SCOPE OF NDT IN AVIATION INDUSTRY Scope of NDT is expanding in all industries at a rapid pace.

Technological developments in all NDT techniques are making coverage of all ranges of materials, shapes and configurations. Aviation industry utilizes almost all industrial technologies during manufacturing of the aircraft for which effective NDT coverage is essential. Introduction of pro-active maintenance concept on aircraft has enhanced the application of NDT techniques manifold. Ensuring safety for the traveling public is an increasingly difficult task in an atmosphere of deregulation, budget cuts, and cost competitiveness. Few new aircrafts are being bought and therefore those already in service are expected to be used as long as possible. Because of this emphasis on increased service life, testing and inspection of aircraft components and structures has become increasingly critical to ensure flight safety and retain the confidence of passengers and aviation operators. In this scenario NDT is the most effective and economical tool. Rapid and accurate repair of material flaws due to stress, fatigue and corrosion is a key to aircraft component maintenance. Aircraft systems represent the potential for enormous economic loss due to structural failures as well as possible impacts to the public safety. Similarly, structural integrity of airframes is a critical safety factor within military and civilian aviation communities especially with the increasing age of

the airframes in use. This is especially important when airframes have already been repaired because of structural cracking. To address this problem a number of non-destructive techniques are in use to detect the existence of defects in the aircraft. Expensive non-destructive testing equipment is useless without proper training. Yet training requirements are nebulous at best. Trained and competent NOT personnel are in demand today more than ever before. Increasingly aerospace manufactures and suppliers realize the need for high-quality products and improved personnel proficiency. The need for highly qualified personnel with appropriate certifications will continue as long as new materials are being developed and the quest to achieve higher quality standards exists. Part of training technicians is making sure that they actually understand how the equipment works so that they know its strengths and weaknesses. In USA questions have been raised by federal aviation administration (FAA) inspectors as to how to determine whether qualified personnel are performing non-destructive testing. Currently, there is no national policy to determine if personnel performing NDT are qualified. There are several current national and international standards acceptable to the FAA that may be used to assure that only qualified personnel perform. ISO 9712 is one of them. In Pakistan thanks to NCNDT who through its untiring and remarkable efforts provides us an institution whose qualifying standards are beyond doubt and are accepted in all

industries with full confidence. Persons qualified from this institution handle all NDT in industry. All PAC facilities are ISO 9002 certified. NDT facilities of PAC are also in a process of civil aviation authority certification. Most of us must be knowing that PAC has become an autonomous body with the creation of PAC Board through a presidential order in year 2001. This was intended to let the civil sector come and explore the tremendous capabilities and facilities and state-ofart equipment available at PAC so that maximum benefit can be taken of this industry.