Advanced Radiographic Testing

Radiographic Testing of Materials using Digital Detectors

DEKRA performs Advanced Radiographic Testing of materials using digital detectors to detect defects in welds and the parent material of potentially dangerous equipment, constructions and pipelines.

About Advanced Radiographic Testing

Advanced Radiographic Testing (ART) uses digital detectors instead of film. DEKRA’s ART specialists use a number of different types of digital detectors in combination with our software solutions to capture, filter and store test images. In addition to the sources being the same as in conventional radiography, new x-ray tubes producing pulsed radiation are also used.
There are a number of advantages with using digital radiography, primarily the wider range of grayscales in the digital images and the possibility it offers to investigate different windows of the image. Additionally, in digital radiography, the exposure time can be shorter and the resulting image is sent directly to a computer (or via image scanning). No chemical evaluation is needed, unlike more traditional film-based radiography.
DEKRA’s ART specialists are specifically trained to inspect welds in pressure vessels with digital detectors according to the Pressure Equipment Directive (PED).
Our innovative use of digital detectors is not only increasing the efficiency of the radiographic testing process, it is also far more environmentally friendly (as no films or chemical processing are used). Finally, it is far easier to for our experts to develop automated systems for our customers using digital detectors positioned with incredibly high accuracy.
Samples of defects that can be detected include cracks, slag, pores and porosity, inclusions and lack of fusions. Our experts provide highly accurate defect coordinates, length and orientation height (depth). DEKRA has a variety of Isotope sources and x-ray machines available, including:
  • Se75 Isotope for steel 5 to 20mm
  • Ir192 Isotope for steel 10 to 50mm
  • Co60 Isotope for steel 25 to 200mm
  • X-Rays for steel various thicknesses
DEKRA’s radiographic testing specialists are certified according to ISO 9712 and we meet the following testing standards: GOST 7512-82, ISO 17636-1:2013, LISO 17636-2:2013, PNAE G-7-017-89.