Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) Software Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2023-2028)

The non-destructive testing software market is estimated to register a CAGR of about 8.47% during the forecast period. NDT software can help optimize NDT workflows and accelerate the inspection process.

Key Highlights

• Traditionally, analysts had to interpret NDT results off-site or in a less visually intuitive approach. This analysis requires highly experienced, trained technicians to identify defects accurately. The process is time-consuming, and the subjectivity involved opens the inspection process to variation. To deal with such issues, many industries are replacing this analysis with NDT software that can scan, collect, and analyze data in real time and generate images, significantly improving speed and consistency over legacy analysis.
• With NDT software becoming faster, more powerful, and more user-friendly, there is an increasing demand for these solutions from many industries. Many advanced and upgraded NDT solutions can help simplify the inspection process, analyze data in real time, and generate 3D visualizations while ensuring the most accurate results possible.
• Further, the emergence of new technologies like Artificial Intelligence and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) present new growth opportunities for the market. Many players are incorporating AI algorithms in their solutions that learn autonomously to solve tasks, perform classifications or identify patterns.
• COVID-19 directly impacted various end-user industries, including declined automotive production and reduced requirement of petroleum products due to worldwide lockdown and travel ban, disrupted supply chain, and shrinking investments, which resulted in a temporary stagnation in demand for NDT software solutions. However, with COVID-19-related restrictions easing up and manufacturing activities picking up gradually, the market is expected to exhibit renewed growth during the forecast period.
• There has been an incremental rise in the demand for skilled NDT technicians worldwide. The demand currently outweighs the supply due to many reasons. Non-destructive testing can only be performed by certified professionals who undergo detailed training in the presence of subject-matter experts to gain expertise on the various techniques and skills involved in analyzing the data.​ Thus, the shortage of trained professionals restricts the growth of the market.

Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) Software Market Trends

Oil and Gas Industry to Witness Significant Market Growth

• NDT plays an important role in the oil and gas industry in maintaining the integrity of the oil and gas equipment and the safety of petroleum refining and extraction operations. The industry adopted several NDT techniques, such as ultrasonic testing, radiography testing, thermography, visual inspection, and acoustic emissions.
• Ultrasonic Testing is commonly used for weld inspection and corrosion mapping in oil and gas pipelines, which is a time-consuming process. Implementing UT equipment with built-in NDT software allows the technician to create setups and calibrate the instrument in a much shorter period. NDT software also allows inspection parameters to be changed on demand, saving inspection time.
• Further, as an essential component of ultrasonic NDT equipment, ultrasonic testing software can also manage the procurement of phased array ultrasonic signals while providing accurate data. Advanced software allows NDT analysts to read data quicker while finishing the inspection process faster, providing key features such as high-quality live data streaming and numerous customization options.
• Eddy current testing (ECT) is another highly proven type of NDT technique in the oil and gas industry that can be used to detect minute flaws in materials. Paired with sophisticated software, technicians can detect even slight discontinuities in metals.
• In April last year, Creaform announced the release of Pipecheck 6.1 software, a significant upgrade to its pipeline integrity assessment software. Pipecheck 6.1 is an NDT solution that provides a complete 3D visualization of internal and external surfaces, ensuring pipeline integrity and public safety.

North America Accounts for a Major Market Share

• In North America, the rapid growth of the automotive, power generation, oil and gas, and aerospace and defense industries are the major reason for the growing adoption of NDT equipment and software solutions. NDT solutions are increasingly being used in these industries to test the quality of components and machine conditions before or during their active use.
• Additionally, many stringent government regulations mandating the usage of NDT technology for ensuring worker safety are also driving the demand for these solutions. For instance, as per Zetec, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires that each of the 200,000+ aircraft in the US undergo periodic safety inspections using NDT.
• The increasing number of infrastructure projects undertaken in this region will also support the growth of the market, as NDT is an essential tool to determine the existing condition of a structure or its individual components. For instance, in April this year, ONxpress Transportation Partners entered an agreement with Infrastructure Ontario (IO) and Metrolinx for the GO Expansion On-Corridor Works Project in Toronto, Canada. The contract includes system-wide infrastructure upgrades, including adding 205 km of new track and electrification of 687 km of the rail network.
• Players in the region are focusing on providing solutions that can automate different aspects of the NDT process. For e.g., Arkansas, a US-based Spinnsol, provides Zertify NDT Software, which is a cloud-based management software that integrates all NDT inspection methods and associated processes into a single system. The solution can automate the entire non-destructive testing process from project initiation, scheduling, and dispatch to providing real-time access to test specifications, enabling input data, creating reports, and collecting signatures for approval.
• Further, many leading NDT equipment providers in the region are also offering software solutions that complement their NDT product portfolio. For instance, the US-headquartered Mistras Group offers MISTRAS Digital, a mobile, cloud-based reporting platform that digitalizes the field inspection process. Offering complete visibility and transparency into the inspection process, the solution centralizes the results of all NDT operations into a single platform.

Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) Software Market Competitor Analysis

The non-destructive testing (NDT) software market is moderately competitive and consists of some influential players like YXLON International GmbH, TWI, Sonatest Ltd, Mistras Group, Eddyfi Technologies, etc. Some of these players currently manage the market in terms of market share. These players have a noticeable market share and are concentrating on expanding their customer base across foreign countries. These businesses leverage strategic collaborative actions to improve their market percentage and enhance profitability.

In April 2022, TWI, in collaboration with Peak NDT, developed an advanced ultrasonic FMC inspection software called TWI Crystal using the Peak NDT hardware as the primary data acquisition system. The solution supports a comprehensive feature set that has allowed it to be deployed within several industrial sectors, including nuclear, oil and gas, rail, and aerospace.

In September 2021, Waygate Technologies launched the Krautkrämer USM 100, a handheld ultrasonic testing (UT) device that takes accurate and repeatable ultrasonic inspections. The device also offers enhanced digital features such as cloud-based data and fleet management, remote calibration, and the ability to customize the device with apps available on the inspectionworks.com public app store. Its software and hardware capabilities make the device ideal for weld inspection, where cross-segment requirements and a variety of materials are the main challenges.

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