Non-Destructive Testing (Ndt) In The Aerospace and Defense Market - Growth, Trends, Covid-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2023 - 2028)

Non-Destructive Testing (Ndt) In The Aerospace and Defense Market - Growth, Trends, Covid-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2023 - 2028)

The Global NDT in the Aerospace and Defense Market (henceforth, referred to as the market studied) was valued at USD 708.6 billion in 2019 and is expected to witness a CAGR of 8.24%, during the period of 2021-2026.

With the outbreak of COVID-19, the sudden decrease in air travel impacted revenue from new aircraft sales and replacement parts. The pandemic has also forced several aerospace companies to focus on considerable cost savings that include workforce reductions. The companies utilize this opportunity to take advantage of the financial and economic benefits of converting to an industrial digital radioscopy x-ray system from old film technology. Further, the outbreak of COVID-19 has significantly affected the aerospace industry as passenger traffic in airlines slumped due to regional and global air travel restrictions. Multiped airlines canceled orders for new aircraft and OEMs, such as Airbus and Boeing, reducing production forecasts up to 50%. ​

Key Highlights

• NDT is a significant component in the aerospace industry to ensure aircraft safety by deploying accurate and efficient methods. For instance, Barron Industries recently confirmed that its precision investment castings meet the stringent quality standards of the aerospace industry, as it received the NADCAP (The National Aerospace and Defense Contractors Accreditation Program) Accreditation for Digital Radiography, a Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) process for aluminum, steel, and stainless-steel components.
• Aerospace companies such as The Boeing Company, Airbus, GE Aviation, and Rolls-Royce work together with suppliers to form a standard that a supplier must attain to become and remain NADCAP approved. Digital Radiography is poised to become the preferred industrial imaging method due to the ongoing technological advancements and the considerable price reduction. In July 2020, Barron Industries took certain steps to make its precision investment castings meet the stringent quality standards of the aerospace industry. As a result, the US-based manufacturer has achieved NADCAP Accreditation for Digital Radiography, a Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) process for aluminum, steel, and stainless-steel components.
• Moreover, effective non-destructive testing (NDT) helps the defense industry ensure the safe operation of military assets to serve and protect. From army aircraft to naval ships, each must be constantly verified for fitness-for-purpose given their essential role. This is not an industry with room for indecision; having a complete data set is crucial for integrity engineers to make informed decisions. Advancements in phased array ultrasonic testing technology (PAUT) continue to provide robust testing for military and defense stakeholders.
• Major drivers for the growth in the market studied in the defense industries include the complexity of structures and machines that need continual evaluation for maintaining structural integrity and government safety regulations mandating the use of NDT for gaining clearances. In addition, For tanks, NDT is utilized to test the structure of walls and floors, roof supports, weld strength, and tank thickness, ensuring tanks are in good working order while identifying any issues that may cause problems such as pollution. By identifying issues faster, business downtime and costly replacements can be prevented.
• Further, companies such as Adler & Allan provides Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) services for tanks, which includes internal inspection of vertical and horizontal tanks and buried tanks, ultrasonic plate thickness surveys, external inspection of vertical and horizontal tank, ultrasonic thickness surveys of shell, nozzles, roof, and other tank features, magnetic particle inspection of welds, rope access surveys of roof supporting trusses, etc.

Key Market TrendsRadiography Testing Technology to Account for the Largest Share

• Radiography is one of the versatile testing methods in non-destructive testing, which is used to detect surface and subsurface features in welded parts and castings. Radiography employs highly penetrating X-rays produced by an X-ray tube, gamma rays by a radioactive isotope, and other forms of radiation for testing without causing any damage to the product.
• It enables product reliability, providing the information to prevent accidents and saves lives in industries. It is also used for corrosion mapping, detection of blockages inside sealed equipment, testing of semiconductor devices for cracks, broken wires, unsoldered connections, detecting reinforcing the material in concrete slabs, and measuring the bulk density of materials.
• Radiography test equipment such as computed radiography is mainly used to manufacture and maintain military and civil aircraft and is considered under the aerospace segment's scope. Radiography applications in aerospace include detecting internal defects in thick and complex shapes, metallic and non-metallic bodies, quality of critical aerospace components, structures, and assemblies.​
• Further, Conventional radiography is being increasingly replaced with digital radiography in aerospace, and the latter is anticipated to completely overshadow the market, except for some critical high-resolution imaging applications. This shift has also been fueled by the advent of common binding standards for joint accreditation, following the National Aerospace and Defense Contractors Accreditation Program (NADCAP).​
• Due to digital radiography systems' automation and digital factors, scan times are drastically decreased by up to 90%. This time saving contributes to significantly lower labor requirements and increases the capacity of a single system, so more parts could be inspected.

Europe to Account for Significant Share

• NDT plays a major role in all life phases of an aircraft structure in order to ensure the defined quality level in the production of the components and also of structural integrity in the service phase. The region showcases demand for NDT such as radiography and ultrasonic test equipment’s majorly due to high uptake by industries such as the aerospace sector due to growing concerns towards safety.
• Moreover, the region is witnessing increased investment, owing to the huge potential, especially the aerospace sector, which is constantly growing. For instance, In June 2019, London-based Elements Material technology invested USD 3 million in Computed Radiography equipment to expand aerospace radiography testing capabilities​.
• Furthermore, United Kingdom’s super-deduction tax relief is expected to boost post-covid business recovery due to offered benefits. For example, companies investing in qualifying new plant and machinery assets will be able to claim a 130% capital allowance on their new plant and machinery investments and a 50% first-year allowance for qualifying special rate assets.
• Also, according to Eurostat, in Austria, the repair and maintenance costs related to aircraft in 2019 were valued at USD 64.03 million and are expected to increase to USD 81.1 million by 2024. With a significant increase in the number of component failures in the aerospace sector, the subsequent necessity of timely inspections and damage control is expected to drive the radiography test equipment market's growth during the forecast period.
• Moreover, ultrasonics can inspect and detect damage that is too small to be discovered by visual means. This makes ultrasonic NDT Equipment testing an essential part of the process in European countries.​ For instaance, Testia, an Airbus company, launched the latest version of its ultrasonic, eddy current, and resonance non-destructive testing device, the Smart UE1. The Smart UE1 testing device is designed for aerospace use, and certified NDT inspectors or B1 mechanics can use it.​
• Further, organizations based in United Kingdom are likely to be faced with changed rules regarding activities in the area of testing and inspection. United Kingdom is an important trading partner for many European countries. Brexit will probably have consequences for companies that export products and services from Europe to United Kingdom as these services are tested, inspected, and certified according to the European Union's regulations.

Competitive Landscape

The NDT in the Aerospace and Defense Market is quite competitive and moderately fragmented. This is due to the presence of significant players such as Mistras Group, Fujifilm NDT Systems, GE Measurement and Control, NikonMetrology Inc., Magnaflux Corporation, etc. The prominent companies are entering into collaborations and are launching innovative solutions, to increase their market share.

• October 2020 - Nikon Metrology has launched its Laser Radar inspection system. This new Laser Radar, re-named APDIS, offers precise, no-touch measurement capabilities designed to boost quality and efficiency on automotive and other large-scale production lines.
• July 2020 - YXLON Copenhagen has developed the new SMART EVO industrial X-ray system. It is built in Denmark to stringent specifications with the highest quality components; the products are built to last and operate accurately even in the harshest environments.

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