Non-destructive testing
Inspection and structural assurance
Overview
Digital radiography, high-energy X-ray and computed-tomography inspection that verifies structural integrity without disassembly. Applied across platforms, components and in-service fleets to keep equipment certified and available.
Keep fleets certified and available with inspection expertise that answers to you, not to a foreign prime's release schedule.
Capabilities
- Digital radiography: computed radiography to 25 μm resolution, flat-panel detectors from 65 × 115 mm up to 430 × 430 mm
- Line detector arrays up to 1,600 mm for vehicle, cargo, baggage and pipe screening, with waterproof variants for harsh environments
- High-energy linear accelerators from 0.95 to 15 MeV for thick-section inspection
- Industrial CT with single- and dual-energy systems for 3D structural and porosity analysis
- ASTM-compliant, radiation-safety-certified cabinet systems with full software suite
- Applied to platforms, components and in-service fleets without disassembly
Specifications
| Methods | Digital radiography / high-energy X-ray / CT |
| Radiography resolution | Available under controlled technical briefing |
| Detectors | Available under controlled technical briefing |
| Accelerator energy | Available under controlled technical briefing |
| Steel penetration | Available under controlled technical briefing |
| Focal spot | Available under controlled technical briefing |
| Compliance | ASTM-compliant, safety certified |
| Use | Fleet certification / structural assurance |
| Origin | Independent / non-aligned |
In depth
Inspect the structure, not a guess
The capability is built around digital radiography, high-energy X-ray and computed tomography. These methods inspect platforms, components and in-service fleets without disassembly. Digital radiography is listed with computed radiography resolution up to 25 micrometres and flat-panel detectors from 65 by 115 mm to 430 by 430 mm. Line detector arrays extend to 1,600 mm for vehicle, cargo, baggage and pipe screening, with waterproof variants for harsh environments. Different inspection questions require different source and detector arrangements. High-energy linear accelerators from 0.95 to 15 MeV are listed for thick-section inspection. Industrial CT systems provide single-energy and dual-energy options for three-dimensional structural and porosity analysis. The published use is structural assurance and fleet certification, not a claim that one configuration covers every object. Incoming components, assembled systems and items already in service can be examined without making the inspection itself destructive. The result is a recorded inspection decision that can be used in acceptance, maintenance or life-extension work.
A complete inspection chain
The catalogue describes the X-ray, CT and high-energy inspection equipment as engineered in-house, from detectors to linear accelerators. It also lists ASTM-compliant, radiation-safety-certified cabinet systems with a full software suite. Those statements describe the available equipment and compliance position. They do not remove the need to match a system to the object, the required penetration and the buyer's own regulatory process. The inspection capability is applied to platforms, components and in-service fleets without disassembly. Its methods cover digital radiography, high-energy X-ray and industrial CT, with the detector sizes, resolution and accelerator energy selected by system. A programme can therefore define the objects to be inspected, the structural or porosity question and the required assurance process before configuration. The source is independent and non-aligned, with one accountable team from briefing through delivery and in-region sustainment. The buyer's regulatory process remains part of that configuration rather than being assumed from a generic system description.
Choose the method for the object
Digital radiography supplies the two-dimensional inspection route, with flat-panel and line-detector formats selected for the item being examined. The listed line arrays reach 1,600 mm and cover vehicle, cargo, baggage and pipe screening, while waterproof variants address harsh environments. High-energy linear accelerators cover thick sections across the published 0.95 to 15 MeV range. Industrial CT adds three-dimensional structural and porosity analysis, with single-energy and dual-energy systems available. The stated compliance boundary is also specific. Cabinet systems are ASTM-compliant and radiation-safety-certified, and the full software suite is part of the inspection capability. These facts support documented inspection decisions for acceptance, maintenance and life-extension work. They do not mean that every object uses the same source, detector or energy. The buyer's components, platform geometry, required penetration and applicable assurance process determine the configuration. The role of the independent, non-aligned source is to provide the inspection equipment and engineering as one accountable engagement, rather than to substitute a generic inspection claim for those design choices.
Evidence for acceptance and maintenance
The inspection output is useful because it can be attached to a decision about a component or fleet. Digital radiography records the internal image. High-energy X-ray addresses thick sections. CT adds three-dimensional structural and porosity analysis. The published applications cover acceptance, maintenance and life-extension work across platforms, components and in-service fleets, with inspection carried out without disassembly. The equipment is not presented as an unqualified black box. The available line includes ASTM-compliant, radiation-safety-certified cabinet systems and a full software suite, while the detector and source are selected for the object. That combination lets a buyer define the inspection question before choosing the system. The independent, non-aligned source and one accountable team cover engineering, delivery and in-region sustainment. The final regulatory process, inspection procedure and acceptance authority remain with the buyer and the relevant application.
Why Unstrat: the difference
Unstrat is the authorised global representative and distributor for this capability. It is already in service with a track record behind it, so you are buying something that has done the job elsewhere, not funding a first attempt. You are not the test bed.
Independent, non-aligned origin, with no political exposure to any major-power ecosystem.
One accountable team from first briefing through delivery and in-region sustainment.
X-ray, CT and high-energy inspection engineered in-house, from detectors to linear accelerators.
How it reaches you
Related capability
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Procurement & sustainment
Classification and the end-user-certificate chain are confirmed before this capability is represented to your market.
Sourced from an independent manufacturer: no major-power disclosure rules or political conditions.
A single team responsible from first briefing through delivery: not a chain of foreign primes to integrate yourself.
Lifecycle support and operator training delivered in-region, building capability that outlasts the initial deployment.
Applications it supports
Questions buyers ask
What is non-destructive testing?
Non-destructive testing verifies that a part, a weld or a whole platform is sound without cutting it open or taking it apart. In radiography that means passing X-rays through the object and reading the image for cracks, porosity, inclusions and missing material. Our line covers digital radiography, high-energy X-ray and computed tomography, applied to platforms, components and in-service fleets so equipment stays certified and available.
See: Methods, detectors and energy rangesWhat NDT does for fleet availability
Best non-destructive testing equipment for defence fleets
Choose by what the part demands, not by brand. Fine components want micron-scale radiography, castings and weldments want a cabinet at a few hundred kV, and thick dense sections want a linear accelerator. The NDT Systems House covers all three regimes from one supplier: computed radiography to 25 µm, flat panels from 65 × 115 mm up to 430 × 430 mm, and accelerators from 0.95 to 15 MeV for steel between 30 and 500 mm. These are working inspection systems keeping in-service platforms, components and munitions certified, not a research programme.
See: The full NDT specificationSide-by-side with ZEISS BOSELLO, Varex and Nikon
How thick a steel section can an X-ray system see through?
Tubes run out long before the steel does. The cabinet market tops out around 450 kV, which is why Varex publishes its Linatron M9 at 5, 6 and 9 MV with a half value layer in steel of just over an inch per shot. Our published range is 30 to 500 mm of steel by system, using linear accelerators from 0.95 to 15 MeV. If your requirement is a 300 mm weld, the honest answer from any vendor is an accelerator rather than a bigger tube.
Digital radiography or computed tomography: which do we actually need?
Most accept-or-reject decisions are still made on a 2D image, and radiography is faster, cheaper and easier to standardise. CT earns its cost when you need porosity by volume, internal geometry or a dimensional answer. We supply both, with single- and dual-energy industrial CT for 3D structural and porosity analysis alongside digital radiography to 25 µm. Buying one supplier for both avoids running two calibration regimes and two support contracts.
See: Radiography and CT in one lineThe imaging suite behind both
High-energy X-ray inspection for thick weld sections in a naval yard
A pressure hull weld at 200 mm or more is accelerator territory. Our high-energy systems run from 0.95 to 15 MeV with a focal spot under 2 mm, covering steel from 30 to 500 mm depending on the configuration. Varex sells a comparable source class at 5, 6 and 9 MV, but the M9 is a head, an RF unit, a modulator and a console: the detector, the manipulator, the vault and the software remain yours to procure and integrate. We supply the accelerator, the imaging chain and the software as one inspection capability.
See: Accelerator range and steel penetrationWhat a Linatron M9 does and does not include
Non-destructive inspection of in-service aircraft without disassembly
That is the whole point of the method. Our systems are applied to platforms, components and in-service fleets without disassembly, so an airframe or a component goes back into service with a documented record rather than a strip-down. The systems are ASTM-compliant and radiation-safety certified, and they are in use with inspection authorities in defence, space and heavy industry where a wrong call on a casting or a weld has consequences.
See: How fleet certification is kept currentSystem specification
X-ray screening for vehicles, cargo and pipelines rather than parts on a turntable
Different geometry, different detector. Cabinet vendors publish flat panels: ZEISS to 400 × 400 mm, Nikon to 430 × 430 mm, and Varex supplies no detector at all. Fleet and cargo screening runs on line detector arrays, and ours reach 1,600 mm with waterproof variants for harsh environments. If a moving vehicle or a pipe section is in your requirement, the comparison set changes before the price does.
ASTM-compliant radiography with certified radiation safety for a state facility
Our cabinet systems are ASTM-compliant and radiation-safety certified, and they ship with the full software suite rather than leaving the review layer to a third-party licence. Compliance is worth checking line by line at tender stage: Varex lists IEC/EN 61010-1, CISPR 11 and the EU directives for its source, while ZEISS states enclosure compliance for fully shielded devices. Budget for operator certification under your own national radiation authority in every case.
Alternative to Nikon XT H or ZEISS BOSELLO for a national inspection laboratory
Neither covers both ends of a national workload. Nikon runs 180 to 225 kV with focal spots down to 1 µm and samples of 15 to 50 kg, which is excellent for components and no use on a 300 mm section. ZEISS BOSELLO MAX reaches 450 kV with workpieces up to 250 kg optionally. We supply digital radiography to 25 µm, flat panels and line arrays to 1,600 mm and accelerators from 0.95 to 15 MeV under one accountable team, so a laboratory buys one capability instead of integrating three.
See: The three-vendor comparison in fullOur published figures
What should a fleet sustainment authority buy if it needs fine CT and 300 mm steel radiography from a single accountable supplier?
Split the workload into its two hardest jobs and specify for both. Fine CT means micron-class focal spots and small samples; thick-section radiography means a linear accelerator and a vault. Buying those from separate vendors gives you three support contracts, three calibration regimes and three sets of consent conditions on the same depot floor. Our line spans both, from 25 µm computed radiography through single- and dual-energy CT to 15 MeV accelerators, engineered in-house from detectors to accelerators by the team that supports the system.
See: Radiography, CT and high-energy in one lineThree vendors, three halves of the job
We inspect ammunition stockpiles for ageing. Can that be done in-country instead of sending samples to a foreign laboratory?
Yes, and it should be. Our systems keep in-service platforms, components and munitions certified without disassembly, and the manipulators built alongside them include flame-proof motor versions specifically for the inspection of ammunition and propellants, with high-energy CT configurations to 15 MeV for thick, dense items. Sending stockpile samples abroad exports both the turnaround time and the finding, which is a record of how your ordnance is ageing.
See: Flame-proof rigs for ammunition and propellantsInspection without disassembly
Does supplier nationality really matter for inspection equipment when it is only a quality tool?
Inspection data is intelligence about your own force. A radiography record shows which airframes have cracks, which stockpiles are ageing and which welds were accepted on concession. None of the vendor datasheets in our comparison addresses export consent, and none has to: those conditions arrive with the licence, not the brochure. An independent, non-aligned supplier keeps the equipment, the software and the findings inside your jurisdiction.
What is the largest workpiece your NDT systems can take, and why is the figure not on the page?
We do not publish a single maximum workpiece figure, because the systems are configured to the part rather than sold as one fixed cabinet envelope. That is a genuine gap next to competitors who do publish one: ZEISS states 80 kg at 160 and 225 kV, 120 kg at 320 and 450 kV, up to 250 kg optionally, with an envelope to 1,000 mm diameter and 2,000 mm height. What we do publish is the manipulator side, which is where large parts are actually handled: objects over two to three tonnes and more than ten metres long on heavy-duty rigs.
See: Manipulator envelopes for large objectsPublished envelopes compared
We already own a high-energy source. Can we modernise the imaging chain around it rather than buy a whole new cell?
Often, yes, and it is usually the cheaper project. The Imaging Suite integrates with any detector, carries built-in ASTM-standard tools for validating detector performance, and can drive manipulators for automated inspection. Our manipulators are built to the task across 160 kV to 15 MeV and are designed for cabinet systems or concrete bunkers, so an existing vault can be refitted with new motion and a new review layer. Bring the source specification and the vault drawings to the first conversation.
See: Imaging suite and acquisition workstationManipulators for existing bunkers
How long will an inspection capability keep running before the supplier's spares queue becomes our problem?
An X-ray system dies when its source dies and the source cannot be replaced. Nikon is candid about this, designing an open tube so internal components can be maintained locally, and Varex lists three tiers of spares kit as standard equipment. Our answer is structural rather than contractual: the detectors, the accelerators and the software come from the same organisation that installs and supports them, on an independent, non-aligned supply line, so the spares queue is not ordered by someone else's export calendar.
See: Who can service the sourceOpen tubes with replaceable targets
Non-destructive testing: questions
What is Non-destructive testing?
Non-destructive testing is Unstrat's Land (Land Domain) capability: Digital radiography, high-energy X-ray and computed-tomography inspection that verifies structural integrity without disassembly. Applied across platforms, components and in-service fleets to keep equipment certified and available.
How does Non-destructive testing work?
Non-destructive testing delivers its effect through digital radiography: computed radiography to 25 μm resolution, flat-panel detectors from 65 × 115 mm up to 430 × 430 mm, Line detector arrays up to 1,600 mm for vehicle, cargo, baggage and pipe screening, with waterproof variants for harsh environments and High-energy linear accelerators from 0.95 to 15 MeV for thick-section inspection, capabilities matched to the requirement and confirmed under briefing rather than published.
Who provides Non-destructive testing?
Non-destructive testing is delivered by The NDT Systems House, whose focus is non-destructive testing. Unstrat represents The NDT Systems House to government and enterprise buyers worldwide as an independent, non-aligned prime vendor.
Who uses Non-destructive testing?
Government and enterprise buyers acquire Non-destructive testing to address ageing fleet airworthiness and ageing defence electronics across the land domain, matched to the mission and accountable to them, not to a foreign vendor's government.
Why choose Non-destructive testing over a major-power alternative?
Non-destructive testing is sourced from an independent, non-aligned provider, so it carries no major-power disclosure rules, upgrade-locks or political ramifications. Concretely: x-ray, CT and high-energy inspection engineered in-house, from detectors to linear accelerators. The capability is accountable to you, not to a foreign vendor's government and its release schedule.
How is Non-destructive testing procured, and where can it be delivered?
Keep fleets certified and available with inspection expertise that answers to you, not to a foreign prime's release schedule. Every engagement begins with a briefing, and export eligibility is confirmed per market under briefing rather than published. Where controlled capabilities are involved, the classification and end-user-certificate chain is confirmed first. Non-destructive testing is then sustained in-region by one accountable team from briefing through long-term operation.