Anyone work nondestructive inspection? (NDI)

**CaptainCaveMan** · 04-18-2006, 03:29 AM

I'm getting ready to sign up for the Air National Guard and since they don't have any openings for what i did on Active Duty i have to find a new job. NDI is the only one that looks halfway decent. They don't have any openings for computer techs or anything. I'm just trying to see if anyone on here does it so i can get a better idea of the job.

**TMF** · 04-18-2006, 10:13 AM

Hey Cap, I'm not sure what you're inspecting, but in my biz we inspect welds in piping systems. Radiographic (X-ray) inspection will tell you about penatration and we use boroscopic (camera) for hygienic piping. In the past I've inspected pipe with a brinell hardness tester. Does that help any ?

**CaptainCaveMan** · 04-18-2006, 10:24 AM

Originally Posted by TMF

Hey Cap, I'm not sure what you're inspecting, but in my biz we inspect welds in piping systems. Radiographic (X-ray) inspection will tell you about penatration and we use boroscopic (camera) for hygienic piping. In the past I've inspected pipe with a brinell hardness tester. Does that help any ?

It's for inspecting stuff on airplanes, like landing gear and various other parts. I know x-ray is one of the things they use. They use alot of other types of testing using other tools and dyes.

I'm just seeing what the job market for something like that is in the real world with certifications and all that.

**TMF** · 04-18-2006, 10:28 AM

Originally Posted by CaptainCaveMan

It's for inspecting stuff on airplanes, like landing gear and various other parts. I know x-ray is one of the things they use. They use alot of other types of testing using other tools and dyes.

I'm just seeing what the job market for something like that is in the real world with certifications and all that.

Oh yea, the old die penatrant test, done that too. We have a QA/QC guy that does all that testing, and he also maitains all the welders certs. It's a good job, probably makes $80000/year

**CaptainCaveMan** · 04-18-2006, 10:33 AM

Originally Posted by TMF

Oh yea, the old die penatrant test, done that too. We have a QA/QC guy that does all that testing, and he also maitains all the welders certs. It's a good job, probably makes $80000/year

I've been looking into this for a few months, i'm probably going to take it. I plan to go to the guard and i just figure might as well do something that might be worth something on the outside.

sac2165 · 04-18-2006, 03:50 PM

We use the non-destructive stuff for telecom structures all the time.

Its good business if you get the certs.

**Johnny A** · 04-19-2006, 05:44 AM

I have been in the bussiness now for nearly 20yrs. The good thing about NDT / NDI is that you can go into just about any industry. I have experience in Pulp and Paper, Chemical Plants, Refineries, Pipe Lines, Fabrication Shops, Structural, Offshore Drilling Rigs and Areo Space. It all depends on where you want to go and how much effort you want to put into it. I now manage a NDT company. We specialize in the offshore drilling industry.

Now there is GOOD money to be made in the industry, but there is alot of sacrifices to be made as well. If you stay in the Areo Space side of it the money/overtime is not as good. Now if you get into Chem Plants, Refinery, or Fab shops you have the potential of making alot of money and getting certifications such as API 510, API 653, API 570. These certs can be had after so many years in the bussiness. Around 5 or so. With these certs (if you happen to fall into the right pile of sh!t) can get you up to $35/hr. The offshore industry the pay is alittle less per hour but the OT is unreal. My top guy at this moment makes $23/hr and the rest of my guys are between $18-$14 depending on the amount of experience they have. But our normal work day is 12hrs/day and the work week (lately) have been 7 days/week. If I had 10 more people I could put them to work now. There was alot of storm damage to the rigs last year and a shortage of NDT technicians.

Now with all that said. There are alot of sacrifices to be made for this type of job. Areo Space not as much as the others. The first is the travel. On the average, as a tech I spent 9 months/yr away from home and family. And while I was home I work between 60-100+ hours aweek. The second is the lack of sleep. I have always said that I would like to be in a sleep deprivation study. I think if they were to test NDT techs it would mess up all of the study results to date. There have been many times that it has been required that you work an unsafe amount of hours. My best to date is 58 hours straight. Finished that job got 4 hours off and had to pull another 24hr shift.

Sorry for the long post. If you have any other questions send me an email johnny@nacher.net

**TMF** · 04-19-2006, 06:05 AM

Check out the bio-pharma biz, it's boomin, and testing/validation co's are making up thier own scope as they go. $ to

be made

**RainMan** · 04-19-2006, 04:31 PM

Aerospace Inspector here!
We use NDI/NDE all over the place out here at KSC. Everything from pipe welds to Orbiter Airframe and composites inspections.

Dye Pen
Mag Particle
Ultrasound
Eddy Current
X-Ray Radiography
just to name a few, and we Boroscope the shit out of everything!

**TommySS** · 04-19-2006, 05:23 PM

Good job, a little higher in the acft maintenance "food chain", and easily adaptable to many other industries.

Learn the job, excel at it, and you can write your own ticket. Good luck.

**CaptainCaveMan** · 04-19-2006, 06:12 PM

I wanted to talk to the recruiter today but lo and behold the office is closed for some shit this week. I guess i'll have to wait till monday.

Thanks for the responses guys. I didn't think anyone on here would have a career in this. I never really even heard about it until not long ago.