Baron NDT

Baron NDT Providing industry-leading inspections using advanced technology and techniques.

05/18/2026

Two methods. One surface and near-surface question.

Fluorescent penetrant inspection and magnetic particle testing both find surface-opening discontinuities in metallic components -- but they are not interchangeable.

FPI: works on any material -- ferromagnetic, non-ferromagnetic, aluminum, titanium, nickel alloy. Penetrant enters cracks by capillary action and fluoresces under UV light. Chemistry, process control, and dwell time are the program.

MT: ferromagnetic materials only. The magnetic field causes leakage flux at discontinuities, attracting magnetic particles to produce a visible indication. Faster than FPI on ferromagnetic parts and more sensitive to subsurface discontinuities.

For aerospace structures: MT on steel weld joints, landing gear fittings, engine mounts. FPI on titanium airframe structure, nickel superalloy turbine components, aluminum castings.

Baron NDT performs FPI and MT at Jacksonville, FL and Port Arthur, TX. Nadcap accreditation for PT and MT. ASNT Level III oversight.

baronndt.com

05/16/2026

Weekend reflection from the Baron NDT team.

Week 12 was eddy current and ECA all week.

The question that kept coming up: is your ECA program built for ECA, or is it a conventional ET procedure with "array" in the title?

Different probe type. Different calibration standard. Different written practice requirements. Different inspection record.

The C-scan output is better evidence than a strip chart. The program behind it is what makes that advantage real.

Have a good weekend.

Baron NDT -- Jacksonville, FL and Port Arthur, TX.

baronndt.com

05/14/2026

Eddy current array in aerospace NDT programs — what Nadcap actually looks for.

ECA brings C-scan imaging and encoded data to surface inspection where conventional single-element ET requires multiple passes and manual signal interpretation.

Four things Nadcap auditors check in an ECA program:

Written practice for array ET: probe array configuration, frequency ranges per application, and acceptance threshold derivation all need to be specified. A generic ET written practice adapted from single-element programs will not cover ECA parameters.

Calibration standards: ECA calibration standards need to match the probe footprint and the defect orientation being targeted. A standard designed for single-element rotating probe ET is not appropriate for array ET covering a broader scan swath.

Data management and traceability: C-scan encoded data from ECA creates a traceability record that conventional ET signal output does not. The ECA scan plan, probe index positions, encoding steps, and scan coverage map all need to be documented alongside the C-scan.

Technician qualification: NAS-410 Level II for ET requires method-specific experience. ECA operation and data interpretation is distinct from conventional ET. The qualification package needs to reflect the specific probe type and data analysis mode.

ECA is one of the most capable tools in an aerospace surface inspection program. The program discipline behind it determines whether the C-scan data holds up under audit.

Baron NDT performs eddy current and eddy current array inspection at our facilities in Jacksonville, FL and Port Arthur, TX. Nadcap accreditation for ET. ASNT Level III oversight.

baronndt.com

05/04/2026

Two methods. One structural integrity question.

Phased array UT and radiographic testing address the same problem from different angles — literally.

RT for through-transmission integrity:
X-ray and gamma radiography reveal internal voids, inclusions, porosity, and crack planes oriented perpendicular to the beam. Fast, high-coverage, direct imaging of internal structure. The Nadcap-recognized approach for castings, weld joints, and complex geometry where volumetric indication types dominate.

PAUT for geometry and depth characterization:
Electronically steered beam angles address the weld root, heat-affected zone, and planar flaw types that radiography is least sensitive to. Encoded scan data with depth-resolved sizing. Essential for thick-section welds and complex geometry where RT shows an indication but cannot size it.

For aerospace structural welds and engine castings, both methods appear in the same inspection program — RT for the initial volumetric survey, PAUT for indication characterization and sizing.

For oil and gas pipeline welds and pressure vessels, the combination answers the question that neither method answers alone.

Baron NDT performs RT and PAUT at our facilities in Jacksonville, FL and Port Arthur, TX. ASNT Level III oversight.

baronndt.com

05/02/2026

Weekend thought from the Baron NDT team.

This week was about composite airframe inspection programs. IRT for large panel coverage. PAUT for complex geometry. Two methods that work together better than either does alone.

Every flight this weekend has inspection data behind it. IRT scans. PAUT encoded datasets. ET on fastener sites. FPI on turbine components.

The NDT team's work happened before the gate opened.

That's how it's supposed to work.

Have a good weekend.

Baron NDT -- Jacksonville, FL and Port Arthur, TX.

baronndt.com

05/02/2026

Test 2 - ignore

05/02/2026

Test post - please ignore

04/30/2026

This week's theme at Baron NDT: PAUT + IRT + ET. Multi-method capability for composite airframes and aerospace structures.

Eddy current is the method that gets treated as routine until an audit happens.

The call comes in: bolt-hole ET on fastener sites. Technicians know the equipment. Signals look normal.

Then the Nadcap auditor pulls the written practice and asks: is the calibration standard representative of this specific alloy, fastener hole diameter, and surface condition?

If the answer is "it's close enough," that's a finding.

ET is one of the most sensitive methods in aerospace NDT because signal interpretation depends on so many variables: frequency, probe geometry, material conductivity, surface condition, crack orientation. The written practice has to specify every one of them for the specific inspection task.

That's not bureaucratic overhead. That's how you know the result means something.

Baron NDT runs Nadcap-accredited ET at Jacksonville, FL and Port Arthur, TX, alongside PAUT and IRT. One provider, multiple qualified programs.

baronndt.com

04/28/2026

Behind the inspection at Baron NDT.

Every composite airframe survey we run has two layers.

First: the method. IRT for large panel coverage. PAUT for complex geometry. The physics of each method determines where it fits in the inspection sequence.

Second: the program. Written practice specific to the component. Technicians qualified under NAS-410. Every thermal image and encoded scan data set tied to a part number, inspection date, and technician record.

The method is visible. The program discipline is what makes the result defensible.

That combination — at our facilities in Jacksonville, FL and Port Arthur, TX — is what we bring to every composite airframe inspection.

baronndt.com

04/28/2026

Test post - Baron NDT composite inspection.

Address

8110 Cypress Plaza Drive STE 201
Jacksonville, FL
32256

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm
Sunday 9am - 5pm

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+19043042907

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