With facilities in the UK and Canada, Evisive Scan performs non-destructive testing of dielectric materials. The firms microwave non-destructive examination (NDE) technology was patented in the early 1990s, primarily to inspect dielectric materials such as rubber expansion joints and fiberglass reinforced piping. This proven microwave NDE technique coupled with a comprehensive data gathering and display program has made it a preferred alternative method of testing for engineers and has been applied repeatedly as a field-proven method, in a wide range of dielectrics, including: reinforced rubber, plastics, ceramics, organic and ceramic composites and other advanced materials. With Non-Destructive Examination (NDE) Technology, microwaves are radiated from the transducer to the specimen being tested. A detectable signal is returned at each interface where the dielectric constant changes (e.g. where there are impurities, cracks, holes or other defects.) The transducer may be moved relative to the specimen at any desired speed and the scanning speed need not be uniform. Once the data is collected, the software allows the image to be manipulated to enhance features. Since it is in digital form, the scan results can be stored and retrieved later to provide information on how a part or a defect has changed over time. This allows determination of the growth rate of a defect, which is critical to determining ultimate service life.
