ABSTRACT
Nondestructive testing (NDT) and examination are concepts and terms that have been in use for only the past 50–60 years; the aims however are perhaps as old as mankind. Nondestructive examinations of half- or end products are among the first practical applications. Frequently the field of application is research on composite materials, metals as well as plastics, where NDT methods offer advantages to characterize effects like damage mechanisms and homogeneity on a macroscopic scale and also to gain information much faster than can be realized with destructive methods. Application of NDT data during the design stage of a product occurs only rarely. However the increasing potential of computerized calculation programs make possible more realistic dimensional design of structures. This requires more precise data on material properties as well as data concerning possible irregularities in the product.
