Common NDT reporting mistakes - Images

Kevin Bett Aug 2020

This is the fourth post in a series about common NDT reporting mistakes. Another one of the most common mistakes I see while consulting with NDT service providers is that many of them don’t integrate images into their reporting platform.

A picture paints a thousand words…

This has never been more true than when it comes to NDT reports. As technicians we can use images to provide evidence of defects either as photographs of actual surface breaking defects brought to life using ink or as screen captures of instruments details embedded defects.

For the customer images can be vital for many reasons including verification of defects or just identifying components. For some customers this can really be a benefit to understanding the inspection results and what those results mean for the component being tested.

In NDT reports images can also detail inspection setup configurations or parameters, making a repeat inspection more likely to be accurate.

So a well annotated and relevant image that comes with a NDT report is a valued addition which can really mean the difference between a report that is successful in transmitting the valuable inspection results and one that does not.

What most NDT service providers are doing

What I see is that images are often an after thought when building reporting workflows and in-house systems. It’s easier to store and manipulate text but images need more thought.

Where images are allowed most providers may ask technicians to attach a second sheet to the report with space for images. This can cause issues as the annex sheet may not be stored with the original report main sheet, if changes need to be made to the report in the future this could introduce errors and missing pages.

What we should be doing

Images need to be integrated into the report natively and not an after thought. By building a system that allows for the integration of images directly into the report when it is created the images become part of the report as much as the text or company logo. This reduces errors and maintains consistency.

If you’re looking for a complete cloud based NDT reporting solution which incorporates unlimited image integration as standard and can help you streamline and improve your reporting processes, consider getting in touch for a free no obligation consultation.