Non-destructive testing equipment are utilized in order to evaluate or inspect the materials, assemblies or components for discontinuities in their characteristics without affecting the serviceability of the part or system. The non-destructive testing equipment are used to determine the physical properties of materials such as ultimate tensile strength, ductility, impact resistance, fatigue strength and fracture toughness. In addition, non-destructive testing equipment also lowers the cost of production and sustains a uniform quality level. Furthermore, stringent government safety regulations for quality control, safety and reliable performance of the machines, and increasing demand to improve quality and longevity of the machines are the major factors that are driving the non-destructive testing equipment market globally.
Among all the end use industry segments, power generation industry holds the largest market share at present in the non-destructive testing equipment market. The main factors driving this growth of the power generation industry are increasing number of nuclear power plants and the subsequent increasing demand for machines used in power generation plants. In 2014, oil and gas industry was the second largest end use industry in the non-destructive testing equipment market globally. Non-destructive testing equipment are utilized in oil and gas operations on the critical assets such as tanks, vessels, heat exchangers and condensers, piping and rotating equipments to identify potential damage mechanisms. The increasing number of failures of oil and gas equipment and tools, especially of pipes are spurring the need of non-destructive testing equipment in this industry.