In a competitive job market, prospective employees must do everything they can to make their resume stand out among the crowd. Since nondestructive testing is such a high-demand field with reliable, lucrative careers for a lifetime, technicians cannot rely on basic skills and training alone to acquire and retain a job.
To show your current and future employers that you are a dedicated and knowledgeable technician, continuing your education and mastery over the various inspection methods is ideal. Training in magnetic particle testing, in particular, can increase your value on your team or set you ahead of the rest during interviews. Here's how.
After you’ve been in the field for a while, you can start to feel like you're on autopilot. NDT classes help to ward off complacency and refocus on excellence in the field. Learning a new testing method allows technicians to learn from their experienced peers throughout their career, rather than only during the early years of certification.
Technicians who continue their education through magnetic particle testing courses leave with a certification in a new testing method and refreshed knowledge of NDT as a whole. They use this new perspective on the scope of the nondestructive testing field.
Magnetic particle testing is a method of NDT that uses ferromagnetism to locate surface or near surface flaws. By applying a fine pigmented powder to the surface of a part, discontinuities are revealed when the powder is drawn into the magnetic leakage field. Magnetic particle testing is used for ferromagnetic assets and materials: those that are composed of nickel, cobalt, iron, in addition to some of their alloys.
If you’ve spent any time in the nondestructive testing field, you know that a large number of assets in the industries that are served by the NDT community are made of these materials. Without an understanding of magnetic particle testing, a technician runs the risk of using a method that is incompatible with the materials under inspection, or one that may not inspect the asset as thoroughly as magnetic particle testing may.
Magnetic particle testing is an inexpensive, highly portable method that technicians can use in a variety of settings. Since the cost to complete the inspection is low, technicians with training in this method can save their employers money down the line. Additionally, the portability of the method means that technicians can travel to a variety of locations and reduce high costs of transporting an asset.
Technicians with limited hands-on training in NDT methods, like magnetic particle testing, are unprepared to enter the field because their skills are limited to the testing methods they know. Even with advanced training in these methods, it's best to have an overall idea of as many NDT methods as possible. This way, each technician can better handle the unexpected while they're in the field. Prospective employers may be less inclined to hire a technician if they know that they are only certified in a few methods and cannot be sent out to any job site.
Since large part of the nondestructive testing technician's role is determining which testing method is appropriate for the asset under inspection before completing the inspection itself. For the technician who is certified in a wide variety of testing methods, this is no problem. This technician trained in magnetic particle testing can quickly determine which testing method needs to be performed, based on characteristics like ferromagnetism, part geometry, and portability. Only then can the technician acquire the necessary equipment and complete the inspection.
A technician with limited credentials will recognize that the asset requires a testing method for which they are not certified and defer to another technician, which may still cost your employer and the client valuable time. In the worst case, a technician may attempt to complete an inspection without realizing that they should be using another method, like magnetic particle testing, and risk inaccurate inspection results that can compromise safety for the component.
Whether it is magnetic particle testing, ultrasonic nondestructive testing, or any of the other NDT testing methods, training and certification mean very little if they don’t come from a reputable institution. If you're looking to hire nondestructive testing services to protect your assets or become a technician through NDT technician training, it is crucial to choose the right company to meet your NDT needs.
TXNDT is a cut above the rest with superior NDT courses, knowledgeable instructors, and hands-on coursework to prepare all prospective technicians for the NDT certification. When lives are on the line, choose the best people for the job. Check us out online, or give us a call today at 281-231-0001 to see how TXNDT can work for you!
