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by Emilie Peloquin
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In the nondestructive testing (NDT) industry’s quest for digitalization, there is an obstacle slowing our progress. We all want to be able to experience the leaps in efficiency that NDE 4.0 promises. But when we are dealing with several incompatible file types, there’s only so far we can go in streamlining our processes through digital technology.
For decades, NDT equipment manufacturers have developed their proprietary software using their own file formats. Even within the same company’s product line, file formats can vary. This widespread incompatibility inhibits data sharing between collaborators, causing huge headaches for inspection services companies, auditors, and outside experts trying to review and analyze data that’s in another format. It also prevents companies that use different inspection technologies or instruments made by different manufacturers from customizing their data analysis processes to the extent they would like.
What Will it Take to Unite the NDT Industry?
What’s the solution? The answer is relatively simple to propose, but more complex to execute. What would be ideal is a universal file format that’s compatible with all the equipment and analysis software we use, regardless of the manufacturer. It should also be an open file format that can be customized and developed as you see fit—after all, it’s your data so you should be able to do what you want with it.
The good news? We’re already halfway there!
An open file format has been developed specifically for NDT data. It enables users to load, open, view, convert, and utilize their data without the need of proprietary software. This makes the inspection data accessible and discoverable from one expert to another, and from one instrument or software to another.
Now comes the complex part, getting the whole industry on board.
As distinct commercial entities, we may all seem to be coming from different places in terms of having our own goals and self-interests. However, our industry’s NDE 4.0 journey will advance much faster if we find common ground, in this case, a common software language.
One File Format to Unite Us: But Why .nde?
This new file format, which has been given the extension “.nde”, uses the HDF5 hardware description language. HDF® (or hierarchical data format) is a proven long-term archiving solution, which is compatible with high-speed acquisition and imposes no file size limits. Because of its capacity for efficiently storing, managing, and accessing large and complex datasets, HDF5 has been widely used across various industries and applications for many years. It can be applied in production environments and integrated directly into products.
HDF5 (the latest HDF version) already runs on a wide range of computational platforms and programming languages. It’s even been used in a few different National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) projects. The fact that HDF5 is an open technology, and that it’s already used and accepted by regulating bodies such as NIST, fortifies the .nde format against obsolescence and helps ensure its long-term readability.
If using file formats accepted by the US National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is a concern, .nde parameters are embedded in a simple JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) file scheme, and .nde generated content would be JSON and ASCII. Both these formats are accepted by NARA, even if it hasn’t adopted the HDF format yet. Additionally, the use of the JSON file scheme simplifies file management, so understanding and organizing large data sets with multiple components is eased.
You may be wondering “why not DICONDE?” The Digital Imaging and Communication in Non-Destructive Evaluation (DICONDE) standard is a viable option for simple NDT data, which is why it’s practical for the images produced in radiographic testing. It’s not well suited, however, for methods and techniques such as ultrasonic testing (UT) or eddy current testing (ECT), which generate more complex information, including elementary A-scans (UT) and impedance plane information (ECT). The .nde format is flexible enough that it can generate DICONDE files if there’s a need to continue using that convention. However, the inverse is not true. DICONDE files are not able to hold the information contained in the .nde file format.
Using the open HDF5 language as a basis for the .nde file format also offers a lot of freedom for viewing your data. If you choose, you can use the official open-source application programming interface (API) to view your data. You can also opt to use one of the pre-existing unofficial APIs or develop your own, easily customizing the interface to your needs.
Another advantage that may interest our industry’s regulating bodies: since no proprietary software is required, independent auditors and regulators could use their own custom software to validate a manufacturer’s or inspection company’s data sets, helping ensure an unbiased review.
A Universal File Format Opens up a World of Possibilities
A universal open file format also enables easier integration into projects such as digital twinning and other inspection data management systems. Inspectors, manufacturers, and asset owners will have greater access to their meta data, while still having a structure to make sense of it all.
Imagine the development advances the NDT/NDE community could make if we could freely share our conventions, references, and code snippets. A universal open file format could facilitate this type of cooperation.
Add the vast potential of artificial intelligence (AI) into the mix. By applying machine learning to our NDT data analysis, our analysis processes could be accelerated exponentially. If we’re all using the same file format, gathering the large amounts of data required to train a neural network would be much simpler.
When integrating AI into their technology, equipment manufacturers could benefit from each other’s data, making leaps in development instead of small steps. Having the capability to freely share our data is the fastest route to developing quality and safe AI for the NDT industry.
Could this open file format really unite us and unleash our industry’s potential? It would entail the key players agreeing to enable all equipment to generate the .nde open file format. Other industries have standardized their file formats to enable them to work and progress together. In our march toward NDE 4.0, this is the next logical step.
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Emilie Peloquin is Director, Global Advanced Product Support – NDT Industrial Division, Emilie.peloquin@evidentscientific.com.
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