining software and systems

integration activities.” Then, a month

later, Boeing said it would slow down

the program, for at least six months,

“due to continued challenges completing

assembly of the first airplanes.” A few

months after that, the first flight was

again pushed back because of a series of

supply chain problems.

The delays did not end there. There

was a 57-day machinists strike, which

ended in November 2008 but also

caused new supply shortages. There

were additional problems with assem-

bly. And then, in June 2009, the aircraft

maker announced more delays “due to

a need to reinforce an area within the

side-of-body section of the aircraft.”

Even after the Dreamliner’s first flight

in December 2009, there were still new

problems to contend with. In August

2010, India’s National Aviation Co.,

which operates Air India, said it wanted

$840 million in compensation from

Boeing because of the delays. Boeing

said then that it was involved in negotia-

tions with various carriers over delay-

oriented costs.

And then, in November 2010, came the

most biggest complication of all—an on-

board electrical fire in a control panel.

Airlines have ordered more than 800

of the Dreamliner. The plane is covered

in lightweight carbon fiber instead of

aluminum, and should give fuel savings

and offer passengers greater comfort,

the AP says.

HONDA RECALLS 100,000 CR-VS, CR-ZS IN UNITED STATES TORRANCE, CA—In the most recent of

a series of recall announcements this year

involving Honda cars sold in America,

the automaker said it will recall 5,626

CR-Z hybrid sports cars from model year

2011. The recall affects CR-Z models that

have manual transmissions, and the soft-

ware that controls the vehicles’ electric

motors needs to be updated.

The affected cars’ problems involve

the potential for the car to roll unex-

pectedly. When the gasoline engine

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PEOPLE NEWSROBERT W. GALVIN, 89, the former chief execu-tive and chairman of Motorola Inc. who led the company as it pioneered the cellular phone, died October 11, in Chicago, his family said. Galvin shaped Motorola, a company founded by his father, into a multinational technology pow-erhouse with a strong presence in Europe, Latin America, China and other regions. Galvin, who attended Evanston Township High School and the University of Notre Dame, started working full time at Motorola in 1944. He succeeded his father, company founder Paul Galvin, in 1959. At that time, Motorola’s annual sales totaled $290 million. By the time Galvin stepped down as chairman in 1990, Motorola was a global company with $10.8 billion in sales.

General Motors (Detroit) has retained former vice chairman ROBERT A. “BOB” LUTZ to pro-vide counsel to the senior leadership team of the company. Lutz will be available to executives on a part-time consultancy basis. He brings a wealth of experience built over the course of more than 40 years in the industry, including two stints at GM. He also has been a senior executive at Ford, Chrysler, BMW and was CEO of Exide Batteries.

www.qualitymag.com November 2011 | QUALITY 9

has stalled with the integrated-motor-

assist (IMA) battery in a very low state

of charge and the transmission is in

gear, the electric motor can rotate in

the direction opposite to that selected

by the transmission. “If this occurs

and the driver has not engaged the

brakes, the vehicle may slowly roll in

an unexpected direction (for example,

backwards when the transmission is in

a forward gear), potentially leading to a

crash,” Honda says.

A software update will add addition-

al controls to correct the issue, Honda

say, which has of yet not caused any

reported injuries or deaths.

Honda also said it would volun-

tarily recall 80,111 CR-V vehicles

from the 2006 model year in the

United States to replace the power

window master switch. The design

of the power window master switch

can enable residue from interior

cleaners to build up, which can, over

time, cause the electrical contacts

to degrade and may lead to a fire in

the switch, the automaker said. No

injuries or deaths have been reported

related to this condition.

Honda urges all owners of affected

vehicles to take their cars to an autho-

rized dealer as soon as they receive

notification of a recall from Honda.

The recall announcements came within

hours of a Honda spokesman in Tokyo

stating that the company would recall

about 960,000 Fit subcompacts and

other models globally to repair defects,

including the malfunctioning power

window switches.

EXECS MAKE GROWTH A PRIORITY NEW YORK, NY—Large global manu-

facturers are setting their sights on

top-line growth over the next two years

fueled by new products, strategic acqui-

sitions and alliances, innovation and

increasing production capacity in high-

growth markets. Bolstering the growth

agenda are stronger investments in

supply chain risk management to miti-

gate the impact of continued market

volatility, according to KPMG’s 2011

Global Manufacturing Outlook.

The KPMG annual survey of 220

manufacturing executives, including

61 in the United States, from global

companies with at least $1 billion in

revenue, found that businesses are cau-

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pects and are shifting from their previ-

ous emphasis on cost containment to a

focus on top-line growth as a priority

in the next two years.

Looking at their top priorities, 26%

of the U.S. executives say they will

focus on top-line growth, followed by

13% saying R&D and innovation, and

12% indicating customer relationships.

Throughout the past two years, U.S.

executives were most focused on cost

containment, followed by customer

relationships and process efficiencies/

shared services. Seventy-nine percent

of U.S. respondents were either very

optimistic or optimistic about their

company’s business outlook for the

next two years.

“Today, we’re seeing that despite an

increasing set of cost challenges, manu-

facturers are realigning their business

models to prioritize top-line growth,”

says Jeff Dobbs, KPMG’s global head of

Diversified Industrials and a partner in

the U.S. firm. “Companies have learned

they can survive the challenges of eco-

nomic uncertainty, political instability

and historic natural disasters with lean

agile operating structures, enhanced

risk management practices, and a focus

on innovation.”

In pressing ahead on the growth

track, 39% of global respondents say they

will grow through mergers and acquisi-

tions (M&A), joint ventures and alli-

ances; and 30% through increased pro-

duction capacity, mainly in high-growth

markets. U.S. respondents cite increased

production capacity (36%), M&A, joint

ventures and strategic alliances (31%),

research and development (23%), and

new sales offices (10%) as approaches to

achieving growth for their companies.

“Many companies emerged from the

2008-2010 downturn with significantly

reduced cost structures, more cash and

liquidity, and a laser focus on their cus-

tomers and markets. These survivors

have the mindset and strategy to define

the standard of success in the next five

years,” says Dobbs.

When asked to compare the primary

focus areas of their growth strategies

in the next two years with the two

previous years, the survey revealed a

marked shift in focus: 56% of manufac-

turers globally are planning to sell new

products in new and existing markets

over the next two years, up from 37%.

As to where demand is expected, the

United States ranks as the top market,

closely followed by China, then India,

with Brazil and Germany rounding out

the top five. Slightly more than half

see emerging markets as key to their

growth strategies.

Price volatility of raw materials and

inputs remains the biggest challenge for

44% of executives, followed by increased

competition and pricing pressure, and

uncertain demand. In the United States,

price volatility on key cost inputs,

uncertain demand, and intense compe-

tition and pressure on pricing were seen

as the top three challenges.

To better manage volatility,

56% of manufacturers say they are

reshaping their supply chain models.

Standardization is one of the key

strategies—55% of manufacturers

plan to standardize their production

process, while 45% will require

standardized inputs. Further, just more

than 40% said they will focus on cost


reduction through a shortening of the

overall product development life cycle.

Nearly half of respondents say they

will invest in technology to improve vis-

ibility across the supply chain, the single

most important tool for managing risk.

Other measures include helping suppli-

ers develop risk management standards

and assessing supply chain processes.

PORTFOLIO HELPS METROLOGY SOFTWARE VENDORS STAVE OFF COMPETITIONLONDON—Consumers of metrol-

ogy software have upped the demand

for higher product quality in order to

streamline their production processes,

thereby reducing costs, maintaining

efficiency and ensuring profitability, says

market research firm Frost & Sullivan.

To achieve these goals, consumers

have increased investments in the auto-

mation of production processes, where

software also plays a key role. Metrol-

ogy software developers are looking to

cash in on this demand by producing

flexible, reliable and accurate solutions.

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan,

World Metrology Software Market,

finds that the market earned revenues

of $254.4 million in 2009 and estimates

this to reach $331.9 million in 2014.

“The majority of software vendors had

spent substantial amounts of money on

R&D and marketing to raise awareness

among end users about the benefits of

software enhancements,” says Frost

& Sullivan research analyst Prathima

Bommakanti. “Eventually, end users

are more knowledgeable about the cost-

saving potential of software, and this is

opening up new market opportunities

for suppliers.”

Market participants are striving

to keep pace with the evolution of

end-user technologies by focusing on

ease-of-use and advanced technologi-

cal feature sets that can accommodate

future demand. The need to stand out

in the market has forced manufacturers

to provide services and solutions that

can restore customer confidence and

renew demand.

One of the top criteria for choosing a

metrology software vendor is a service

portfolio. “Without an extended ser-

vice portfolio and qualified engineers,

suppliers have limited scope of becom-

ing leaders in the metrology software

market,” notes Bommakanti. “Most key

market participants have well trained

and experienced in-house staff that can

offer complete and customized service

support to their customers.”

Although the market is progress-

ing steadily, manufacturers are still

trying to shake off the effects of the

global economic downturn. Some of

the fallouts of the downturn were pric-

ing pressure on vendors and the dip in

demand for new applications.

The competitive landscape and the

market maturity further compelled

software vendors to place emphasis

on maintenance contracts from the

major customers. The situation will

ease gradually, once customers start

unfreezing their investment plans.

The percentage of licenses is expected

to increase as the pent-up demand is

released and end users’ business plans

are solidified.

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BUSINESS OPTIMISM INDEX REVEALS GLOOMY OUTLOOK AMONG MANUFACTURERSCHICAGO–U.S. manufacturing leaders

are extremely pessimistic about the U.S.

economy, according to Grant Thornton

LLP’s most recent Business Optimism

Index, a quarterly survey of U.S. manu-

facturing business leaders. Only 13%

believe the U.S. economy will improve in

the next six months, down significantly

from 40% in May. At the same time, 40%

believe the U.S. economy will get worse,

up from 26%. In addition, only 21% of

manufacturers say they will increase hir-

ing and 35% say they plan layoffs.

“Manufacturing has been one of

the few bright spots in the economy

since the end of the recession, gen-

erating more than 300,000 new jobs

since December 2009, according to

the National Association of Manu-

facturers,” says Jim Maurer, partner

and practice leader of Grant Thorn-

ton LLP’s Consumer and Industrial

Products Practice in Chicago. “Strong

export growth in 2010 and the first

half of 2011 helped increase revenues

and create jobs. However, the slowing

global economy coupled with a lack of

confidence in domestic and global eco-

nomic policy has caused senior manu-

facturing executives to turn cautious as

these are matters over which they have

very little direct control.”

The manufacturers that Gruenes

speaks to regularly say they are focused

on matters that they can control, with

their top three priorities being reducing

costs by improving their manufactur-

ing processes; utilizing techniques such

as lean manufacturing and Six Sigma;

upgrading their production equipment

and IT systems to enhance their effi-

ciency; and re-enforcing quality and

customer satisfaction.

When asked what public policy ini-

tiative would make business leaders

most optimistic about the country’s

future, a job creation program was most

popular (46%) with manufacturers, fol-

lowed closely by deficit reduction (43%).

CHEVROLET TURNS 100DETROIT, MI—When the first

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rented garage near downtown Detroit,

it began a journey that has taken

Chevrolet to every corner of the planet.

A hundred years and more than 209

million cars and trucks later, Chevrolet

is one of the world’s-largest car brands,

doing business in more than 140 coun-

tries. “For Chevrolet, the journey is

just beginning,” says Chris Perry, vice

president, global marketing and strat-

egy for Chevrolet. “Chevrolet starts its

second century with its best product

lineup ever and strong growth in major

markets in Asia, Europe and South

America. “Our goal is to build on the

foundation laid in our first hundred

years to make Chevrolet a hometown

brand in home towns around the

world,” says Perry.

Chevrolet is becoming GM’s global

mainstream brand, the foundation of

the company’s business in most major

markets. In recent years, Chevrolet

has expanded from its traditional

markets in North and South America,

and its list of Top 10 markets now

includes China, Russia, Uzbekistan

and India. The brand today sells more

than 60% of its vehicles outside the

United States. Last year, Chevrolet

sold a record 4.26 million cars and

trucks, and was the only global auto-

maker in the top five to grow its mar-

ket share. This year, Chevrolet is on

track for the best sales year in its 100-

year history. New, globally designed-

and-produced models are behind

Chevrolet’s record growth.

For example, the Chevrolet Cruze is

on pace this year to mark 1 million in

total sales since its launch. Cruze went

on sale in the United States last year,

and is the nation’s best-selling compact

car, surpassing all Asian, European,

and U.S. competitors. A Malibu sedan

will launch this fall in South Korea,

along with a global midsize Colorado

pickup in Thailand. A Sonic subcom-

pact (Aveo in global markets) goes on

sale this fall in the United States, fol-

lowed by the Spark mini-car in 2012.

Chevrolet was founded on build-

ing affordable cars and trucks with

style, value and features not offered

by competitors. For example, in 1955,

Chevrolet re-engineered the V-8 engine

in a way that made performance acces-

sible to millions of new customers. The

result was the small-block V-8. This

spirit of innovation continues today.

A new Malibu Eco model will include

eAssist technology that improves fuel

economy by approximately 25%. Last

year, the first Chevrolet Volt extended-

range electric vehicle rolled off an

assembly line near Detroit, combin-

ing electric power and a small range-

extending gas engine. The Volt and

Malibu are part of Chevrolet’s global

electrification strategy to reduce petro-

leum use and vehicle emissions.

Chevrolet was created in 1911 by

auto pioneer and industrialist and

William C. Durant and Swiss-born

race car driver Louis Chevrolet. Durant

believed Chevrolet should produce cars

offering more value than the volume

leaders of the time, most notably the

Model T. Although both men had left

GM by 1920, Chevrolet has stayed true

to this vision.

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Many of us are involved in the annual seemingly

endless ritual of creating a strategic plan. While it

is a necessary and important management tool, many

organizations spend a lot of time and resources on plan-

ning and not enough time and energy on execution.

Many management teams will spend hours sequestered

in conference rooms in deep discussions about their

organizations, competition and markets. Staff and line

personnel will typically spend countless more hours

researching, compiling reports, putting together and

delivering presentations. But to what avail?

If we’re lucky, the strategies will be communicated

down to the worker level; however, data suggests that

this doesn’t happen in many cases, at least in a clear

and meaningful manner. Mostly, the strategy is put

into a nice binder and then put on the bookshelf. At

the next appointed time,

the binders are taken

down, dusted and used

as review material for

the next strategic plan-

ning cycle.

However, organizations that do well seem to follow

these simple fundamental concepts.

• Senior managers accept full accountability. Stra-

tegic planning is too important to delegate to staff.

No others in the organization will be better posi-

tioned to have the overall picture to set the direc-

tion of the organization. Senior management must

remain intimately involved.

• Strategic planning is a process. Strategic planning

is not an exercise or event done once a year. A lot of

effort goes into the plan, but the real work resides in

the execution of the plan. In order to be a success,

implementation of the plan needs to become part of

the day-to-day operations.

• Select the right team. Obviously senior manage-

ment needs support, advice and counsel in order

to be effective. It needs to include those who will

be able to contribute to the content of the plan.

These people also should be positioned to help drive

implementation of the strategies within the plan.

• Involve the organization. Have no doubt that senior

management and their planning team are leading

the effort. However, successful companies seek input

from within and outside their organization. They

seek input from a number of ways including, market

research focus groups and surveys. Successful strate-

gic planning teams will be armed with diverse data

and information to create a more robust plan.

• Allocate enough time and resources. Strategic

thinking and planning involves thoughtful discus-

sion. Organizations that don’t allow enough time for

their strategic sessions generally end up with inferior

results, which will be very costly.

• Encourage communication. The strategic plan

needs to be communicated clearly to the organi-

zation. Employees need to know what to expect

and how they can help with implementation. The

mistake many organizations make is not repeating

the plan and giving regular updates. Management

should err on the side of overcommunicating the

plan and progress toward meeting the milestones.

• Link the strategic plan. The strategic plan must be

cascaded throughout the organization in order to

deploy and execute the outcome of the plan. Man-

agement and employees must have specific action

steps (tactical objectives), linked to the plan, in

order to implement the strategy. At the end of the

day, it is the whole organization that will ensure

deployment and implementation.

• Measure the results. The old saying, “what gets mea-

sured, gets managed” is certainly true in this case.

Management needs to monitor progress of the action

steps at regular updates—a quarterly review, at mini-

mum. It is one thing to develop the strategic plan,

but quite another to implement the outcomes. This

is where the real work resides and the organization

needs to manage it as such. All employees must have

clear and accountable objectives through which they

are able to monitor their progress. In this manner

adjustments can be made accordingly as everyone

has his focus on deployment and implementation.

• Remain flexible. Plans aren’t perfect. If something

isn’t working, don’t just keep plowing ahead—make

adjustments. Monitor and measure the changes to

ensure positive change is taking place.

So, what’s wrong with strategic planning? The

problem rests with management’s approach and com-

mitment, not with the tool. The solution is fairly

simple as it rests with commitment, alignment and

visibility. The strategic plan must be an active process

with results cascaded for linkage. The corresponding

actions are constantly monitored to ensure that deci-

sions and results are in line with the strategy.

Jim L. Smith has more than 45 years of industry experience in operations, engineering, research & development and quality man-agement. You can reach Jim at [email protected].

WHAT’S WRONG WITH STRATEGIC PLANNING?

THE PROBLEM MAY BE TOO MUCH PLANNING AND NOT ENOUGH EXECUTION.

JIM L. SMITH

FACE OF QUALITY

Strategic planning is too

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In some recent columns I dealt with common mistakes

that are made when calibrating gages. The columns

dealt with the picky details, but often a look at the big-

ger picture can help you get to the specific details faster

or alert you to a bigger, unseen problem that won’t go

away no matter how much fiddling you do.

I attended a presentation by a gage user that outlined

his experience with a high-tech thread gage calibration

device he had spent a bomb on. No more reviewing

reports as the machine spewed out the numbers and

made the decisions. Calibration was done in a fraction

of the time. When you’ve got hundreds of gages to do,

this thing had to be the greatest invention since they

put erasers on pencils. Or so this gage user thought.

To prove his point, he quoted results from a batch

of several hundred gages

from different makers

that the machine had

“calibrated.” It rejected

every one.

The fact that not one

of these gages was con-

sidered acceptable should

have set off an alarm.

Even the worst gage makers actually get some gages

right, a thought that even the greatest skeptic will agree

with. Others attending the presentation had already

run tests on this device and found it inaccurate for gage

calibration and were not surprised by its performance.

The lesson to be learned here is that when every

measurement is identical, something is probably

wrong, and it doesn’t matter whether the device is

accepting or rejecting everything. Repeatability of a

process or calibration device is required to obtain reli-

able measurements—but you can have perfect repeat-

ability of the wrong answer.

Whether it’s gages or component parts measure-

ments, when they all lean in the same direction

compared to someone else’s readings, someone has

got a measurement problem. Here are some ele-

ments to consider:

• Resolution of the equipment is too coarse.

• The temperature is off.

• Incorrect setting masters are being used or correct

ones are used incorrectly.

• Worn contacts and/or anvils can put a consistent

error into the readings.

• Indicators and/or probes that are not correctly

mounted on comparator stands will result in non-

linear response from them—all of the time.

• People problems can never be ruled out.

• Measuring forces are different.

• Check the batteries.

To solve any mysteries in measurement you need

to have something that is stable to start with or you’ll

be running around in circles forever. Whether the

readings are considered right or wrong, if they are

repeatable, you can use a process of elimination to

determine what’s going on. If they don’t repeat, there

are a number of things that should be checked to sta-

bilize whatever mess you’re trying to sort out. Here

are some of them:

• The instrument is physically damaged.

• Contact points are loose on mechanical equipment.

• Unstable power source to digital equipment.

• Hands-on analog indicators are loose.

• Normalizing times are not being observed when it’s

a calibration dispute.

• Check the batteries.

Any one of these situations can cause unstable

readings. It’s easiest to check the batteries. You

should have spares on hand because they always go

down on the night shift on a weekend when all local

suppliers are closed. Switch those in the instrument

with unused ones, and if the problem persists, you

know that’s not the cause. Alternatively, you could

put the instrument on an AC adapter to see if that

will correct the problem.

Yes, I know most battery-powered instruments

have warning symbols to indicate a low battery situ-

ation, but this is often overlooked and may not be

working properly.

Air gages are another instrument that requires a

stable supply but in this case, besides electrical power

to a display system, a stable supply of clean, dry com-

pressed air is required for them to work properly.

Repeatability problems arise when the air is dirty and

crud accumulates around the sensing jets. If the air is

not dry, it can condense in the pneumatic side of the

instrument putting water in the air circuit that will

cause fluttering pointers, f lickering digital displays

and wrist-slashing frustration.

I hope these notes will help you sort out these prob-

lems when they arise. Of course, I’ve left the most crit-

ical tip to the last: don’t forget to check the batteries.

Hill Cox president of Frank J. Cox Sales Ltd. (Brampton, Ontario, Canada). He may be reached at [email protected].

CONDITIONS AND CAUSESSOME TIPS WILL HELP SOLVE MEASUREMENT MYSTERIES.

OTHER DIMENSIONS

HILL COX

“…when every measurement

is identical, something is

probably wrong…”

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50 YEARS OF QUALITY

NONDESTRUCTIVE TESTING THROUGH ANNIHILATION, MAY 2003Annihilation. The word itself brings

to mind destruction and conflagra-

tion. In the atomic realm, however, the

rules are different. One company has

developed a way to play by those rules.

It has developed a way to test materi-

als nondestructively based on the

physics of the subatomic world. In this

technology, particles are created only

to be destroyed.

The technology, called Photon

Induced Positron Annihilation

(PIPA), was invented by scientists

at the U.S. Department of Energy’s

Idaho National Engineering and

Environmental Laboratory (Boise, ID)

and licensed to Positron Systems Inc.

(Boise, ID) for commercial use.

PIPA can detect component fatigue

and embrittlement of materials based

on the amount of energy created when

positrons and electrons annihilate each

other. The technology can identify

defective materials or determine the

remaining “life” of materials. It can

identify atomic lattice defects smaller

than 10 microns in size and measure-

ment uncertainties of less than 1%.

Measurements using this technique

have been performed on a variety of

materials, including titanium, alumi-

num, stainless steel, iron, copper, poly-

mers and composites. The system can

penetrate materials to different depths

depending on the material’s density.

For example, it can penetrate 2 inches

into stainless steel, 3.5 inches into tita-

nium and 4 inches into aluminum, says

Curt Rideout, chemical and nuclear

engineer who serves as Positron’s mili-

tary marketing and sales manager.

If desirable, measurements can be

taken from both sides of a test material

or part, doubling the depth-detection

capability. The technology also can

produce cross-sectional analyses, and

assembled parts can be tested and ana-

lyzed. For instance, a titanium strut

inside of an aluminum airplane wing

can be tested without having to disas-

semble the structure.

PRESERVE THE IMAGE, AUGUST 2006Visual inspection is the

oldest of all inspection

techniques. Man has

always trusted his eyes

to assess the quality or

fitness for purpose of

objects ranging from arti-

facts and structures to precious stones

and food. He also has always trusted his

brain to provide him with analysis and

management of the input data. However,

as engineered products became increas-

ingly complicated, it became necessary

to devise other inspection methods.

One of these is remote visual inspection

(RVI), which still permits the human

brain to make critical assessments but

allows the eye to travel to previously

inaccessible locations.

Inspection, and specifically non-

destructive testing (NDT) or exami-

nation, is a vital technology for the

operation of any industrial plant and

in the manufacture of any product.

Inspection is carried out to assess the

functional integrity of offshore oilrigs,

nuclear power stations and aircraft.

Inspection is carried out during the

manufacture of capital and consumer

products from children’s toys to auto-

can be tested without having ttoo dididididisasaass-s-

Take Another Look at

Nondestructive TestingThis month 50 Years of Quality takes a look at how nondestructive testing (NDT) has been covered throughout the years. NDT became such an important topic for our readers that a regular special section, NDT including Materials Test, launched in 2003.

V isual inspection is the oldest of allinspection techniques. Man hasalways trusted his eyes to assess the

quality or fitness for purpose of objectsranging from artifacts and structures toprecious stones and food. He also hasalways trusted his brain to provide himwith analysis and management of theinput data. However, as engineered prod-ucts became increasingly complicated, itbecame necessary to devise other inspec-tion methods. One of these is remotevisual inspection (RVI), which still per-mits the human brain to make criticalassessments but allows the eye to travelto previously inaccessible locations.

Inspection, and specifically nonde-structive testing (NDT) or examination,

is a vital technology for the operation ofany industrial plant and in the manufac-ture of any product. Inspection is carriedout to assess the functional integrity ofoffshore oilrigs, nuclear power stationsand aircraft. Inspection is carried outduring the manufacture of capital andconsumer products from children’s toys

to automobiles to ensure quality and fit-ness for purpose. There are many tech-niques available for such inspections.

Radiography provides volumetricinspection of simple and complexgeometry items by using high-energyradiation to penetrate the parts.Ultrasonic techniques, or sound waves

| QUAL ITY TEST & INSPECT ION |

� Remote visual inspection (RVI) permits the human brainto make critical assessments but allows the eye to travelto previously inaccessible locations.

� Sometimes, a remote visual inspection and report will meetthe relevant inspection requirements. Other times, RVI willbe used to complement other nondestructive testing modali-ties or inspection and measurement instrumentation.

� In its most basic form, an RVI system is made up of alens and an illuminating light source, connected to a lighttransmitting extension that ends in a viewing eyepiece.

� With its integrated PC operating system, today’s borescopecan be used to browse the Web and communicate throughconventional e-mail and other electronic methods, as wellbeing suitable for the running of application software.

36 QUALITY | August 2006 www.qualitymag.com

TECH TIPS

When it comes to remote visual inspection, there has beenan improvement in overall imaging quality as a result of fullydigital data streams and improved optical and illuminationtechnology, which, in turn, has led to a greater probability offlaw detection and improved inspection productivity. BY BRUCE A. PELLEGRINO

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50 YEARS OF QUALITY

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mobiles to ensure quality and fitness

for purpose. There are many tech-

niques available for such inspections.

Radiography provides volumetric

inspection of simple and complex

geometry items by using high-energy

radiation to penetrate the parts.

Ultrasonic techniques, or sound

waves much like sonar, can be used

to detect and size defects in materi-

als. Eddy current techniques are used

to identify near-surface or surface-

breaking defects. Very often the first

stage, and often the last stage, in any

inspection will be a visual inspection.

Because of the complexity of much

of today’s plant and equipment, very

often this inspection has to be carried

out remotely.

QUALITY 101: NONDESTRUCTIVE TESTING, MARCH 2008Nondestructive testing (NDT), or non-

destructive evaluation (NDE), is a meth-

od of materials testing that assesses the

characteristics of a component without

altering or destroying it. NDT is impor-

tant in the materials testing industry

where quick, dependable information on

finished or raw material is needed. This

may occur during the production stage,

during the service life of a material or

product, or as a diagnostic tool in the

event of material failure.

NDT is contrary to destructive testing

such as stress or bend testing where criti-

cal material properties are determined

through achieving specimen failure.

While destructive testing is intrinsically

more revealing, it is costly to a manu-

facturing operation due to material loss

and, for obvious reasons, it is not suit-

able for in-service material testing.

Application uses for NDT cover a

comprehensive range of material and

industries such as automotive, aero-

space, construction and a multitude

of manufacturing types. A classic

example of NDT at work is testing

for weld defects at manufacture and

periodically during service life of the

welded material. Other typical appli-

cations include crack detection in

aircraft skins, surface f laws in pipes

or bar, and evaluation of heat treating

of product.

NDT also has become

a valuable tool in the

research and develop-

ment field where quick,

reliable data can provide

vital information on

materials.

Typical types of NDT

include ultrasonics,

eddy current, rebound and ultrasonic

contact impedance. Hardness testing

by diamond or ball indentation also

is—although sometimes arguably—

considered a form of NDT, as in most

cases the material only is indiscernibly

affected. The force applied in a hardness

test correlated either with the depth of

indent or with area of indent provides a

measurement of hardness. Typically the

properties and usefulness of the mate-

rial is not compromised. Microhardness

testing is the best example of a nonde-

structive hardness test.

UNCONVENTIONAL NDT, JANUARY 2009 Robert Nath, chairman, and Mike

Giannini, business development manag-

22 QUALITY | March 2008 www.qualitymag.com

QUALITY 101

Nondestructive testing (NDT), or nondestructive evaluation (NDE),

is a method of materials testing that assesses the characteristics of a com-ponent without altering or destroying it. NDT is important in the materials testing industry where quick, depend-able information on fi nished or raw material is needed. This may occur during the production stage, during the service life of a material or product, or as a diagnostic tool in the event of material failure.

NDT is contrary to destructive testing such as stress or bend testing where criti-cal material properties are determined through achieving specimen failure. While destructive testing is intrinsically more revealing, it is costly to a manu-facturing operation due to material loss

and, for obvious reasons, it is not suit-able for in-service material testing.

Application uses for NDT cover a comprehensive range of material and industries such as automotive, aero-space, construction and a multitude of manufacturing types. A classic example of NDT at work is testing for weld defects at manufacture and periodically during service life of the welded material. Other typical applica-tions include crack detection in aircraft skins, surface fl aws in pipes or bar, and evaluation of heat treating of product.

NDT also has become a valuable tool in the research and development fi eld where quick, reliable data can provide vital information on materials.

Typical types of NDT include ultra-sonics, eddy current, rebound and ultra-

sonic contact impedance. Hardness test-ing by diamond or ball indentation also is—although sometimes arguably—considered a form of NDT, as in most cases the material only is indiscernibly affected. The force applied in a hardness test correlated either with the depth of indent or with area of indent provides a measurement of hardness. Typically the properties and usefulness of the mate-rial is not compromised. Microhardness testing is the best example of a nonde-structive hardness test.

COMMON NDT TESTSUltrasonic testing (UT) uses high-frequency sound energy to evaluate a variety of materials to produce vital information. It is typically used for fl aw detection, dimensional measure-ments and surface thickness. A typical system would include a pulser/receiver, transducer and display device. The pulser produces high-voltage electrical pulses to the transducer, which in turn generates ultrasonic energy. The energy is introduced to and fl ows through the test piece in the form of waves. Flaws are detected as a discontinuity on the wave path, and the resultant electri-cal signal is displayed on the display device. UT is one of the more widely used forms of NDT and has several advantages, including minimal mate-rial preparation, instant results, high accuracy and access to only a single side of the workpiece. UT is used on steels, concretes, woods and composites.

Eddy current testing uses the prin-ciple of electromagnetism as the basis for conducting examinations. In eddy current testing, a current is introduced to the material. Changes in the current based on the material provide valu-able workpiece information, such as fl aws and surface cracks. Eddy current testing also can be used to determine material hardness, as well as material and coating thickness determination.

Rebound testing uses the Leeb principle. In this method, an impact device uses a spring to propel an impact body through a guide tube toward the

Shown here is a rebound test of round stock using the Leeb principle. Source: Wilson Instruments, an Instron company

ondestructive testing (NDT) or and for obvious reasons it is not suit

pulses togeneratesis introdtest pieceare detecwave patcal signadevice. Uused formadvantag

Nondestructive TestingNondestructive testing (NDT) is used in a multitude of industries to test a wide range of materials. BY BILL O’NEILL

022_QM0308q101.indd 22 2/19/08 1:39:51 PM


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er of Magnaflux Quasar (Albuquerque,

NM), say that when customers approach

them with a specific problem, they look

at the application and then make rec-

ommendations to the customer.

“Sometimes our recommendation

is based on the physical properties

required, sometimes it’s the econom-

ics of it, sometimes a combination,”

Giannini says. “When it is possible to

test between two different methods,

our job is to recommend the most reli-

able means of testing and the most eco-

nomical way for the customer.”

Also, the method used depends on

the industry. Liquid penetrant is heav-

ily used in aerospace, but not widely

used in automotive, where magnetic

particle and resonance inspection

would be more common. If ferrous

materials are involved, magnetic parti-

cle inspection may be a good fit. If the

customer is looking at areas with no

surface imperfection and the potential

for failure in service, resonant testing

would be a solution.

Though Magnaflux Quasar’s cus-

tomers come from various industries,

Giannini acknowledges that NDT is not

widely known. “If you asked 10 people

on street, ‘what is NDT?’ you would

get blank stares,” he says. However,

Giannini points out that almost every-

one is affected by NDT technology.

“Anybody who uses a vehicle for any-

thing is made safer by these industries.”

One recent example was an applica-

tion for a high-end automobile engine

manufacturer in Europe, for which

Magnaflux successfully implemented

resonant testing equipment. While the

company has offered a magnetic par-

ticle method and liquid dye penetrant

for more than 70 years, it began offer-

ing resonance testing equipment when

it acquired Quasar in March of 2007.

Unlike other testing methods, reso-

nance testing equipment finds struc-

tural anomalies, and measures struc-

tural weaknesses and surface systems.

Imagine driving to work, Giannini

says, and the steering knuckle of the

car breaks. “This would not be a good

start to your day,” he says. These types

of structural defects can be found with

resonant testing, and it would take

two to three seconds to

test the knuckle. These

results cannot be found

with any other method,

Giannini says.

“What we’re doing is

making sure you make

it back and forth to work

without the steering

knuckle giving out on you,” Giannini

says, as the company deals with safety

critical and warranty critical parts.

According to the company, Quasar

process compensated resonant testing

(PCRT) provides effective resonance

inspection in the presence of typical

manufacturing process variations.

Using PCRT, defective parts can be

reliably rejected on the production line

because the results correlate directly to

part performance.

The resonant frequency of a part is

based on its stiffness and mass. The

Quasar method measures several reso-

nances for each part and uses a propri-

etary pattern recognition algorithm to

compensate for the acceptable process

variations, according to Magnaflux. Q

In order to get the most out of nondestructive testing, it is essential to choose the right testing method.

Each company has different drivers—some are focused on speed, others on resolution or fl exibility.

Unlike other testing methods, resonance testing fi nds struc-tural anomalies and measures structural weakness.

Phased arrays allow operators to size defects precisely despite a structure’s complexity.

TECH TIPS

| QUALITY TEST & INSPECT ION |

56 QUALITY | January 2009 www.qualitymag.com

With nondestructive testing (NDT) methods ranging from

visual examination, liquid penetrant testing, magnetic particle inspection, ultrasonics and eddy current, there is likely an NDT method to fulfi ll the application requirements.

Liquid penetrant testing may be the most widely used NDT method, and is often used in aerospace appli-cations. But just because a method is popular, does not mean it is right for every application. In order to get the most out of nondestructive testing, it

is essential to choose the right test-ing method.

At its most basic, nondestructive testing is performed to reject defective parts. Conventional NDT methods, such as X-ray and magnetic particle inspection, identify defective parts by scanning for indications of a defect. In addition to these methods, process compensated resonant inspection and

phased array, though not the most commonly used, may be the right choice for a particular application.

RESONANT INSPECTIONRobert Nath, chairman, and Mike Giannini, business development manag-er of Magnaflux Quasar (Albuquerque, NM), say that when customers approach them with a specific problem, they look

Less commonly used NDT methods may be the best choice for the application. BY MICHELLE BANGERT, SPECIAL PROJECTS EDITOR

Unconventional NDT Unconventional NDT

056-QM0109test.indd 56 12/22/08 12:27:19 PM


MEASUREMENT

Noncontact video measuring sys-

tems have been in widespread use

for more than 30 years. Over the years,

the various sources of errors in these

systems have become well understood.

Today’s high quality measurement sys-

tems minimize errors through careful

design and construction, and provide

effective compensation for residual

errors through software calibration.

As the basic components of video

coordinate measuring machine (CMM)

systems—stages, optics and cameras—

have become readily available as OEM

assemblies, a host of new video CMM

products have come on the market.

An accurate measurement system

depends on much more than a simple

combination of catalog components.

In this article we’ll reflect on 35 years

of lessons learned about the sources of

errors in video CMM systems, and how

to account for them.

SOURCES OF ERRORSErrors in a video coordinate measuring

system can be broadly classified into

systematic errors and constant errors.

Let’s look first at the systematic errors:

• Straightness (or yaw) errors. When

the X or Y stage moves nonlinearly,

there is a shift in the perpendicular

direction of motion relative to the

axis of travel. In other words, as a

stage moves in the X direction, it

also is moving in the Y direction.

Straightness errors are a function of

the quality of materials and manu-

facturing of the stage ways and bear-

ings. The straightness error for a

well-made, cross roller bearing type

compound stage is typically less than

40 microinches per inch of travel.

• Abbe (or pitch) errors. Pitch error

occurs when the axis of the measure-

ment system is offset from the plane

of the work piece and the motion

of the work piece and measurement

axis are not horizontal and parallel.

The most common cause of pitch

error is the combined weight of the

stage and work piece deflecting

the stage downward at each end of

travel. This makes the stage move

direrectc ioonn of motion relative to the

Eliminate Errors inVideo Measurement SystemsTake a closer look at sources of error in video measurement systems and their comprehensive analysis. BY MUTHUKRISHNAN (KRIS) CHELLAPPA

Over the years, the various sources of errors in video measurement systems have become well understood. Today’s high quality measure-ment systems minimize errors through careful design and construc-tion, and provide effective compensation for residual errors through software calibration. Source: View Micro-Metrology


in an arc rather than a straight line.

A high quality compound stage will

exhibit pitch error less than 5-arc

seconds over its full range. An ultra-

precise compound stage suited for

micron or submicron accuracy will

exhibit less than 0.1 arc seconds of

pitch per millimeter of travel.

• Orthogonality errors.Orthogonality error is caused by an

out-of-square condition between two

or more axes. The extent of the error

varies as a function of stage length

and squareness.

In order to measure and correct

for stage orthogonality errors, an

orthogonal external reference must

be established. This is most often

done using a theodolite mounted

in a fixed location near the stage,

and an L-shaped mir-

ror made out of low

expansion quartz

mounted on the stage.

The stage is then

moved within this

frame of reference and

both straightness and

orthogonality errors

can be measured.

• Scale errors. Scale

errors are caused by

variation in the scale

reader head and associ-

ated electronics when

determining the posi-

tion on the scale. This is

referred to as quantiza-

tion error. Because the

scale reader outputs

an analog signal corre-

sponding to the location

of ticks on the glass scale,

the uncertainty in the

scale location error can be

taken as ±1 scale tick, as

the worst case scenario.

• Lead screw and cou-pling errors. Two types

of errors are observed

in the mechanical drive

and servo control sys-

tems of stages. In the

first case, when we use a rotary

encoder on the drive motor, we

see a cyclical error in the rotary

mechanisms (encoder, bearing and

coupling combination) that consti-

tute a type 1 error on the order of

1 arc minute per revolution. Using

a linear type encoder instead of a

rotary encoder can eliminate this

type of error, however, there will still

be a lead screw accumulative error

of (typically of 50 microinches per

inch) due to hysteresis.

Shown is a typical arrange-ment of a precision com-pound stage. Source: View Micro-Metrology

Achieving high accuracy and precision in video measurement systems requires much more than clever integration of components. Source: View Micro-Metrology

TECH TIPS » Today’s measurement systems minimize errors through careful design and construction.

» Errors in a video coordi-nate measuring system can be broadly classified into systematic errors and constant errors.

»High accuracy begins with comprehensive under-standing of the sources of error in measurement sys-tems, and their effect on the overall accuracy and uncertainty of the result-ing measurements.


MEASUREMENT

Hysteresis errors are minimized

in two ways. First, by ensuring that

the mechanical bearings have the

required stiffness, and that there is no

mechanical backlash in any part of

the drive mechanism. Next, the servo

motion control system must have very

high resolution and enable the use of

position maintenance in the closed

loop control mode.

CONSTANT ERRORSNext let’s examine five sources of con-

stant errors.

• Optics errors. Optical errors pri-

marily impact field of view (FOV)

measurements. There are several

forms of optical errors associated

with a lens system, namely distor-

tion error (pin cusion and barrel

distortions), chromatic and spherical

aberrations, coma, field curvature

and vignetting. However, for optical

measurement applications, distor-

tion is the most important optical

error to be considered.

Distortion increases as the cubic

power of the distance from the cen-

ter of the lens. The amount of image

error due to distortion will manifest

in the active area of the image sensor.

When a conventional VGA format

camera is used, typically optical

distortion has no more than a 10%

effect on the individual pixel element

intensity. In other words, the worst

case error can be about 1∕10 of a pixel

for the biggest lens. However, to take

advantage of the larger field of view

and greater resolution of advanced

multi-megapixel format cameras,

image distortion across the field of

view must be minimal. Highest accu-

racy video measurement systems use

optics that exhibit minimal distor-

tion, typically fixed lens type systems

with microscope objectives used as

the front receiving lens.

• Video errors. Video errors are con-

tributed by the charge-coupled device

(CCD) detectors or complementary

metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS)

digital camera imaging sensors and

by the edge-finding algorithms in the

image processing software.

The pixel arrays are arranged in

rows and columns with a fixed spac-

ing between each row and column, so

there are active areas, as well as dead

spaces on the detector surface. Hence,

some information is lost due to chip

geometry and spatial variation.

In the case of analog cameras with

frame grabbers, there is a pixel jit-

ter, measured in nanoseconds, which

may cause as much as 0.4 pixel error.

The quality and stability of the frame

grabber and camera must be carefully

evaluated to minimize video errors.

In digital cameras, there is no concern

of pixel jitter.

However, the light sensitivity

of a CMOS chip tends to be lower

and hence, subject to noise. Thus,

the extent of potential error due to

this sensitivity varies considerably

depending on the make and model

of the camera. While there are many

multi mega-pixel digital cameras

available, few have the S/N perfor-

mance, pixel symmetry and thermal

stability required for precision mea-

surement. Therefore, digital cameras

must be selected with great care.

• Calibration errors. Calibration

errors increase linearly from the cen-

ter of FOV to the edges of interest.

Also, the calibration errors will apply

to two edges, if both are present in

the FOV. From the calibration certif-

icate for the standard used in vision

systems, the maximum error of cali-

bration varies from 70 nanometers to

100 nanometers. This calibration is

usually traceable to NIST standards.

• Computational errors. Precision

may be lost due to the finite size of

the word length (number of bits) used

for image processing. Usually IEEE

format for floating points, with a

specified number of bits for mantissa

and the remaining bits for exponent is

used. This error is usually of the order

TYING IT ALL TOGETHERHaving looked at the common sources of systematic and constant errors, we can insert typical error values into our area accuracy calculation to determine the overall E2 area accuracy of a typi-cal video measuring system:

ASSUMPTIONS: • Pixel calibration value of 25.79 microinches for a system with a 10X objective lens • 20 microinch linear scales • Some of the errors are stated per unit length

SYSTEMATIC ERRORS: (LENGTH DEPENDENT) “A”Straightness error: 40 microinch/inchAbbe error: 48.5 microinch/inch (based on 5 arc sec of angle and Abbe offset of 2 inches)Orthogonality error: 48.5 microinch/inch (based on 5 arc sec)Thermal error: 8.76 micro inch/inch/2 F (the temperature assumed to be maintained within ±2 F)

CONSTANT ERRORS: “B”Scale error: 20 microinch X 2 locationsOptical error: 1⁄10 of pixel X pixel value (2.58 microinches)Video error: ½ of pixel X pixel value (12.895 microinches)Calibration error: 4 micro inch

OVERALL RMS ACCURACY IN THE MEASUREMENT OF A RING GAGE OF SIZE 0.107 INCH __________= � L² [A] + [B] ______________________________________________________= � 0.107 ²[40² + 48.5² + 48.5² + 8.76²]+40.0² +2.58² + 12.895² +4²

= 43.151 microinches or 1.079 microns Where L corresponds to the dimension measured. A and B correspond to the systematic errors and the constant errors, respectively. When the value of L is larger, as is the case for measure-ments of length in typical manufactured parts, the contribution of systematic errors (A) are sub-stantial. Thus, the sources of systematic errors must be very carefully attended to in the design, construction and calibration of a video measuring system.

As the value of L becomes smaller, as is the case when measuring micro parts, constant errors (B) become more significant, therefore the imaging optics, cameras calibration standards and image processing and motion control algorithms must be suited to this level of precision.


of 1∕16 of a pixel for a 4 bit exponent

or 1∕64 of a pixel for a 6 bit exponent

and hence may be ignored. Here it

has been included for the purpose of

completeness only.

• Errors due to temperature, pressure and humidity. In applications with

accuracies of the order of a micron,

it is essential to keep the temperature

controlled within ±2 F. Although

well-designed measurement systems

are built from materials with low

and generally similar thermal coef-

ficients, where two dissimilar mate-

rials are physically connected, tem-

perature changes can induce stress

and deformation. At the micron level

even small changes in temperature

can have measureable impacts on

both systematic and constant errors.

Ignoring thermal stress induced

errors, the worst case error due to

temperature deviations has been

estimated to be about 4.38 micro-

inches per inch per degree F or

4.38 microns per meter per degree

F, assuming steady state condi-

tions and no transients.

Therefore, it is advis-

able that the materials

for which measure-

ments are to be carried

out in the system be

thermally soaked in the

same room for about 24

hours, preferably in a

controlled environment

with temperature of

about 68 F ±2 F, before

any attempt is made to carry out

calibration or repeatability studies

on the measurements.

Nearly 30 years experience with

video measurement systems has shown

that achieving high accuracy and

precision requires much more than

clever integration of components. Hig h

accuracy begins with comprehensive

understanding of the sources of error

in measurement systems, and their

effect on the overall accuracy and

uncertainty of the resulting measure-

ments. With this understanding, we

can apply sound design and careful

manufacturing techniques to produce

systems with exceptional accuracy

and repeatability, which provide many

years or reliable service. Q

Muthukrishnan (Kris) Chellappa is a senior applications engineer with View Micro-Metrology a division of Quality Vision International Inc. (Rochester, NY). For more information, e-mail [email protected], call (480) 295-3150 or visit www.viewmm.com.

QUALITY ONLINEFor more information on video measurement, visit ww.qualitymag.com for the following:

• “Advanced Video Measurement Solutions”

• Q-cast Podcast: Video Measurement

• “Select the Right Video System”

An orthogonal reference setup checks for orthogonality errors. Source: View Micro-Metrology

Shown is a typical scale and reader head arrangement. Source: View Micro-Metrology

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Mount the ball on a wire for

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TEST & INSPECTION

Improved product quality, advanced

equipment at a lower price than

ever, and compliance with a myriad of

standards affecting various industries

across different countries: aren’t these

the most significant demands of cus-

tomers all over the world, irrespective

of the industry and product type?

End users’ requirements for coordi-

nate measuring machines (CMMs) are

very much in line with these demands.

As such, reliability, repeatability, ser-

vice, quality and compliance with stan-

dards are factors taking on new and

utmost importance in this industry.

A CMM HERE AND A CMM THERE Due to the sluggish market growth,

prices of CMMs are declining. This

contraction in prices and the resulting

decrease in profit margins have forced

manufacturers and suppliers to identify

opportunities for growth. One such

opportunity is the increasing demand

for services offered with the equipment.

They include the delivery, installation,

and equipment operation and mainte-

nance, which now constitute a valuable

source of income for suppliers of CMMs.

However, with the recovery of the

economy, manufacturers need to invest in

new technologies to generate products that

are better suited to end-user requirements.

This will be no easy task though, due to

a lack of adequate monetary resources.

Manufacturers are looking to build CMMs

that are more reliable, efficient and suit-

able to various types of end users, which

require significant R&D investments.

CMM manufacturers need to provide

products that are on par with the indus-

try’s requirements in terms of price and

quality. While they have always faced

intense price competition from low-cost

imports of Asian origin, such competi-

tion is expected to increase further in

the future due to the price sensitivity

of global end users and the increasing

quality of the products being introduced

in the market by Asian manufacturers.

COMPETITIVE FACTORS The world CMM market is dominated

by a few large companies, which have

CMM Market:

A Look at the FutureManufacturers are looking to build CMMs that are more reliable, efficient and suitable to various types of end users, which requires significant R&D investments. BY PRATHIMA BOMMAKANTI

Source: Mitutoyo America Corp.


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operations in most of the

key geographic regions.

The top four companies

control more than 75%

of the total market. This

is significant challenge

for smaller regional com-

panies, as well as entry

barriers for potential new

entrants. While this is a

challenge from a competi-

tive standpoint, this also

may lead to stagnation in

terms of the overall mar-

ket growth and technol-

ogy improvements.

Key market participants

in the world CMM market

include Hexagon Metrology, Carl Zeiss

IMT, Faro Technologies, Mitutoyo Corp.,

Wenzel, Metris, Mora, Stiefelmeyer,

ITP Group, Tarus, Helmel, Trimek,

Dukin, and Accurate and International

Metrology Systems.

The CMM market is a large one,

not just from a revenue perspec-

tive but also from the standpoint of

the number of competitors actively

involved in this industry.

Competitive factors in

the CMM market include

price, accuracy, size, cus-

tomer relationships, soft-

ware, services, product

differentiation, distribu-

tion, and research and

development efforts.

The level of impor-

tance attached to each

of the aforementioned

attributes varies depend-

ing on the product seg-

ment and the end-user

target. For example,

ease of installation and

use plays an important

role in the selection process of most

CMMs, whereas size and speed of

response play a vital role in the

selection of bridge machines and

articulated-arm machines.

Price is expected to continue to be

one of the most important competitive

factors in this market. Improvements

made in manufacturing and technol-

ogy is enabling prices to reduce, and

this trend is set to continue through-

out the forecast period. The level of

importance attached to research and

development activities varies by mar-

ket segment.

The articulated-arm machines seg-

ment is dynamic from a technology

standpoint, and therefore, the R&D

investments of manufacturers of such

machines are greater than in other seg-

ments of the CMM market.

Changes also have occurred in the

gantry and horizontal-arm machines

segments, but the core technology has

remained the same. As a result, prod-

uct differentiation and customer rela-

tionships assume significant impor-

tance to get the sale.

END USER ANALYSISThe highest revenue contributors were

the automotive and aerospace indus-

tries, which accounted for more than

50% of the total market revenues in

2010. These industries are driven by

the need for customized solutions and

extended support, as the lifespan of

these machines are high.

BENEFITS »CMM manufacturers need to provide products that are on par with the industry’s requirements in terms of price and quality.

» The world CMM market is dominated by a few large companies, which have operations in most of the key geographic regions.

» The highest revenue contrib-utors were the automotive and aerospace industries, which accounted for more than 50% of the total mar-ket revenues in 2010.


TEST & INSPECTION

• A fast, accurate, portable gauge for testing aluminum, brass, copper and steel.

• Test a variety of shapes, extrusions, tubing and flat stock.

• Models available to test thickness up to one inch.

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CURRENT TRENDS AND OPPORTUNITIESOver the years the usage of CMMs

has expanded from quality control to

process control. The end user’s wish

of using dimensional measurement

results as a means to check the process

involved in the manufacturing of a given

product is one of the key factors that

have led to the growing usage of CMMs.

CMM manufacturers are increasing

their focus on temperature compensation,

high-speed data-gathering sensor technol-

ogy and software improvements to intro-

duce new machines that better address

customers’ needs than existing solutions.

Traditional CMMs have had standard

control packages with fixed capabilities.

Computer numerical controls (CNCs)

can be categorized as proprietary stan-

dard combinations of hardware and soft-

ware. In order to build in a lot of flexibil-

ity in machines with room for upgrades

and expansion for new applications, the

The world coordinate measuring machines (CMM) market generated revenues of $1,436.0 million in 2010, increasing by 3.4% over 2009. In 2010, the gantry, bridge, horizontal and articulated-arm machines segments represented 8.9%, 53.7%, 17.8% and 19.6%, respectively, of the overall market revenues. Research indicates that this market is likely to generate revenues of up to $1,795.1 million at the end of the forecast period, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.6% from 2010 to 2015. Source: Frost & Sullivan


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software must be developed so that it

can evolve with the needs of customers.

Consequently, there has been an increase

in the number of ISPs collaborating with

the CMM vendors to offer best function-

al deliverables to the customers.

Manufacturers also are focusing

more on noncontact probing technol-

ogy. Laser-based noncontact probes,

which have great advantages in terms

of the amount of data that can be

acquired and the speed with which the

data can be obtained, is highly accepted

in the automotive and aerospace indus-

tries. Manufacturers are working on

implementing advanced technologies

to reduce errors while using noncontact

probing technology.

LAST THOUGHTSWith several individual product

segments near or past the stage of

maturity, the growth rate in the CMM

market is not expected to rise above the

moderate 5% in 2011. Competition is

expected to be fierce as large companies

seek out strategic merger opportunities.

The companies that will successfully

adopt cost-cutting measures, as well

as manage to continue to improve

the price-performance ratio of their

product offering, are the ones that are

most likely to succeed in this market.

While there are a few factors that can

upset the positive development of this

market moving forward, the rapid rate

of infrastructure development in emerg-

ing markets presents immense growth

opportunities for manufacturers. If these

opportunities are tapped at the right

time, market participants can expect

robust growth in the coming years. Q

Prathima Bommakanti is a senior industry ana-lyst, measurement & instrumentation at Frost & Sullivan. For more information, e-mail [email protected], call +442080902004 or visit www.frost.com.

QUALITY ONLINEFor more information on coordinate measuring machines, visit www.qualitymag.com to read the following:

• “CMMs Create Flexible Feedback” • “Multisensor CMMs Add Flexibility” • “Portable CMMs Go to Source of Inspection”


SOFTWARE & ANALYSIS

In the long evolution of 3-D computer-

aided design (CAD), you would not

think innovative progress is possible at

this point. Take model based definition

(MBD), a term and methodology long

tossed around by software developers

and the aerospace industry. Surprisingly,

there is significant activity in this area,

and genuine value this technology can

bring to the manufacturing table.

MBD “gold” lies in its ability to

streamline product development into

a drawing-free process based on an

information-rich 3-D CAD model that

fully defines and provides specifica-

tions for parts and assemblies. This

next-generation approach to product

design has several time and money-

saving ramifications, from simplifying

manufacturing operations to greatly

improved inspection processes.

THE TALK OF MBD INSPECTIONSThe transition toward 3-D CAD has

accelerated in recent years as more and

more design and manufacturing com-

panies embrace solid and surface mod-

eling techniques. However, 3-D models

lacked GD&T (geometric dimensioning

and tolerancing) information, so it was

anyone’s guess as to the part’s allowable

discrepancies.

Additionally, any change to the

original design intent turned into a

lengthy process of redesigning detailed

prints—sometimes repeatedly—with

each change consuming valuable time

and introducing the potential for errors.

All of these intricacies roll down to the

desk of the quality inspector.

In the quality assurance world, the

main problem with the typical CAD

model is that it required a separate

blueprint to determine datum struc-

ture, key characteristics and toleranc-

ing to create an inspection plan. This

scenario occasionally requires access

to the product designer to interpret

some of the GD&T information,

which is not exactly convenient for

multinational corporations. Stir in

the nagging question of whether the

CAD data or the print is the most

Model Based

DefinitionPROMISES BIG DIVIDENDS FOR QUALITY ASSURANCE

Inspection planning greatly enhanced with MBD and GD&T.BY SHAUN WISSNER


current revision, and you have a

recipe for convolution.

MBD has arrived on the scene to

alleviate this complexity, as several

CAD software packages

now allow for embedded

GD&T. All pertinent

product information

and inspection planning

data is incorporated

into one version-

controllable entity—the

3-D CAD model. MBD

consolidates component

datum structure and

revision levels, GD&T

interpretation, product

details and any other

necessary dimensioning

into the model. For quality

assurance purposes, this is

good news.

BENEFITS ARE FOR REALTo get a sense of what is

possible, it is worthwhile

to study the inherent ben-

efits of an information-

rich CAD model. For

starters, MBD provides,

for the first time, a for-

mal communications

vehicle between design and quality

without the need for prints, so design

intent is automatically available at the

time of the part program creation.

With CAD software tools, component

manufacturers are able to receive a

single CAD file and complete all the

necessary steps to build and inspect a

given part.

Secondly, MBD solves human error

issues by transferring notes into

inspection software. The

traditional use of 2-D

drawings to supply docu-

mentation such as GD&T,

bill of materials and other

engineering configura-

tions has left companies

exposed to the inherent

risk of human error in

the interpretation of this

information. Model based

definition solely relies on

3-D digital data to define

and supply specifications

for parts and product

assemblies, giving plau-

sible meaning to the term

paperless inspection.

Lastly, and most sig-

nificantly, MBD delivers

an automated mecha-

nism for part program

creation directly from

the 3-D design informa-

tion. Inspection pro-

grams change as design

modifications are made,

and dependencies also

are updated automatically. When the

tolerance of one feature changes, the

program updates all associated features.

This capability is a valuable time saver,

particularly on more complex parts. For

example, if a part contains 80 holes with

similar tolerancing and that specifica-

tion changes, a simple click will instant-

ly update all associated dimensions

without further operator intervention.

NO LONGER JUST TALKIn the natural scheme of progress, a few

CAD-based inspection software plat-

forms are keeping pace with MBD and

capitalizing on the advantages of the

new embedded GD&T data. Some sys-

tems provide the basic ability to create

features, datum definitions and associ-

ated dimensions from a single mouse

click. One inspection planning software

takes it one step further by automating

the inspection process based on design

changes and embedded GD&T. The

software can create full and sub inspec-

tion programs and control revisions all

while using a program that is device

neutral. It also can be used regardless of

the measurement technology—such as

touch, scan, continuous analog, vision

and laser—employed.

When this inspection software is

dynamically linked to CAD, a change

manager feature notifies the qual-

ity technician of updates or changes

to the CAD model. These changes

can be accepted or rejected, with

the software automatically revis-

ing the inspection path based on the

most efficient route to incorporate

the required changes. Although the

inspection routine of features and

dimensions is automatically generated

with emphasis on measurement effi-

ciency, the technician can customize

TECH TIPS »Model based definition “gold” lies in its ability to streamline product develop-ment into a drawing-free process based on an information-rich 3-D CAD model that fully defines and provides specifications for parts and assemblies.

» In the quality assurance world, the main problem with the typical CAD model is that it required a sepa-rate blueprint to determine datum structure, key charac-teristics and tolerancing to create an inspection plan.

»As more companies use model based definition, quality assurance depart-ments will experience an uptick in productivity, while engineers move even closer to preserving the original design intent of their parts and assemblies.

Companies can leverage their CAD models for further improvements in the product development process, and at the same time, gar-ner quality assurance gains through inspection software enhanced to take full advantage of MBD. Source: Hexagon Metrology

MBD provides a formal commu-nications vehicle between design and quality without the need for prints, so design intent is auto-matically available at the time of the part program creation. Com-ponent manufacturers are able to receive a single CAD file and complete all the necessary steps to build and inspect a given part. Source: Hexagon Metrology


SOFTWARE & ANALYSIS

the measurement report to suit the

desired requirements.

It is a simple process to import CAD

data and select feature control frames

or other linear dimensioning from the

3-D model. Each dimension selected

will add the most up-to-date features

and tolerancing to the inspection plan

based on the designer’s intent, eliminat-

ing interpretation by the inspector. The

software uses PTB certified algorithms

for ASME Y14.5-1994, ASME Y14.5–

2009 and ISO standards to ensure the

highest level of measurement accep-

tance accuracy. This is done automati-

cally when the initial plan is created.

The inspection software also ensures

common datum features referenced by

multiple feature control frames are not

duplicated in the inspection routine,

which keep inspection time efficient

while maintaining accuracy. This is

a paradigm shift in the process as

ensuring throughput and accuracy has

always been the responsibility of the

quality technician. In essence, model

based definition shifts that burden from

the technician to the software.

With the software’s tools, the

measurement path can be optimized

automatically. The software groups

inspected features by proximity and

probing angle, minimizing probe

rotations and tip changes. Multiple

measurement plan default param-

eters can be set by the inspector to

This inspection planning software automates the inspection process based on design changes and embedded GD&T. Source: Hexagon Metrology


clarify the number of points

taken and their locations

for various customer or

internal inspection require-

ments. Also, after the plan

is imported the real-time

functionality can be utilized

to either step through the

measurement plan making

changes on the f ly, or spot

edit known areas of concern

or key characteristics.

Since efficiency equates to speed,

and speed requires safety, another

advancement takes advantage of the

software’s inherent bounding box.

Parts that are round or irregularly

shaped—for example, turbine blades,

steering control arms and prosthet-

ics/implants—are are contained

within the bounding box, as well.

When this ‘force field’ is activated,

advanced algorithms will direct the

probe tip to automatically clear the

part. This requires the probe to safely

back away from the part and fixture

before moving to the next feature or

completing a probe head rotation.

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?Using the unstoppable force of 3-D

information, MBD continues on a path

to reach its full potential. Companies

can leverage their CAD models for fur-

ther improvements in the product devel-

opment process, and at the same time,

garner quality assurance gains through

inspection software enhanced to take

full advantage of MBD. By embedding

all relevant information within the CAD

model, an organization should expect to

save time and reduce the potential for

human error.

MBD promises to reduce the work-

load of inspectors by assuming some

of the grunt work associated with

change revisions. Although inspec-

tors will still need to finesse the

results by applying their specialized

knowledge of metrology best practic-

es, fixturing, customer requirements

and the application of GD&T, a large

percentage of the time spent adjust-

ing inspection routines to match

revisions will be eased as the soft-

ware assumes that responsibility.

As more companies strike MBD gold,

quality assurance departments will expe-

rience an uptick in productivity, while

engineers move even closer to preserving

the original design intent of

their parts and assemblies.

With all of this progress, it is

not hard to imagine a world

where quality technicians are

streamlining part inspections

without breaking a sweat. Q

Shaun Wissner is a software marketing specialist at Hexagon Metrology's Elgin, IL, facil-

ity. For more information, e-mail [email protected] or visit www.hexagonmetrology.us.

QUALITY ONLINEFor more information on computer-aided design, visit www.qualitymag.com to read the following:

• "CMM Software Solves Scanning Problems" • "Computer Inspection Aids Six Sigma Efforts" • eXtra: “All About Software Upgrades”

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Risk is an undesirable situation or

circumstance that has both the like-

lihood of occurring and a potentially

negative consequence. Risks are present

throughout an organization and can be

internal or external.

Internal areas in an organization

where risk could present a significant

impact can include contracts, design,

supply chain, planning and production.

Internal risks have a high probability

that they can be controlled.

Conversely, external risks, such as

natural disasters and economic, politi-

cal and social risks, are generally dif-

ficult to predict or control.

Risk management is a repetitive pro-

cess to identify, assess, reduce, accept

and control risk. The process should be

systematic, proactive, comprehensive

and cost effective while taking into

account the business, cost, technical,

quality and schedule constraints. Each

key process owner should identify risk

and mitigate appropriately.

WHY HAVE A RISK MANAGEMENT PROCESS? Risk management is now required by

the AS 9100 standard. Let’s look at the

benefits of an aerospace risk manage-

ment process and why it should be part

of every organizational culture.

Organizations need a risk manage-

ment process in order to reduce the odds

of something harmful happening to the

business. This involves focusing on risk

to meet customer requirements and pre-

venting product nonconformity escapes.

The absence of an aerospace risk

management process can result in

known, unknown and unknowable/

unforeseen problems for the customer

and stakeholder concerning cost,

schedule and technical performance of

programs, in particular for programs

concerning the quality and delivery

performance of products and services.

BENEFITS What are the benefits of an aerospace

risk management process? Process ben-

efits of risk management can:

• Increase the likelihood of achieving

objectives

• Encourage proactive management

• Raise awareness of the need to iden-

tify and treat risk throughout the

organization

• Improve the identification of threats

• Comply with relevant legal and

regulatory requirements

• Improve financial reporting and

governance

• Develop stakeholder confidence

and trust

• Establish a reliable basis for decision

making and planning

• Improve organizational controls

MANAGEMENT

Source: Bombardier

Realize the benefits of an aerospace risk management process and why it should be part of every organization’s culture.BY ROGER RITTERBECK

Assessing

Aerospace Risk Management

• Effectively allocate and use resources

for risk treatment/handling

• Improve operational effectiveness

and efficiency

• Cost of risk management is typically

less than the cost of issue management

• Enhance health and safety perfor-

mance, as well as environmental

protection

• Improve organizational learning

and resilience

• Product and service benefits of the

organizational management of risk

• Reduce the likelihood of delivering

nonconforming product or services

to customers

• Reduce the likelihood of delivering

late product or services to customers

• Increase the likelihood of business

success, for example, meeting sched-

ules and budgets

• Reduce the probability and conse-

quences of potential failures

PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAM A formal aerospace risk management

program describes the organization’s

attitude and approach toward risk, how

it conducts risk management and the

level of risk it is prepared to accept.

A risk management program:

• Helps an organization identify risk

• Helps an organization reduce occur-

rences and impacts of risk

• Helps an organization understand

significance and severity of risk

• Promotes organizational behavior

focused on risk management

• Increases effectiveness of product

delivery to customers

• Creates a process for who, what,

when, where, how and how much

• Helps organization bring out hidden

risk knowledge so it can be managed

Risk management should encom-

pass all areas of business performance

and should be exerted at all levels of

an organization.

RELATING TO AS 9100 How does risk management relate to

the AS 9100 quality standard? Risk

management is a requirement of the AS

9100 quality standard. The standard

requires an aerospace quality manage-

ment system that takes into account

the identification of various risk related

to organizational circumstances in

regard to its needs, business objectives,

product range, applied processes and

the size of the organization.

There are several sections in the

AS 9100 standard where risk and risk

management are identified:

• 3.2 Special Requirements: Those

requirements identified by the

organization or its customer(s)


TECH TIPS »Risk management is a repetitive process to identify, assess, reduce, accept and control risk.

»A formal program describes the organization’s attitude and approach toward risk, how it conducts risk management and the level of risk it is prepared to accept.

» The organization must begin by formalizing objectives and policies, as well as establishing a risk management plan supported by top management.

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that have high importance in being

achieved, thus requiring their

inclusion in the risk management

process. Factors used in the deter-

mination of special requirements

include product or process com-

plexity, past experience and

product/process maturity.

• 3.3 Critical Items: These include

such things as safety critical items,

fracture critical items, mission criti-

cal items, etc. A risk management

process must be implemented to

control these matters.

• 3.4 (7.2.1, 7.2.2, 7.3.3) Key Characteristics: These are attributes

or features which may create a risk

to product fit, form function, perfor-

mance, service life or produce ability

and use of the product throughout

the product life. The risk associated

with key characteristics needs to be

managed through the risk manage-

ment process.

• 7.1.1 Risk Management Link to Project Management: The stan-

dard says: “The organization shall

plan and manage product realiza-

tion in a structured and controlled

manner to meet requirements at

acceptable risk, within resource and

schedule constraints.” Any project

management program must include

risk management.

• 7.1.2 Risk Management: The stan-

dard says: “The organization shall

establish, implement and maintain

a process for managing risk to the

achievement of applicable require-

ments, as appropriate to the organi-

zation and the product.”

This should include:

a) Assignment of responsibilities for

risk management

b) Definition of risk criteria, for

example, likelihood, consequenc-

es, risk acceptance

c) Identification, assessment and

communication of risk through-

out product realization

d) Identification, implementation

and management of actions to

mitigate risk that exceed the

defined risk criteria

e) Acceptance of risk remaining

after implementation of mitigat-

ing actions

• 7.2.2 Product Risk: The organiza-

tion has to ensure that risks have

been properly identified, such as

new technology, short delivery time

frame, resources and change in

source of supply.

• Supply Chain Risk: The organization

has to manage risk when selecting and

using suppliers.

• Preventive Actions: The organiza-

tion must establish preventive actions

including risk management, such as

error proofing, failure mode effect


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Risk management

is a repetitive process to

identify, assess, reduce, accept

and control risk.

analysis and product problems by

external sources.

WHAT SHOULD WE DO NOW? Organizations should develop and

implement a process defining how risk

management will be accomplished.

A methodology must be developed

by which risk management tools and

documentation can be managed. Most

importantly, the organization must

ensure all personnel are aware of and

use the system.

The organization must begin by for-

malizing objectives and policies, as well

as establishing a risk management plan

supported by top management.

The following are basic components of

an aerospace risk management process:

• Risk Identification. Identify and

define the problem or opportunity,

as well as risk issues—decide on the

people, expertise, tools and techniques

needed to work the issue—perform a

stakeholder analysis—indentify using

risk ID checklist and document risk.

Risk identification should be per-

formed by a cross functional team

representing all affected functions of

the organization. Risk identification

should be a continuous process and

included in the organization’s deci-

sion making processes.

• Risk Assessment. Analyze the

content of the issue from an over-

all organizational perspective and

ensure the entire issue is understood.

The analysis should include the like-

lihood, consequence, severity and

customer impact. Risk criteria needs

to be established at this point so the

organization can determine what

risk must be mitigated and what risk

the organization can live with.

• Risk Management Process. Once

risks that fall outside of the accep-

tance criteria are identified, mitiga-

tion actions should be implemented.

The organization should set desired

results for the mitigation actions and

select a strategy to address the situa-

tion. Maintain status of action items

until the actions are complete. Verify

that objective evidence of completion

of the actions exist, and monitor for

effectiveness. If the actions prove to

be ineffective, define and execute

new actions.

• Risk Management Culture. The

organization must foster a culture

of risk management. To do this, risk

management processes and actions

should be communicated throughout

the organization. The focus on risk

management needs to be a top down

approach, supported by top manage-

ment. Organizations should:

a) Promote risk management learn-

ing by employees

b) Promote learning by experience

from issues that arise

c) Include risk management in dem-

onstrating management leadership

d) Support innovation in a structured

risk management environment. Q

Roger Ritterbeck is an aerospace product manager at QMI-SAI Global (Cleveland, OH). For more information, call (800) 247-0802, e-mail [email protected] or visit www.qmi-saiglobal.com.



CASE STUDY

At Lenovo (Morrisville, NC) a great

deal of design effort goes into

ensuring that portable does not mean

breakable. It is a measure of how seri-

ously engineers take this task that two

recent designs for the

ThinkPad X300 and the

T400 were code-named

Kodachi and Shinai,

respectively—both the

names of Japanese martial

arts swords.

ThinkPads are widely

known for their perfor-

mance and durability as

well as looks—a legacy

that Lenovo has contin-

ued since it purchased the

laptop brand from IBM in

2005. “Our aim is to cre-

ate a high-quality, reliably

strong notebook while

keeping cost and product

development time down,”

says Dr. Zhifeng Xin,

senior manager at the Lenovo Innova-

tion Design Center (IDC) in Beijing.

Engineers at the IDC analyze all of

Lenovo’s products, ranging from PCs

and notebooks to cell phones and serv-

ers. Finite element analysis (FEA)

takes place at the concept,

development and failure

analysis stages. FEA

simulations at Lenovo

include modeling drop,

shock, vibration, static

pressure and mother-

board strain.

The IDC also performs

computational fluid

dynamics thermal and air-

flow acoustic simulations.

Realistic simulation

of notebook comput-

ers began at the IDC

in 2007 and became a

formal checkpoint in the

product development

process shortly thereaf-

ter. Abaqus from Simulia, the Dassault

Systèmes brand for realistic simula-

tion, has been an essential tool for FEA

since the IDC first opened its simula-

tion technology center. “With Abaqus,

we’re able to be more innovative, more

quickly and produce higher-quality

products,” Xin says.

Engineers use Abaqus early in

design process to verify product

strength, choose between different

versions, and identify and improve

problem areas. The process involves

preprocessing from computer-aided

design (CAD) to meshed model; estab-

lishing loads, boundaries and part

interactions; running the analysis; and

creating the reports.

FLEXIBLE ANALYSIS, RIGID RESULTSFEA is particularly central to eliminat-

ing flex, an objective vital to making

the ThinkPad more reliable. A number

of forces—such as carrying a closed

notebook one-handed—can potentially

deform the laptop frame and bend the

motherboard, which could damage

the soldered connections or the liquid

crystal display (LCD). “Notebooks face

demanding loads and forces even when

they’re just being carried from place to

place,” says Xin. “It’s important for the

covers to be stiff enough, with minimal

deformation, so that the rear cover will

protect the display, while the base cover

protects the motherboard.”

During recent work on a new model,

simulation of flex was instrumental

to the goal of reducing weight without

loss in strength or rigidity. A base cover

that used carbon fiber reinforced plastic

(CFRP) with an aluminum shield would

offer support to the motherboard. The

LCD screen would be protected by a

rear cover with CFRP and graphite-

fiber reinforced plastic (GFRP).

Analysts simulated the physical

tests that were performed on a mag-

nesium LCD frame, an LCD panel

assembly, a rear cover made of PC/

ABS and a CFRP base cover with its

aluminum shield in place. “We applied

loads of 400 to 3,200 grams, and we

compared the resulting deformation

to physical test results,” says Xin. “In

each case, simulation had a close cor-

relation with real-world behavior dur-

ing physical testing.”

In a whole machine analysis, engi-

neers evaluated the performance of

FEA INCREASES

NOTEBOOK RELIABILITYFinite element analysis takes place at the concept, development and failure analysis stages.

BENEFITS » Engineers use Abaqus early in design process to verify product strength, choose between different versions, and identify and improve problem areas.

»Using Abaqus has reduced the product development cycle by at least two weeks for every project.

»All of the simulations at the Lenovo IDC yield the same result: high-performance, quality products that undergo less prototyping, reach production faster at a smaller cost and perform reliably for users.

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CASE STUDY

laying-up composite CFRP for the rear

cover; this type of composite material

could enhance much of the strength

for the entire machine. “In this

instance,” Xin says, “the nonlinear

capabilities of Abaqus were valuable

to us because of the complex perfor-

mance properties of the materials,

complex geometry deformation and

complex contact behavior.”

Engineers also evaluated two alter-

natives for the array of CFRP: horizon-

tally vs. vertically orienting the fibers.

The analysis found that horizontal

lay-up of the fibers resulted in smaller

deformation. The engineers also were

able to prove out the strength of a joint

line for combining CFRP and GFRP.

Due to composite CFRP being lim-

ited by part geometry shape, the rear

cover is made of both CFRP and GFRP

through the patented joint method.

ANALYSIS WEIGHS ALTERNATIVESThe Kodachi (ThinkPad X300) proj-

ect proved that the simulation tool

has the ability to provide accurate

results, allowing engineers to predict

the strength of the structure and offer

suggestions to CAD designers, on the

project codenamed Shinai (ThinkPad

T400s), for example. Analyzing defor-

mation of the closed notebooks under a

press load revealed that the light emit-

ting display (LED) stress was much

lower than in the Kodachi design.

During press load on the rear cover of

the whole machine, the Kodachi LED

contacted the track-point—the cursor

tracking button in the ThinkPad key-

board—potentially creating as much

as 8.4 MPa of stress. By contrast, the

LED on the Shinai contacted the palm

rest on the base, yielding a much lower

stress of 2.2 MPa.

The analyses also showed that four

areas on the magnesium frame of the

Analysts simulated the physical tests that were performed on a magnesium LCD frame, an LCD panel assembly, a rear cover made of PC/ABS and a CFRP base cover with its aluminum shield in place. “We applied loads of 400 to 3,200 grams, and we compared the resulting deformation to physical test results,” says Dr. Zhifeng Xin. “In each case, simulation had a close correlation with real-world behavior during physical testing.” Source: Simulia

Kodachi design exceeded specifica-

tions for material yield strength and

created deformation of the rear cover

of 5.8 millimeters, resulting in higher

overall deformation than on the Shi-

nai, which only exceeded specs of

material yield strength in one area.

The data from the simulation guided

revisions to the Shinai frame, helping

the development team speed up the

project schedule. “Because of our work

with Abaqus,” Xin says, “we were able

to fix the Shinai design quickly and

easily.” In both cases, FEA results were

quite similar to physical test results.

FEA GETS IN TOUCH WITH KEYSTROKE FEELKeyboard design is a strong selling

point for the ThinkPad. The notebooks

have long been known for their stur-

diness and their pleasing signature

feel—the physical response of keys being

pressed. In the case of a new keyboard,

the engineers wanted to reduce the

thickness of the assembly (thereby mak-

ing the overall notebook slimmer) but

still keep their traditional keystroke feel.

“‘Feel’ may sound like a vague term,”

Xin says, “but with FEA, it is actually

quantifiable.” To confirm that the feel

remained the same from the old key-

board to the new, engineers simulated

the effects of keystroke pressure on the

original dome-shaped rubber spring,

the central component that provides

each key with its resistance and spring-

back. Because the rubber dome was

axisymmetric, they were able to model

a 2-D half-section of the spring and

run the analysis on that. The nonlinear

simulation enabled the engineers to

establish values—on a feeling chart—

for how far the rubber dome traveled

downward (compressed) as keystroke

force increased. (Typical typing force is

between 0.6 to 1.2 Newtons.)

The engineers then used Abaqus to

evaluate a new rubber dome design

for the thinner keyboard in order to

match the keystroke behavior of the old

rubber dome. “The feeling chart of the

new simulation showed close correla-

tion with the old one,” Xin says, “and

both simulations matched up well with

data from physical testing.”

These are just some of the simula-

tions a Lenovo ThinkPad undergoes

on its way from design to reality. The

motherboard itself also is analyzed

(and physically tested) for flex, and the

Ball Grid Array (BGA) components are

modeled undergoing strain to confirm

that the solder joints will perform well.

“As always, nothing validates a simula-

tion like its close conformity to real-

world testing,” Xin notes. “The push-

point tests of the motherboard, and the

strain tests for the BGA, were based

closely on our physical prototype test-

ing, and they yielded similar results.”

All of the simulations at the

Lenovo IDC yield the same result:

high-performance, quality products

that undergo less prototyping, reach

production faster at a smaller cost and

perform reliably for users.

Simulia, a Dassault Systèmes brand(401) 276-4400www.simulia.com


2011

CASE STUDIESSPEC IA L A DVERT IS I N G SEC T I O N

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Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation (Requester Publications Only)

Publication Detail1 Publication Name QUALITY1 Publication Number 451-4602 ISSN 0360-99363 Filing Date 09/29/20114 Issue Frequency MONTHLY EXCEPT SEMI MONTHLY IN NOVEMBER5 Number of Issues Published Annually 136 Annual Subscription Price 178.007 Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication 2401 W BIG BEAVER RD STE 7007 TROY, OAKLAND, MI 48084-33337 Contact Person CATHERINE RONAN7 Telephone (248) 244-82598 Complete Mailing Address of Headquarter or General Business Office of Publisher 2401 W BIG BEAVER RD STE 7008 TROY, MI 48084-33339 Publisher (Name and complete mailing address) DARRELL DAL POZZO9 155 N PFINGSTEN RD. STE 2059 DEERFIELD, IL 60015-52939 Editor (Name and complete mailing address) GILLIAN CAMPBELL9 155 N PFINGSTEN RD. STE 2059 DEERFIELD, IL 60015-52939 Managing Editor (Name and complete mailing address)

Owner10 Line Full Name Complete Mailing Address10 1 BNP MEDIA II, LLC 2401 W BIG BEAVER RD STE 700, TROY, MI 48084-333310 2 TAGGART E HENDERSON 2401 W BIG BEAVER RD STE 700, TROY, MI 48084-333310 3 HARPER T HENDERSON 2401 W BIG BEAVER RD STE 700, TROY, MI 48084-333310 4 MITCHELL L HENDERSON 2401 W BIG BEAVER RD STE 700, TROY, MI 48084-3333

Known Bondholders, Mortgagees, Other Security Holders11 Line Full Name Complete Mailing Address

13 Publication Title QUALITY14 Issue Date for Circulation Data Below 09/01/2011

15 Extend and Nature of CirculationAverage No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months

No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date

15a Total Number of Copies (net press run) 49217 48692

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Outside County Paid/Requested Mail Subscriptions stated on PS Form 3541. (Include direct written request from recipient, telemarketing and Internet requests from recipient, paid subscriptions including nominal rate subscriptions, employer requests, advertiser's proof copies, and exchange copies.) 45806 45013

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16 Publication of Statement of Ownership Publication of this statement will be printed in the NOVEMBER, 2011 issue of this publication

17 Signature and Title of Editor, Publisher, Business Manager, or Owner RONA2C (Catherine Ronan)17 Title17 Date 09/29/2011 09:37:33 AM

Version PS Form 3526, September 2007


ADVERTISING INDEX

155 N. Pfi ngsten Rd.,

Suite 205

Deerfi eld, IL 60015

GROUP PUBLISHER

Darrell Dal Pozzo

(847) 405-4044

[email protected]

REGIONAL MARKETING NEW ENGLAND AND MID-ATLANTIC

Barbara Grim

1288 Centerton Rd.

Pittsgrove, NJ 08318

Phone: (856) 358-4800

FAX: (856) 358-0900

[email protected]

CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST

Bill DeYoe

109 Willow Springs Trail

Mt. Holly, NC 28120

Phone: (704) 822-6434

FAX: (704) 822-6834

[email protected]

MIDWEST, SOUTHWEST,

WEST AND NORTHWEST

Buck Bicek

5820 Middaugh Ave.

Downers Grove, IL 60516

Phone: (630) 971-0904

FAX: (248) 502-1086

[email protected]

REGIONAL SALES MANAGER

Steve Scheinpfl ug

155 N. Pfi ngsten Rd., Ste. 205

Deerfi eld, IL 60015

Phone: (847) 405-4025

Fax: (248) 283-6587

scheinpfl [email protected]

This index is provided as a reader service. The publisher assumes no liability for errors or omissions.

ADVERTISER PAGE WEB SITE

QUALITY (ISSN 0360-9936) is published 13 times annually, monthly except semi monthly in November, by BNP Media II, L.L.C., 2401 W. Big Beaver Rd., Suite 700, Troy, MI 48084-3333. Telephone: (248) 362-3700, Fax: (248) 362-0317. No charge for subscriptions to qualifi ed

individuals. Annual rate for subscriptions to nonqualifi ed individuals in the U.S.A.: $178.00 USD. Annual rate for subscriptions to nonqualifi ed individuals in Canada: $216.00 USD (includes GST & postage); all other countries: $228.00 (int’l mail) payable in U.S. funds. Printed in the U.S.A. Copyright 2011, by BNP Media II, L.L.C. All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the consent of the publisher. The publisher is not responsible for product claims and representations. Periodicals Postage Paid at Troy, MI and at additional mailing offi ces. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: QUALITY, P.O. Box 2145, Skokie, IL 60076. Canada Post: Publications Mail Agreement #40612608. GST account: 131263923. Send returns (Canada) to Pitney Bowes, P.O. Box 25542, London, ON, N6C 6B2. Change of address: Send old address label along with new address to QUALITY, P.O. Box 2145, Skokie, IL 60076. For single copies or back issues: contact Ann Kalb at (248) 244-6499 or [email protected].

Automated Precision Inc. 37 www.apisensor.com

Bal-Tec Division, Micro Surface Engr. Inc. 25 www.precisionballs.com

Carl Zeiss Industrial Metrology 13 www.zeiss.com

Certifi ed Comparator Products 27 www.certifi edcomparator.com

CyberMetrics Corp. BC www.cybermetrics.com

G & R Technology Inc. 10 www.grhardnesstester.com

Gradient Lens Corp. 29 www.gradientlens.com

Heidenhain Corp. 5 www.heidenhain.us

Hexagon Metrology Inc. 15 www.hexagonmetrology.us

Infi nityQS International 27 www.infi nityqs.com

Kotem 12 www.kotem.com/sp

Mahr Federal Corp. 1, 20, 32, IBC www.mahr.com

Mark-10 Corp. 7 www.mark-10.com

Marposs Corp. 39 www.marposs.com

Micro-Vu 11 www.microvu.com

Minitab Inc. 19 www.minitab.com

Mitutoyo America Corp. IFC www.mitutoyo.com

Optical Gaging Products 33 www.ogpnet.com

Origin Technologies Corp. 29 www.origintech.com

Precitec Inc. 41 www.precitec.com

Qioptiq Linos Inc. 12 www.qioptiqlinos.com

Quality Magazine 17 http://webinars.qualitymag.com

Ram Optical Instrumentation 40 www.ramoptical.com

Resec Systems Inc. 10 www.resecsystems.com

Shimadzu Scientifi c Instrument 36 www.ssi.shimadzu.com/testing

S-T Industries Inc. 9 www.stindustries.com

Starrett Co., The L. S. 3 www.starrett.com

TE-CO 28 www.te-co.com

Thermo Niton Analyzers LLC 35 www.thermoscientifi c.com

Webster Instrument Inc. 28 www.webstertesters.com

Wenzel America 20 www.wenzelamerica.com

Western Gage Corp. 32 www.westerngage.com

Yxlon International 21 www.yxlon.com

US: 1.800.777.7020 MX: 01.800.681.1565 UK: +44.0.20.8819.7065 www.cybermetrics.com

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November 2011www.ndtmag.com

A Special Section to Magazine

Are You Ready for Certifi cation? p. 8NDT

Phased Array Training p. 12NDT

In A Down Economy, Look to NDT Rentals p. 16NDT

Analysis: Computed Tomography

Making Up for Lost Time p. 18NDT

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ndt.carestream.com© 2011 Carestream Health, Inc. Rochester, N.Y. 14608

Carestream NDT has been hard at work to bring you innovative new products for your HPX-1 Digital CR System. Now, you can upgrade the performance of your equipment to cutting edge technology and tools with INDUSTREX Digital Viewing Software Version 4.0.

Get the EDGE

NEW EDGE Filter offers 8 sets of parameters, based on settings found to be most useful in practice, enables the user to view an image with increased detail and clarity.

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2 NDT ● NOVEMBER 2011 NDT SPECIAL SECTION www.ndtmag.com

NDT TRAINING

8NDT Are You Ready for Certifi cation?More and more companies are requiring laboratory certification as a prerequisite for doing business and certification provides the customer with documented assurance that a quality system is in place.

PHASED ARRAY

10NDT Phased Array TrainingTime and again, training has proven to be the limiting factor with phased arrays. One of the main objectives to improve training is to illustrate that certification is a key.

NDT RENTALS

16NDT In A Down Economy, Look to NDT RentalsWhat is the solution for an NDT service company when they require an inspection tool but do not have the capital? NDT equipment rental companies have been delivering the answer.

CT MARKET ANALYSIS

18NDT CT: Making Up for Lost TimeAlthough the medical industry has traditionally been the largest driver for X-Ray inspection systems, the first use of X-Ray was intended for an industrial application.

November 2011

DEPARTMENTS4NDT Editor’s Note Uncertainty

5NDT Industry News

IBCNDT Advertising Index

IN THE NEXT ISSUELaser Sensing Technology

GigE Cameras

Cables and Connectors

CCD Cameras

OFF TOPIC NDTNondestructive Testing at...LegolandSome of the biggest theme parks in the United States rely on nondestructive testing in-house to ensure safety.

ABOUT THE COVERIn a poll conducted by Britain’s Science Museum, X-Ray was recognized as the most important modern scientifi c achievement of the 20th century. Source: www.photos.com

Source: MFE Rentals, Inc.

Source: Magnum Quality Resources

Bringing the power of LEDs to NDT! No More:Burnt Out Bulbs! Broken Filters! Excessive Heat!Whether you’re looking for a lightweight, hand-held inspection lamp or a

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Features three ultra-high-intensity UV-A LEDs for inspection, plus a convenient white light LED to illuminate dark work areas

Nominal steady-state UV-A intensity of 9,000 μW/cm2 at 15 inches (38 cm) 30,000-hour LED service life Built-in fan keeps LEDs cool to maintain optimum light output Choice of 8 foot (2.4 m) or extra-long 20 foot (6.1 m) power cord with

AC plug UV-absorbing spectacles included

Features a versatile, palm-sized light source. Ideal for fluorescent magnetic particle and penetrant testing, and a variety of other specialized applications!

Compact, lightweight lamp with two ultra-high-intensity UV-A LEDs for inspection, plus a three-LED white light assembly for general illumination

Nominal steady-state UV-A intensity of 4,500 μW/cm² at 15 inches (38 cm) 30,000-hour LED service life Adjustable strap allows lamp to be worn on a hard hat or directly on the

head for hands-free operation! Unique lamp mount/sprayer permits lamp and spray can to be mounted

together for single-handed fluorescent yoke inspection Built-in fan keeps LEDs cool to maintain optimum light output Splash guard with integral particulate filter protects UV lenses and cooling

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Innovative, track light-style, overhead inspection system. Perfect for NDT inspection booths, pre-inspections and screening applications requiring maximum uniformity of coverage over large areas.

Features four broad-beam lamp heads, each with three ultra-high-intensity UV-A LEDs for inspection, plus one white light LED for general illumination

Nominal steady-state UV-A intensity of 9,000 μW/cm2 at 15 inches (38 cm) 30,000-hour LED service life Built-in fans keep LEDs cool to maintain optimum light output Fully customizable! Move, adjust and add lamp heads onto track section

according to your specific inspection requirements (additional lamp heads sold separately).

Optional remote control with three-position rocker switch provides added convenience and versatility

UV-absorbing spectacles included

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For more information, call 1-800-274-8888or visit www.spectroline.com

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Nominal steady-state UV-A intensity of 18,000 μW/cm2 at 15 inches (38 cm)

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between charges Comes complete with smart AC and DC chargers, UV-absorbing

spectacles, belt holster and padded carrying case

Modular NDT

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Brringginngg thhe ppoowwerr off LLEDDDs too NDT!


One only needs to look at the roller-coaster ride of the Dow Jones and

other economic indicators to see why there is so much worry over the

economy, not just in the United States, but globally. This worry and

uncertainty has lead many companies to “sit on a pile of cash,” unwill-

ing or unable to justify capital spending until economic conditions

become more clear. The latest potential monkey wrench to the global

economy is the European debt crisis.

Over the last year-and-a-half, unemploy-

ment and government belt-tightening in

Greece, Ireland, Portugal and Spain—the

result of attempting to gain control over

their potentially crippling debt obliga-

tions—are threatening the stronger econo-

mies of The European Union and beyond.

Europe’s economic powerhouses, France

and Germany, are being hurt by decreased

business orders from these indebted coun-

tries, restraining their economies as well.

In fact, European stocks fell sharply after

German financial giant Deutsche Bank

reduced its profit forecast for the year due

to exposure in the debt problems of these

countries. Investors were further scared

off when speculation that French-Belgian

investment bank Dexia could be the region’s

first large bank to need a government rescue

as a result of the current debt crisis.

And the potential fallout does not end

with Europe. Emerging economies like

China and Brazil rely heavily on European

exports. The United States has major bank-

ing and trading interests in Europe, a region

whose banks are said to be “the most inter-

connected in the world” with a currency,

the Euro, that is one of the largest reserve

currencies in the global economy.

A growing number of analysts and key

financial figures have predicted that Europe is

headed for recession, one of which is Goldman

Sachs, forecasting that both France and

Germany will slip into recession. The situ-

ation prompted Federal Reserve chairman,

Ben S. Bernanke, to warn Congress that “the

recovery is close to faltering” and could force

the U.S. into a new recession unless the gov-

ernment took further action.

However, Greece has repeatedly said that

is has no plans to default and will make good

on its debt. Chancellor Angela Merkel has

pledged that Germany plans to fully support

Greece. The idea that these officials could be

downplaying a potential crisis aside, there is

an element of perspective here, for both the

observed and the observer. As has been said, it

depends on how you look at it. Adding to the

already murky waters, for example, some have

said that U.S. banks could lose as much as $1

trillion if the current situation “were to lead

to a full blown financial crisis.” Others have

said, “[The U.S.] could lose close to nothing.”

It is like Schrödinger’s cat. We will not

know the extent of the risk to economies and

individual companies until we look inside the

box, meaning we won’t know the effect Greece

defaulting or a European recession will have

on the rest of the world until it happens.

This month, NDT Magazine offers a poten-

tial solution for those NDT companies feeling

the same uncertainty about the economy and

unable to justify capital expenditures in the

current climate—NDT rentals. Find out what

you need to know about the rental market

in Dylan Duke’s feature article, “In A Down

Economy, Look to NDT Rentals.”

Enjoy and thanks for reading!

Uncertainty

Darryl SelandEditor in Chief [email protected]

TOverOver

ment me

GreeceGr

result res

their the

tionstio

www.ndtmag.com NDT SPECIAL SECTION NOVEMBER 2011 ● 5 NDT

BOXBOROUGH, MA — In an effort to expand its presence in the southern United States, TÜVRheinland Industrial Solutions, Inc. (TRIS), a subsidiary of TÜV Rheinland North America Hold-ing Inc., has commissioned a new non-destructive testing laboratory in Decatur, AL. Equipped with a variety of nonde-structive testing equipment incorporat-ing technologies such as computed radi-ography, ultrasonic testing and others, the new 8,000-square-foot facility will feature a start-up staff of seven, with employment expected to double or triple within the first few years.

“As a company, one of our goals is to significantly grow the business we do in America’s south,” says Andy VanA-usdall, director of sales for TRIS. “Our new lab’s dual offering of both lab-based and on-site inspection services

should greatly facilitate our meeting this objective.”

Situated on the Tennessee River, 25 miles west of Huntsville and 80 miles north of Birmingham,

Decatur is well positioned to serve the many automotive, aerospace, metalwork-ing, high technology and other manufac-turers located nearby, making it fast and easy to ship products to the laboratory for NDT inspection. The region’s numerous chemical and petroleum processing facili-ties, and their extensive networks of piping and pressure vessels, are well within reach of the laboratory’s field testing capabilities.

“Along with our traditional manu-facturing and processing customers, we can now work with state and federal transportation departments and rail-roads to field-test the integrity of bridges and rails,” continues VanAusdall. “Our

TÜV Rheinland Opens NDT Laboratory


extended capabilities and partnership with our sister company, TUV Rhein-land Rail Sciences, has greatly expanded the scope of services each of our compa-nies can offer to its clients.”

The new laboratory is located at 35 Refreshment Place in Decatur and will be managed by Blake Whiteside, opera-tions manager for TRIS.

West Penn Accelerates Test-Process Development in Wake of FAA Approval of Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing NEW KENSINGTON, PA—West Penn Testing Group, a provider of nondestruc-tive testing and material testing services, reports completion of FAA approvals for phased array ultrasonic testing (PAUT).

According to Albert Fletcher, director of sales of West Penn Testing, “The tita-nium-billet-phased-array group, made up of jet-engine OEMs, titanium-billet manufacturers and aerospace forgers,

has passed a crucial milestone with the approval last month of PAUT. After a three-year effort, the aerospace industry now has an alternative to multi-zone ultrasonic testing.”

Fletcher says that as a result of the FAA approval, West Penn has sped up its program to develop test protocols that meet the requirements of individual OEM customers.

“We have the trained people in place and the schedule to install the addi-tional equipment well underway. Now, as we begin to receive the detailed test-ing requirements from various jet-engine OEMs, we can adapt our process to sat-isfy the demands of specific customers.”

West Penn reports that a number of tasks must be completed before high volumes of titanium billets can be run through the PAUT process. These tasks include certification of the pro-cess for each jet-engine OEM and its suppliers, further equipment-manu-facturer evaluations and selection, and

final approvals for testing procedures related to data capture, manipulation, analysis and reporting.

“It is possible these issues can be resolved during the first half of 2012,” says Fletcher. “In any event, by that time West Penn will be in a position to conduct a high rate of titanium billet inspections.”

For more information, visit www.westpenntesting.com

MoviTHERM Awarded NDT NASA ContractHOUSTON, TX—The NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX has award-ed MoviTHERM Advanced Thermogra-phy Solutions a contract for an infrared non-destructive test (NDT) system for the purpose of testing advanced compos-ite structures and materials.

The NDT test system uses a thermal camera from FLIR Systems and vari-ous thermal excitation sources. Halo-

Just

relea

sed

SNT-T

C-1A

See this publication and more at ShopASNT online at www.asnt.org/shop/Phone (614) 274-6003, (800) 222-2768 for US and Canada, FAX (614) 274-6899Mail The American Society for Nondestructive Testing

P.O. Box 28518, Columbus, Ohio USA 43228-0518

Recommended Practice No. SNT-TC-1A

2011 Edition, Personnel Qualification and Certification in Nondestructive Testing

This revision provides updated training and certification requirements for Level I, II and III personnel. New content on:• Guided Wave and Ground Penetrating Radar as Methods • Radiological Testing Method which includes;

• Radiographic Testing• Computed Radiography• Computed Tomography• Digital Radiography

• Ultrasonics, Time of Flight Diffraction and Phased Array as Techniques • Additional Example Questions


gen lamp arrays and Xenon flash lamps induce a low temperature thermal wave into the surface of the composite materi-al. The system then analyzes the reflected thermal wave over time and is able to detect defects and inhomogeneities in the makeup of the material.

The NDT system, known as composite check, uses a lockin thermography meth-od for enhanced sensitivity to highlight material defects such as voids, foreign material inclusions, impact damages and delaminated areas.

From the international space station to the recently announced space launch system program, a super rocket - more and more conventional materials are being replaced in favor of composites. However, despite all the advantages that composite materials offer, there are also significant challenges in the manufacturing process that demand new inspection technologies.

DeChellis Named President/COO at West Penn TestingNEW KENSINGTON, PA—West Penn Testing Group, a provider of nondestruc-tive testing and material testing services, has appointed James C. DeChellis, for-merly vice president/COO of West Penn, to the role of president and COO.

West Penn Testing reports that advances in numerous nondestructive testing technologies, as well as changes in the regulatory environment of mul-tiple markets, have created a need for the company to respond.

“Bringing new technologies and capa-bilities on line is challenging,” says N. David Campbell, West Penn’s chairman and CEO. “In light of the progress of

phased array ultrasonic testing in aero-space, waveform-capture DGS ultrasonic testing in energy, and new materials-testing requirements for implant com-ponents in the medical manufacturing sector, it is critical for West Penn to develop strong leaders who can stake out

a competitive position for the company in important market segments.”

According to Campbell, since DeChellis joined West Penn Testing in 1997, the company’s workforce has tripled in size and the number of plants in the West Penn network has grown from one to three.

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005_NDT-IndustryNews.indd 7 10/20/11 3:03 PM

Are You Ready forAre You Ready for


CERTIFICATION?

If expansion into new markets is part of a com-pany’s plan for growth, it may be faced with new or additional demands on its quality program to facilitate that growth. More and more companies, for example, are requiring laboratory certification as a prerequisite for doing business. Certification provides the customer with documented assur-ance that a quality system is in place and being checked periodically by a third party to ensure conformance. Among the standards many busi-nesses may be required to meet are ISO9001, ISO 17025 and NADCAP (National Aerospace and Defense Contractors Accreditation).

ISO 9001 is an important standard to compa-nies whose work is considered production since high-volume inspection work is often judged on the same criteria as manufacturing operations. Most non-destructive testing (NDT) laboratories need to be certified to ISO 17025, the laboratory accreditation standard that correlates well with the types of inspections and tests performed by NDT organizations. NADCAP is important because a large amount of NDT work is currently

done on aerospace and defense related products. Contemplating certification to one or more of these current standards starts with a review of a company’s training program.

Training, Competence and Awareness Employee training is essential for NDT labora-tories regardless of which of the many NDT tests they perform. Operating the equipment, perform-ing the tests and evaluating the results are all part of the daily inspection process. Most important, some NDT tests require a high level of skill and expertise when it comes to interpretation of results, such as in radiography and ultrasonic test-ing. Both training and evaluation for employee competence are absolutely essential. When imple-menting a quality program for the first time, no matter which one, this is a good place to start.

General Training RequirementsNDT labs that are not seeking formal quality system certifications may find ASTM E 1212-04, Standard Practice for Quality Management Systems for Non-destructive Testing Agencies, useful as a guideline for developing a Quality Management System. Paragraph 7.3 spells out the requirements for employee selection and training. It states that, “a training program shall be maintained to ensure employees develop and retain skill competence.” It continues by saying that, “NDT personnel shall be qualified in accordance with a nationally recognized NDT personnel qualification practice or standard such as ASNT-CP-189, ASNT/SNT-TC-1A, NAS 410 or a similar document.” The

More and more companies are requiring laboratory certifi cation as a prerequisite for

doing business and certifi cation provides the customer with documented assurance

that a quality system is in place.

By Nick Cirenese

IfIfppoofafafofoasas


American Society for Testing Methods (ASTM), which provides testing methods for almost every industry, provides guid-ance for all accepted NDT techniques and test methods.

American Society for Non-Destructive Testing and Other SourcesThe American Society for Non-destruc-tive Testing (ASNT) is the primary source of training requirements for NDT per-sonnel. Non-destructive testing encom-passes more than 30 test methods and techniques, most of which come from ASTM. ASNT provides training guides and certification for most of them. There are several commercial schools and organizations, as well as community colleges and aviation schools around the country, that provide NDT training and certification. These programs can be easily located on the Internet and in magazines and other periodicals. Today, as in the past, the U.S. military provides training and releases hundreds of quali-fied technicians into the civilian job market every year.

ISO/IEC 17025-2005 and ISO 9001:2008 RequirementsMany customers require that their sourc-es for NDT inspections have laboratory accreditation to ISO 17025. Unlike ISO 9001, which is focused on organizational quality and excellence, ISO 17025 is all about individual competence and pro-ficiency. Because of the unique require-ments for demonstrating competence in this standard, employee training takes on a whole new meaning and a new set of guidelines if accreditation is required. And these same requirements extend to both trainees and contract employees, which means that work performed by a trainee, an experienced employee or a person contracted to perform the work, all must show the same level of training and competence.

The ISO 17025 standard requires that the organization ensure the competence of all personnel who operate equipment, perform tests, evaluate results and sign test reports. In a typical NDT lab, that’s just about everybody. And competence only can be achieved through docu-mented training and documented work

experience. ISO 17025 spells this out by stating that personnel performing spe-cific tasks shall be qualified on the basis of education, training, experience and demonstrated skills.

The ISO 17025 standard specifi-cally calls out non-destructive testing as a technical area where personnel performing specific tasks must hold certification. Laboratory assessors with access to Level I, II & III training requirements spelled out in the Ameri-can Society for Nondestructive Testing (ASNT) training guides will want to see either certification of employees or internal training that conforms to the same requirements in the ASNT guide.

Additionally, ISO 17025 requires NDT labs to formulate goals for educa-tion, training and skills of NDT per-sonnel. This includes a certain amount of planning and documentation. The

standard goes on to say that personnel responsible for opinions and interpreta-tions should have training, experience, qualifications and:• a relevant knowledge of the technology

used for the manufacture of products and materials being tested.

• knowledge of the way the products or materials are used or intended to be used and the defects and degradation that may occur during use or service.

• knowledge of the general requirements found in applicable legislation and standards.

• an understanding of the significance of deviations found with regard to the normal use of the items, materials or products.

Finally, ISO 17025 requires NDT labs to evaluate and document the effective-ness of all training actions and keep

Employee training should be the cornerstone of any program designed to achieve certifi cation to international standards such as ISO17025 or Nadcap. Source: Magnum Quality Resources


detailed training records and certifications for all employ-ees engaged in testing activi-ties. ISO 9001, while not as stringent as ISO 17025, still requires evidence of a train-ing program, training per-formed, measurement of the effectiveness of the training and an evaluation of the com-petence of each employee.

NADCAP RequirementsNDT labs that plan to go beyond ISO certification and seek NADCAP certifica-tion face even more stringent requirements. National Aero-space Standard NAS 410 Revi-sion 3 spells out a complete set of training and training documentation requirements for NDT. NADCAP training require-ments for NDT levels I, II and III, and the required documentation, are the most stringent. NADCAP (through NAS 410) spells out very specific training, testing and evaluation requirements. Likewise, NAD-CAP documentation requirements also are very strict and demanding.

Structuring Your NDT Training ProgramGetting started is the most difficult part of any program. A solid and effective training program should start with these first basic steps.

Job Descriptions: Both ISO stan-dards require written job descriptions for every job category. Job descriptions, when done well, are a guideline for what training may be required to fill the job requirements listed. Training require-ments, training performed and employee evaluations should all closely follow what is documented in the job description.

Long Range Planning: What is the purpose of your training program? Are you seeking ISO or NADCAP certifica-tion? These are questions that should be asked up front. The types of train-ing, and the degree of documentation, needs to match long-term plans right from the start.

Resources: What training resources are needed? Where can they be obtained? Will it be in-house training or training by consultants or professional trainers? What kind of reference materials will be needed? What will be on hand for train-ing and who will control it?

Equipment Training: Don’t forget to train employees on the correct ways to use equipment. Safety concerns and cali-bration requirements are all important.

Theory: NDT training always requires discussion on theory. Why do materials exhibit the properties they do? What is magnetism and how does it work? NDT technicians need this train-ing and all ASNT training programs are loaded with it.

Performing the work: The most obvious element is how to perform the work, including how to read a specification. Often times, specifica-tions include several options, known as methods within techniques and tech-niques within methods. Watch out for these because NDT customers are often very specific as to the technique and/or method they have specified.

Quality: Product quality require-ments, process quality requirements and the organizations goals for quality and quality certifications.

Safety: Several NDT methods and techniques contain potentially harm-ful attributes. Gamma rays, dangerous chemicals and work in confined spaces all need to be addressed as necessary.

Achieving laboratory certification to any of the standards discussed here as required by current or future customers can be a daunting task. Getting management buy-in to the process of upgrading a labo-ratory’s skill set and com-petence is essential. Fortu-nately, there a lot of resourc-

es out there to help. A well-planned and executed training program will pay off in both the short and long run. NDT

Nick Cirenese is a principal at Magnum Quality

Resources in Sterling Heights, MI.

[email protected]

ReferencesRelevant standards for laboratories seeking certification include:• ISO/IEC 17025:2005—General

requirements for competence of test-ing and calibration laboratories.

• ISO 9001-2008—American National Standard for Quality Management Systems-requirements.

• ASTM E 1212—Standard practice for Quality Management Systems for Nondestructive Testing Agencies.

• ASTM E 1316—Standard Terminology for Nondestructive Testing

• ASNT SNT-TC-1A—Recommended practice for personnel qualification and certification in Nondestructive Testing.

• ANSI/ASNT CP 105—Qualification and Certification of NDT Personnel

• ASNT IRRSP—Certification for Industrial Radiography and Radiation Safety Personnel.

• NAS 410—National Aerospace Standard

• For more information, visit www.astm.org and www.asnt.org

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TrainingTraining


PHASED ARRAY

As a supplier in phased arrays, Olympus NDT organizes AUT training courses on phased arrays and related subjects. These courses are comprehensive, but are primarily aimed at the lower end of the market, i.e. portables and related instruments. The rationale is that higher-end instruments typically require spe-cialized, well trained operators, while limited application instruments require “go/no-go” interpretation. This leaves a large market for portable phased array instruments requiring general training and certification.

One of the main limitations of training is the requirement to be “certified.” Not surprisingly, certification means different things in differ-ent countries. Europe and Asia are working on harmonizing EN 473 and ISO 9712, while North America is working on a different approach. With the U.S., the dominant player in North and South America for NDE training and certi-fication, ASNT has modified the ISO qualifica-tions accordingly. The ASNT-modified ISO 9712 document is reduced, compared with the original

ISO document, and the differences between the ASNT ISO version and the global ISO 9712 are illustrated. ASNT is also looking at a new phased array approval process, which would use standard headings, formats and questions for training, but it is unclear when this will be approved. Conve-niently, the Nuclear Research Commission has also required improved certifications (i.e. with a blind examination), and the ASME NDE (ANDE) program was developed accordingly.

Hopefully, this will introduce North America to global certifications for NDT training. This would resolve one of the major issues facing manufacturers–a globally accepted phased array certification program.

However, time and again, training has proven to be the limiting factor with phased arrays. One of the main objectives to improve training is to illustrate that certification is a key. Specifically, there are two main factors to look at for training, though as a viewer, not as a regulator:• Classroom hours, and• Certification specifications. Both written and

practical exams require blind tests.

Ensuring that all operators have globally rec-ognized certification works reasonably well in Europe, Asia, Australasia and maybe Africa where ISO 9712 (3) and its related codes—EN 473 (4), PCN and CSWIP—are functioning. However, this leaves us with limitations in North America, where ASNT (American Society for Non-destruc-tive Testing) is dominant.

Time and again, training has proven to be the limiting factor with phased arrays. One of the

main objectives to improve training is to illustrate that certifi cation is a key.

By Michael Moles

AAs a sAsorganorgarraysarracompcompthe lothe land rend re


North American CertificationsASNT has two types of certifications: one is the well-known company cer-tifications, which have their uses (5). To quote, “Employers are responsible for administering the visual acuity, practi-cal and any job-specific examinations required by their written practice to complete the certification process.” This type of certification is company-spe-cific and cannot be transferred by the operator on changing jobs.

The other certification is the ASNT Central Certification Program (6) or ACCP, which is exam-based and trans-ferrable. Neither certification includes advanced techniques like phased arrays and Time-Of-Flight Diffraction (TOFD). Thus there is a hole in North America’s advanced (read: phased arrays) NDT cer-tifications, which is covered elsewhere in the world. According to the ASNT web site, the ACCP Level II UT meets the ISO requirements (though which version of ISO is not clear). ASNT is developing a Body Of Knowledge (BOK) for phased arrays, supplied by one of the Olympus NDT Training Academy Members. This is work in progress, though apparently the outline has been published.

ASNT has developed their own ver-sion of ISO 9712 (7), with local adap-tations – as permitted by the World Trade Organization. Here, we have some interesting modifications, for example, reducing the required hours for Level II Phased Array training from 80 to 40. In reality, these changes may not be glob-ally acceptable, as Non Tariff Barriers (NTBs) may be erected to eliminate North American manufactured prod-ucts in export markets.

North American Nuclear CertificationsThere are also nuclear-specific quali-fications, in both Europe and North America. In Europe, we have the ENIQ (European Network for Inspection Qualification) (8). This is more of a general framework, with each country having qualification rights to regulate NDE procedures and techniques. ENIQ allows judgment in assessing the need for and extent of physical trials in dem-onstrating adequate performance.

Minimum Training Requirements

NDT MethodLevel 1(hours)

Level II(hours)

ET 40 40

MT 12 8

PT 4 8

RT 40 40

UT 40 40

VT 8 16

National Explanatory Note: The Training hours in this table have been modifi ed to refl ect current national NDT certifi cation requirements used by the majority of U.S. industry. Arbitrarily increasing these hours to refl ect the ISO 9712 training hours, without technical justifi cation, would result in an excessive burden on industry. Source: Reprinted from ASNT ISO 9712-2008 (7) with permission from the American Society of Nondestruc-tive Testing. All rights reserved. No further copies can be made without written permission.

Extract from ISO 9712 (3). Source: ASNT

NDT MethodLevel 1

hours a d eLevel 2

hours a b d e

AT 40 c 64 c

ET 40 c 40 c

IT 40 c 80 c

LT

A – Basic knowledge 8 16

B – Pressure method 14 28

C – Tracer gas method 18 36

MT 16 24

PT 16 24

RT 40 c 80 c

ST 16 24

UT 40 c 80 c

VT 16 24

(a) Training hours include both practical and theory courses.(b) Direct access to Level 2 examination requires the total hours shown for Level 1 and

Level 2.

(c) In case of national regulations concerning the duration of a week of work, the 40 hours are equivalent to the legal duration of a week of work.

(d) Training duration may be reduced by up to 50% when the certifi cation sought is limited in application or technique.

(e) A reduction of up to 50% in the total required number of training hours may be ac-cepted by the certifi cation body for candidates who have graduated from technical college or university, or have completed at least two years of engineering or science study at college or university.


In the USA, ASME has recently sup-ported another type of qualification, through ANDE (ASME Non-destruc-tive Examination). ANDE does not use ASNT as a certification body, but uses the ASME certification instead from Sec-tion XI Article VII 4000 on Qualification Requirements (9). Thus, for a direct-to-Level II candidate, 80 hours of classroom training would be needed (plus experi-ence, of course).

ANDE is developing a Body Of Knowledge, which will cover all tech-niques, e.g. UT, EC, MT, PT, and phased arrays as well. Perhaps the main question for ANDE certifications is: “Will they be

acceptable outside the North American nuclear industry?”

In contrast, the qualification require-ments for (non-nuclear) ASME Section V Article 4 for AUT inspections (10) reads:

“Only qualified UT personnel trained in the use of the equipment and who have demonstrated the ability to prop-erly acquire examination data, shall con-duct production scans. Personnel who analyze and interpret the collected data shall be a Level II or III who have docu-mented training in the use of the equip-ment and software used. The training and demonstration requirements shall be addressed in the employer’s writ-

ten practice.” (Reprinted from ASME 2010 BPVC, Section V and Section XI, by permission of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. All rights reserved. No further copies can be made without written permission)

In ASME Section V, the assumption is that ASNT will perform this certifi-cation.

There are differences between ENIQ and ANDE. Specifically with ENIQ, there is no qualification of equipment and probes by themselves. As each inspection procedure is case-by-case, a manufacturing company cannot develop a general inspection process to get its equipment qualified. Only service com-panies can run qualification of their NDT system, which includes procedure, manpower, instrument and probe.

With ANDE, there is the possibil-ity/probability of getting equipment approved by EPRI to go onto their accep-tance list. As such, the direct involve-ment of an inspection company per se is not essential.

And Where Now?So, where does certification stand in North America? Reading this article, it sounds like North America is in major disarray, but in practice things are not that bad. Specifically, Olympus has been encouraging the introduction of ISO-related phased array training courses into North America, with some success. Lavender International is introducing PCN courses (ISO-related) for phased arrays and for TOFD; Davis NDE and Eclipse Scientific are also introducing ISO-related courses.

In addition, other companies outside North America, like Global School of NDT and Jubail Industrial College, are developing ISO courses. Given that it has taken years to get EN 473 and ISO 9712 to settle minor differences (11), our progress can be considered as reasonably brisk. However, the situation will be more com-fortable when all trainers can offer global-ly-acceptable phased array certifications, most likely based on the ISO model.

Not surprisingly, there are issues with the ISO approach as well. For example, ISO breaks down components into several sectors.

Extract from ISO 9712 (3). Source: ASNTExtract from ASME ANDE certifi cation rules (9). Source: Reprinted from ASME 2010 BPVC, Section V and Section XI, by permission of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. All rights reserved. No further copies can be made without written permission.

Level I Level II Level III

40/40 40/40 40/0

GENERAL NOTES:

(a) To certify a candidate directly to Level II with no time at Level I, the total hours of training required for Level I plus Level II shall apply.

(b) To certify a candidate directly to Level III with no time at Level I or Level II, the total hours of training required for Level I plus Level II plus Level III shall apply.

(c) Industrial or academic training courses covering the topics listed in 9.0 of Supple-ment 1 may be credited toward the training required for Level III personnel.

(d) The hours of instruction devoted to each subject in Supplement 1 shall be deter-mined by the NDE Instructor.

TABLE VII-4220-1INITIAL TRAINING HOURS(CLASSROOM/LABORATORY)

Extract from ISO 9712 on different product sectors (3). Source: ASNT

A.2 Product sectors

(a) Castings (ferrous and nonferrous materials) [c].

(b) Forgings (all types of forgings: ferrous and nonferrous materials) [f].

(c) Welds (all types of welds, including soldering, for ferrous and nonferrous materi-als) [w].

(d) Tube and Pipe (seamless, welded, ferrous and nonferrous materials, including fl at products for the manufacture of welded pipes) [t].

(e) Wrought products, except forgings (plates, bar, rods) [wp].


The other issue, from one perspective, is the number of hours appropriate for training. For example, when Olympus started training, it ran a two day course only–called “Introduc-tion to Phased Arrays”. Naturally, this course was not planned for qualifications, but proved woefully inadequate in terms of certification. This course was really only useful for engineers and managers, to get an idea of what phased arrays could do. Training courses have now expanded to 40, then 80, hours–many in keeping with ISO, PCN and other certifications. In fact, some training companies are even offering (private) courses of three or more weeks.

ConclusionsThe phased array training programs, like Olympus NDT’s, have been very successful. Ideally, the industry could benefit from seeing all courses using the same certification. There is a sig-nificant difference between ISO-controlled certifications and ASNT-company certifications–for both global acceptance and for content. In other words, there is a mish-mash of certifica-tions, but we are slowly iterating towards acceptable, transport-able certifications–probably ISO 9712. NDT

Michael Moles is with Olympus NDT.

References3. ISO/DIS 9712: 2005. “Non-destructive testing –

Qualification and certification of personnel”.

4. EN 473: 2009, “Non-destructive testing - Qualification and certification of NDT personnel - General principles”.

5. http://www.asnt.org/certification/levelii/ndt_about.htm

6. http://www.asnt.org/certification/levelii/index.htm

7. ANSI/ASNT CP-106 (ISO 9712:2005, Modified), “Nondestructive Testing – Qualification and Certification of Personnel”, 2008 Edition.

8. http://safelife.jrc.ec.europa.eu/eniq/

9. ASME Section XI Article VII-4000 “Qualification Requirements”, 2010, p. 277.

10. ASME Section V Article 4 Mandatory Appendix VI, “Ultrasonic Examination Requirements for Workmanship Based Acceptance Criteria”, 2010.

11. h t t p : / / w w w . n o r d i c i n n o v a t i o n . n e t / a r t i c l e .cfm?id=1-834-685

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IN A DOWN ECONOMY, LOOK TO

The guys in Washington might be saying the recession is over, but try telling that to the strug-gling businesses and the 9.1% unemployed. The fact is, times are tough for businesses. One does not have to be an economist to know that, in a down economy, businesses have less capital to invest, especially when banks are lending at an all time low. What is the solution for an NDT service company when they require an inspection tool but do not have the capital? NDT equipment rental companies have been delivering the answer. Many businesses are not aware of the advantages a rental company has to offer a business and how it can help a company grow.

NDT rental companies provide a quick solu-tion to any business in a capital crunch or with an inability to obtain a loan from the bank. Why tie up much-needed capital when, for a fraction of the cost of ownership, a business can rent almost any NDT tool? Rental companies offer the ability to rent a tool daily, weekly, 4-weekly or even long-term. The rental frees up capital tied to owning the equipment while still getting to use that equipment.

Not in a capital crunch and the bank is the company’s best friend? An operation may still need the service of a NDT rental company. On the

day of the job, how many times has a technician realized the equipment is out of calibration, deep discharged or does not function? I have heard too many of these sad stories. All of these issues result in lost time and revenue. With a NDT rental com-pany, the equipment is calibrated, fully charged and ready to go, saving on calibration, mainte-nance and other hidden costs of ownership.

What about the age of the company’s existing equipment? Every year manufacturers come out with the latest technology. It is only a matter of a few years before NDT tools are considered outdat-ed. Customers might not want outdated equipment on the job site or have seen competitors showing off their new tools. This forces the purchase of the lat-est equipment. NDT rental companies always have the latest NDT tools on the market, allowing the job to get done with the best tool on the market at a fraction of the cost of ownership.

What about inventory? Inventory is always in issue with NDT companies. How many NDT tools are on hand, where is the equipment located and who has it right now? Unfortu-nately, sometimes these are difficult questions to answer. I have heard many stories about how UT

What is the solution for an NDT service company when they require an inspection tool but do not have the capital? NDT equipment rental companies have been delivering the answer.

By Dylan Duke

TThe gThe grecessregling gfact isfanot hndownd

TECH TIPSTECH TIPS● Equipment can be rented daily, weekly,

4-weekly or even long-term.

● Lost or incorrect inventory costs time and money.

● Many NDT rental companies can ship equipment overnight or deliver the same day.


gauges spring legs and “walk off” job sites. Or inventory was incorrect and fewer tools were available then thought. Lost or incorrect inventory costs time and money. Rental equipment eliminates the need for tracking inventory. It frees up time and money for other important issues.

Still need to be convinced that rental might be a valid option? How about when booking an unexpected job? Many rentals result from unexpected work at the site. For example, a company is contracted to do one job but the customer is now request-ing more work be done. Not owning the right equipment to complete the extra work could jeopardize the contract. One call to an NDT rental

company and the equipment can be shipped overnight or delivered the same day.

NDT rentals are a great way of doing business. It results in freed up capital for more important jobs. Rent-als can assure that the latest and greatest equipment can be on the job site, calibrated, fully charged and ready to go while saving on calibration and other costs. Rentals free up the time and money asso-ciated with keeping an inven-tory and make it easier to handle the unexpected work-load. For these reasons, and a few more, the NDT rental market is a key in a struggling economy. NDT

Dylan Duke is vice president of MFE

Rentals, Inc., in Pasadena, TX.For a fraction of the cost of ownership, a business can rent almost any NDT tool. Source: MFE Rentals, Inc.

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COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY

The use of X-Ray inspection techniques for nondestructive applications dates back almost 100 years with the invention of high vacuum X-Ray tubes. Although the medical industry has traditionally been the largest driver for X-Ray inspection systems, both in terms of technology and implementation, it is interesting to note that the first use of X-Ray by Wilhelm Conrad Rontgen was intended for an industrial applica-tion. Rontogen’s discovery that X-Rays could pass through human tissue, but not through materials of higher density, soon led to a revolu-tion in the world of science and medicine. It was not until 1912, about 17 years after Roentgen’s discovery, that the use of X-Rays broadened to include industrial applications with the inven-tion of high vacuum X-Ray tubes designed by William Coolidge.

This trend continues today with the capa-bilities of X-Ray inspection systems reaching

new heights and its use becoming more fre-quent and commonplace for industrial applica-tions ranging from materials research, mainte-nance and repair, manufacturing and quality control. Technological advances in hardware, such as tubes, sources and detectors, as well as upgrades in software, have significantly improved the productivity and user-friendli-ness of X-Ray inspection systems. In a poll con-ducted by Britain’s Science Museum in 2009, in which nearly 50,000 votes were cast, X-Ray was recognized as the most important modern scientific achievement of the 20th century on a list of the top ten greatest achievements in sci-ence, technology and engineering.

With rapid advances in manufacturing tech-nologies, material research and precision engi-neering, the industrial X-Ray inspection indus-try has had to evolve to accommodate the needs of its expeditiously developing customers. The growing need for increased productivity, quality and accuracy at lower costs has led to the indus-try witnessing a paradigm shift from analog to digital X-Ray technology. Led by advancements in the medical field, X-Ray technologies such as computed radiography (CR), digital radiography (DR) and computed tomography (CT) have seen accelerated development over the past few years. Amongst these three technologies, CT has wit-nessed sluggish demand since its introduction

Although the medical industry has traditionally been the largest driver for X-Ray

inspection systems, the fi rst use of X-Ray was intended for an industrial application.

By Nikhil Jain

TThe uThe unondeno100 y10X-RayX-tradittrinspecin


for industrial application. This article will provide a basic understanding of CT, factors currently driving its adop-tion and an outlook for the future.

CT: Back to the BasicsCT is a radiographic inspection method that utilizes a computer to generate a three-dimensional image of the internal structure of an object under test. A gen-eral CT process consists of acquisition, correction, reconstruction and viewing the result or post-processing. Acquisi-tion consists of rotating the test object, 360 degrees, on a turntable to procure a set of high resolution radiographs. This set of radiographs then undergoes geometrical correction to account for a few non-linearities introduced by the imaging device. Reconstruction is the most important part of the CT process, wherein the set of individually corrected radiographs are combined to obtain the three-dimensional image. The recon-struction of the radiographs is done with the help of advanced software that also displays the final image. This image can be processed further to obtain the desired result.

Lukewarm Industry AcceptanceInitially, in the late 1980s, when CT sys-tems were first used for industrial appli-cations, the main hindrance for its wide-scale market adoption was price. CT

inspection systems are among the most expensive nondestructive techniques, with prices ranging from $90,000 to as high as $2 million. The prices are directly related to the capabilities of the system. Entry level CT systems equipped with a 130 kV tube are usually available for less than $100,000, while a 450 kV CT system could cost between $500,000 and $2 million. Although prices of CT inspection systems have dropped, the reduction has not been significant enough to be affordable to the lower tier of end-user industries such as automo-tive, manufacturing and electronics.

Also, CT has been described by many experts as a cumbersome, slow and difficult-to-use technique. For the most part, dependence of CT on the computational powers of a computer can be held responsible. CT is a very data-intensive process, as a result of the detailed level of its analysis capabilities. This makes CT inspection a relatively slow technique and not suitable for pro-duction environments. To put things in perspective, a typical CT configuration acquires 720 projections to produce 512 cross-sectional images, each 512 by 512 pixels. Hence, there are nearly 100 bil-lion calculations, each requiring sev-eral basic math operations. An advanced CT configuration often-used is 1,440 projections and 1,024 cross-sectional images, each with 1,024 by 1,024 pixels,

requiring 1.5 trillion calculations. The shear volume of calculations places sig-nificant burden on the computer. As a result, acquiring a CT image could take a number of hours.

Since the time taken to obtain an image is usually not of critical impor-tance in the medical field, CT has become a standard form of X-Ray. How-ever, for industrial applications, there are severe constraints on time and costs and CT had fallen behind in compari-son with other X-Ray technologies. In the past few years, however, advances in computer technology and the recon-struction software have helped reduce the time needed for obtaining a CT image. But, the process is still sluggish in comparison with the productivity gains

TECH TIPSTECH TIPS● CT inspection systems range from

$90,000 to as high as $2 million.

● An advanced CT configuration often-used requires 1.5 trillion calculations.

● The CT inspection system market was valued at around $150 million in 2010.

● The market is expected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8 percent.

Aerospace and military applications lead the end-user market for computed tomography inspection. Source: Frost & Sullivan

PowerGeneration

16.7%

Oil and Gas2.6%

Electronic20.2%

Aerospaceand Military

16.7%

Others12.0% Automotive

23.3%

Geographically, North America and Europe represent the majority of the global end-user market computed tomography inspection. Source: Frost & Sullivan

Rest-of-World8.1%

Asia Pacifi c22.6%

NorthAmerica35.1%

Europe34.2%


of DR and CR, which limits the number of applications it can be used for.

Potential ApplicationsPreviously restricted to laboratory envi-ronments, advancements in software have resulted in CT systems moving out of the realm of R&D applications and into more non-traditional markets. Currently, CT is being used extensively in homeland security, for inspection of baggage at airports. It is also being used by the military for missile inspection and small-scale failure analysis. The aero-space industry is utilizing the benefits of CT for crack analysis in components and turbine blade inspection.

With considerable improvements in scan speeds, CT systems are expected to be made available for production-line inspection applications. Although, constraints in current instrumentation limit the use of CT in production line testing, within the next five years, conformance with quality standards and 100 percent automated inspection at production line speeds is within the realm of possibility.

An important niche in this industry is expected to be 4-D computed tomog-raphy, a technology that is an integral part of the medical imaging commu-nity. Bringing the time dimension into consideration, 4-D CT is expected to enhance real time monitoring capabili-ties. Also, the ability of 4-D CT to cap-ture a full range of motion of critical internal structures will propel this tech-nology in the future.

Market OverviewAlthough, CT systems were introduced into the field of industrial inspection

more than a decade ago, it’s only in the past five years that this segment has really come into prominence. A highly successful imaging technique in the medical field, it was only a mat-ter of time before CT systems became an essential part of the nondestructive testing market. CT systems are current-ly a high growth area for X-Ray inspec-tion systems with rapid changes and enhancements in technology compared to other industrial imaging techniques. These advancements in technology have rapidly improved the speed, cost and user-friendliness of CT systems, which in the past were meant only for high-end laboratory applications.

Frost & Sullivan research into the glob-al CT inspection system market for indus-trial applications valued it at around $150 million in 2010. The market is expected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8 percent. This is considerably impressive since the overall global X-Ray inspection systems market is expected to grow at five percent CAGR.

From an end user perspective, aero-space is the highest revenue generator. Complex manufactured components in the aerospace industry, used for safety critical applications, require high-end inspection techniques. Com-ponents with complex shapes such as turbine blades, rotor blades and fuel nozzles cannot be effectively inspected for f laws and cracks by ordinary NDT inspection tools. Several aircraft com-ponents are subjected to harsh envi-ronments and are expected to have a shelf life of more than 20 years. Pow-erful inspection tools that are used throughout the life cycle of the product right from materials research, optimi-

zation of the production process and maintenance and repair is essential for the aerospace industry.

The use of CT systems in the elec-tronics end-user segment is growing. The integration of microfocus and nanofocus tubes with CT systems enables the inspection of components such as printed circuit boards (PCBs), integrated circuits (ICs) and high-den-sity BGA chips. Microfocus/nanofocus X-Ray inspection has become the most widely-accepted method in controlling the quality of board assemblies, and in analyzing the defects associated with hidden solder joints such as insufficient ref low, faulty paste print, extraneous voiding and bridging.

ConclusionAs with other X-Ray techniques, tech-nological advancement is driven by the medical industry. The shear size of the medical industry —and its willingness to embrace newer technologies—results in high R&D investment to eradicate f laws in the technology. The NDT industry is a direct beneficiary of these advancements. The technology devel-oped for medical applications of course has to be tweaked to suit the harsh envi-ronments the X-Ray system is subject to in production environments.

Another factor that has contributed to the popularity and growth of CT as an inspection technique has been the effort taken by X-Ray instrumen-tation vendors to promote the capa-bilities of this technique and improve awareness of the end-user. There have been several product introductions with enhancements and refinements to existing CT capabilities from lead-ing CT vendors such YXLON, North Star Imaging, phoenix X-Ray, Nikon Metrology and Dage.

Considering the various advantages of CT, it is expected to expand sig-nificantly over the next five years, in terms of technology, application and revenues. NDT

Nikhil Jain is Measurement & Instrumentation

Research Associate for Frost & Sullivan.

E-mail: [email protected].

Complex manufactured components in

the aerospace industry, used for safety

critical applications, require high-end

inspection techniques.


This index is provided as a reader service. The publisher assumes no liability for errors or omissions.

Advertiser Page Phone Web Address

American Society For Nondestructive Testing 6NDT (800) 222-2768 www.asnt.org

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Proceq USA, Inc. IBCNDT (724) 512-0330 www.proceq-usa.com

Spectronics Corp. 3NDT (800) 274-8888 www.spectroline.com

Yxlon International BCNDT (330) 798-4834 www.yxlon.com

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Quality November 2011