Across the energy, oil and gas, and infrastructure sectors, the demand for more precise, efficient and reliable inspection techniques continues to grow. As industrial assets become increasingly complex, traditional methods of non-destructive testing (NDT) are giving way to digital-first approaches that blend hardware innovation with software intelligence.
Digitalization, automation, and data interoperability are no longer buzzwords, they’re driving forces behind NDT innovation in modern energy systems. From corrosion detection in pipelines to weld integrity analysis in power plants, engineers are embracing tools that deliver real-time insights, minimize downtime, and ensure regulatory compliance.
In the discussion panel organized by Inspenet, 5 of the NDT innovations for 2025 were explored and how they are actively reshaping the inspection landscape:
- Advanced ultrasonic imaging
- Autonomous corrosion monitoring
- Open data standards
- Flexible radiography detectors
- The cultural challenge of adoption in the NDT sector
Advanced ultrasonic imaging for complex geometries
Inspecting welds, nozzles, tees, and flanges in pressure vessels or pipelines presents a challenge due to irregular shapes and variable thicknesses. Conventional A-scan displays are limited in both spatial representation and accuracy. Philippe Cyr, Solution Development Expert at Edify Technologies, introduced a next-generation solution using portable phased array devices with built-in 3D imaging, real-time scan planning, and integrated overlays. These systems, equipped with Full Matrix Capture (FMC) and Total Focusing Method (TFM), allow technicians to visualize ultrasonic beam paths, flaws, and geometry interactions live on screen.
Technicians no longer need to export data to third-party platforms for modeling or analysis, because the Mentis and Gecko systems by Edify, for example, bring powerful image-based workflows directly to the inspection site. They support automatic rebound tracing and part-specific overlays that adapt to real-world geometries as the scanner moves across a surface.
These tools improve Probability of Detection (PoD) and reduce false positives in geometrically complex areas. They also shorten setup time, reduce reliance on operator intuition, and ensure high repeatability across users. As a result, this NDT innovation enhances reliability and technician confidence in the inspection of critical assets like steam turbines, pipelines and reactor vessels.
Autonomous corrosion monitoring
Pipelines, especially in midstream applications, are exposed to evolving conditions like internal erosion, external corrosion, and mechanical stress and traditional inspection programs often rely on intermittent checks and manual evaluations, leaving operators vulnerable to unexpected failures.
Rhett O’Brien, VP at Guided Ultrasonics Ltd., presented an autonomous area monitoring system based on low-frequency guided wave technology. These systems are permanently installed on pipelines and conduct continuous volumetric scans, tracking wall thickness changes in real time.
Each collar-shaped sensor offers a 360-degree view of pipeline health, providing stacked A-scans over time, while advanced residual imaging algorithms subtract static features like weld echoes, highlighting only changes indicative of degradation. Moreover, the system integrates wall thickness monitoring with real-time data analytics to generate corrosion rate trends, detect anomalies, and trigger alarms before failures occur. One field case identified corrosion nearly four meters away from the sensor, prompting timely inspection and verification via ultrasonic testing.
The ability to remotely monitor buried, insulated or hard-to-reach pipelines over time without interrupting operations is a game changer that empowers asset owners to transition from reactive to predictive maintenance models, aligning with ESG goals and ensuring regulatory compliance.
Why the NDT industry still adopts technology too slowly
Despite innovations, the adoption curve for new technologies in NDT remains glacial and Jeff Monks, President at EquipCon Group, highlighted how many advances, from phased array to EMAT and fatigue sensors, took 10 to 20 years to gain industry acceptance. In some cases, the nondestructive testing industry only reacts after catastrophic failures, such as ship hull fractures or bridge collapses. Technological inertia, lack of standardization, and reliance on outdated codes mean that life-saving innovations are often delayed.
According to Monks, part of the problem lies in procedural rigidity and cultural resistance, because new tools, even when demonstrably superior, face skepticism unless they’re explicitly written into standards like ASTM, ASME or API. This lag can stifle risk reduction, efficiency, and modernization. He calls on NDT professionals to evolve from passive defect identifiers to active technology integrators who understand automation, machine vision and data analytics.
Bridging the gap between lab innovation and field application is essential for accelerating NDT technology advancement, and without faster adoption, the nondestructive testing sector risks falling behind industries that embrace digital transformation. Innovators, code writers, and end users must collaborate more closely to turn proven prototypes into standard practice.
Open data formats: The backbone of NDT 4.0
Today’s inspection ecosystem is fragmented, because radiographs, ultrasonic data, and sensor outputs are often locked in proprietary file formats, hindering collaboration, machine learning, and multi-vendor interoperability. Emily Pellequin, Executive Director at Evident, introduced the .nde file format, a non-proprietary, open standard built on the widely accepted HDF5 and JSON frameworks. Unlike previous standards like DICON-D (adapted from medical imaging), the .nde format is tailored for NDT, supporting multiple modalities and scalable datasets.
It allows manufacturers, asset owners, and AI developers to share, analyze, and visualize inspection data across platforms, without needing conversion tools or middleware. Crucially, it enables AI training datasets, digital twins, and historical trend analysis.
European regulations such as the Data Act of 2023 are already requiring equipment manufacturers to make their output data accessible. This standard offers a future-proof path to compliance.
Open formats like .nde are the foundation of NDT 4.0, because they allow seamless data aggregation from multiple sources, like radiography, phased array and visual inspection, enabling smart algorithms to provide predictive insights. For asset managers, this translates to holistic decision-making, enhanced reporting, and longer asset life cycles.
Flexible digital detectors for pipeline radiography
Radiography remains vital in NDT, but traditional digital detectors are rigid, limiting their use on curved surfaces like pipes. This often needs multi-view shots or compromises on detection quality.
In view of the Brian White, NAS 410 Level 3 Radiographer at Carestream NDT, presented a flexible digital detector arrays (DDAs) that can wrap around 2-inch radius pipes, enabling single-wall single-view (SWSV) radiography in the field. Manufactured using plastic-based TFT substrates, these detectors withstand repeated bending without signal degradation. They’re fully ruggedized with shielding for industrial use and can be deployed with standard gamma or X-ray sources.
These detectors combine the portability of film with the speed and clarity of digital imaging, reducing inspection time and radiation exposure. They’re ideal for pipeline construction, in-process inspections, and areas where fixed imaging setups are impractical.
What do these NDT innovation mean for the future of NDT?
From ultrasonic scan overlays to flexible imaging and autonomous monitoring, these five NDT technology innovations mark a shift from traditional nondestructive testing into an era of smart, data-centric inspections. They reflect a collective push toward:
- Increased reliability through enhanced imaging and AI interpretation
- Faster decision-making with real-time reporting and visualization
- Lower risk and cost thanks to predictive maintenance and automation
- Regulatory alignment with emerging data standards and environmental goals
As digital ecosystems mature, the role of NDT professionals will evolve. Rather than acting solely as flaw detectors, they’ll become data stewards, system integrators, and strategic advisors, equipped with tools that go beyond compliance to enable true asset intelligence.
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Source: Inspenet.
