The NDT&E Department has the following major objectives:

• Research and development of production technologies of NDT&E (ultrasonic, radiography, penetrant, magnetic, eddy current, leak testing, etc.) for various industrial facilities (power generating equipment, pipelines, hoisting devices, etc.)
   
• Expert assessment with the aim of optimization of the package of NDT&E methods to specific construction
   
• Computerization of NDT&E processes for visualization of NDT&E results, improvement of the test result validity, processing of large massives of information
   
• Expert assessment of the condition of metal constructions
   
• Training and certification of NDT&E personnel
   
• Development of NDT&E codes (draft of the state standards, etc.)
   
• Development of methodological materials for training and certification of NDT&E personnel

Technological Environment

In 1955, while attaching great importance to progress of NDT&E in welding production, the E. O. Paton Electric Welding Institute (EWI) established the laboratory of physical methods of non-destructive testing for the quality of welded joints, which later developed into a research department and two design-technological departments.  The best known developments of the E. O. Paton EWI on NDT are a range of automated units for ultrasonic testing of the quality of welded joints of large diameter pipes.  Such units are operating in the pipe and metallurgical plants, pipe-welding bases and in the construction of the line pipelines in several countries.

Besides large diameter pipes, ultrasonic testing is used for checking welded joints of light alloys and non-metallic materials, the welded joints of drill bits, components of wind-driven electric plants, and for an integrated inspection of various projects.  A gamma of training devices developed at the Institute allow the operators to be trained effectively.

A lot of attention is given in the Institute to the application of acoustic emission and optical holography for engineering diagnostics of the service life and the stressed-strained state of welded metal structures.

In the field of radiation methods of control, development work was performed in order to create the X-ray detectors with a low content of silver, X-ray TV systems with improved performance for automatic interpretation of the x-ray TV images, portable radiometers and dosimeters, creation of portable equipment for radioscopy of the welded joints of pipelines, etc.

A unique high-energy radiation laboratory is functioning at the Institute in which studies can be performed and thick items can be controlled using powerful x-ray units and betatrons.

Developments in the field of magnetic inspection should be noted, namely indirect magneto-acoustic flaw detector for integrated control of the sleeves of tractor engine cylinders, multi-purpose flaw detector for control of complex-shaped welded joints, flaw detector based on the welding power source, and portable magnetization devices incorporating permanent magnets.

In order to control the tightness of welded joints on various products and structures, a range of units and complexes for control of pipes, pipelines, tanks, and protective casings were developed; in particular, a set of put-on vacuum chambers for sheet structures.

One quickly developing field of NDT is the computerization of NDT processes.  Computer processing allows visualization of the control results, essential improvement of the test results validity, and processing of large massives of information.

New technological capabilities in the performance of ultrasonic testing were implemented in the application of computerized flaw detectors, which allow development of new technologies and control of various critical and complex components.

A package of work on solving various technology tasks was carried out, using computerized ultrasonic flaw detectors.  Such flaw detectors, for instance, were used for studying ceramic materials, plastics and composites.  The Department performed a series of studies and developed the methodology of ultrasonic control of ceramic parts, using regular and computerized flaw detectors.  High-frequency ultrasound should be used for detection of small l(~ 50 mcm) defects.  Such work was performed using a scanning ultrasonic microscope developed by the Institute of Chemical Physics (Russia) together with the E. O. Paton  Electric Welding Institute, which, unlike the optical and electron microscopes, enables investigation of not only the surface and near-surface layers, but also the inner structure of an object; i.e., generation of an image of an object structure at any depth across its entire thickness.

New technological capabilities in the performance of ultrasonics of various objects are opened up by the portable computerized ultrasonic P-scan (FORCE Institute) flaw detector.  The Department specialists performed an expert assessment of the condition of metal of critical elements of power generating equipment using the P-scan system after checking with the manual ultrasonic flaw detectors.  The purpose of this work was an experimental study of the technological capabilities of the system and their compliance with the requirements of the inspection codes applied in the industry.

Besides performance studies, development of equipment and technologies of control, the Departamento carries out extensive educational and methodological work on training and certification of NDT personnel.  The Department conducts lectures and practical sessions, and certify the personnel on various types of controls (UT, X-ray, magnetic, etc.).

It should be noted that the Departmental experts used the lion's share of their potential for solving the problems of the NDT industry, introducing their developments in the enterprises of various ministries and departments.

However, in connection with the industry restructuring and overall decline of industrial production, the scope of orders from enterprises for performance of research and development of technologies for control of the produced items, has markedly decreased.  The funding for performance of the feasibility studies and research work was also cut back.

On the other hand, a number of new tasks arose in connection with the difficulties of the period we are living through, which the Departmental experts, having reoriented, had to focus on:

• The development of technologies for, and performance of, NDT for various industrial facilities subordinated to the State Labour Inspection of Ukraine; namely, power generating equipment, pipelines, hoisting devices, etc.
   
• Development of basic NDT codes (drafts of the state standards, state labour safety codes, etc.).
   
• Development of methodological materials for training and certification of NDT personnel.
   
• Introduction of the international three-level system for certification of NDT personnel in Ukraine.

The Departmental experts are carrying out extensive research and social work:

• Taking an active role in the work of the Ukrainian Society for Non-Destructive Testing and Technical Diagnostics, National Certification Committee of Ukraine on Non-Destructive Testing, Technical Committee TK78 of the State Standardization Organization of Ukraine, and various scientific-technical conferences in the field, etc.
   
• Publishing books, reference books and manuals on non-destructive testing in the field, etc., as well as participating in the publication of the "Technical Diagnostics and Non-Destructive Testing" journal.

All the welding technologies (all kinds of equipment and materials) and welded structures need to use the non-destructive testing methods and means.  This accounts for the broad range of dynamic nature of the subjects addressed by the Department, its involvement in the the welding production, and the diversity of the applied processes which develop at the junction of various sciences.

In 1984 the Scientific Council on the comprehensive subject of "Technical Diagnostics and Non-Destructive Testing" was set up at the Presidium of the Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.  This gave an impetus to the NDT&E development in Ukraine.  The Council began making programs of NDT&E development in the enterprises and organizations of Ukraine, the scientists and experts started meeting more often and exchanging experiences at the Council sessions and at the seminars and meetings conducted by this Council.

The Ukrainian Society for Non-Destructive Testing and Technical Diagnostics (US NDT&TD)  was established at the meeting of the leading experts of the country on October 28, 1990.  The aim of the Society's activity is the consolidation of efforts of scientists and engineers for the development of creative and business activity, information exchange, satisfying the professional interests and the development of international contacts on NDT&TD.  The first National Program of NDT&TD development in Ukraine was established by the initiative of US NDT&TD.  The program demonstrated the significant scientific and technical potential of the scientists of Ukraine in the field of NDT&TD.  Later, US NDT&TD set up the National Certification Committee of Ukraine on NDT, which had the aim of organizing the personnel certification in keeping with international standards.

One of the main aspects of US NDT&TD activity is organizing conferences, seminars, exhibitions and meetings of experts, as well as conducting the leading European company seminars in Ukraine.  US NDT&TD gives a lot of attention to contacts and cooperation with similar foresight societies.  In 1995, US NDT&TD was accepted into the European Committee on NDT (EC NDT), a number of agreements were signed and negotiations were held on cooperation with the societies of Russia, Belarus, Poland, Czech, Croatia, Germany, Great Britain, Denmark, Italy, and others.

The work on standardization in Ukraine is led by the State Committee of Ukraine on Standardization, Metrology and Certification (Gosstandardt).  All the USSR standards (GOSTs) are valid in Ukraine and several dozens of them were elaborated in the NDT field.

For continuation of the work on standardization in the field of NDT&E, Gosstandardt set up a Technical Committee on Standardization "Technical Diagnostics and Non-Destructive Testing" (TC-78).  This is a social organization which unites the leading experts on NDT&E, determines the priority areas of work and qualified performers in the field of NDT&E.  It's main aim is unification of the standards of Ukraine with the European norms.