NDT Inspection Services

NDT inspection services in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and across the UAE — ultrasonic testing, phased array, TOFD, magnetic particle, penetrant, eddy current and visual methods, carried out by ISO 9712 and ASNT Level II qualified technicians under ISO 17020 accreditation. Last reviewed: August 2026.

Non-destructive testing finds flaws in materials, welds and components while leaving the item fit for service. No single method finds everything: each responds to particular flaw types, orientations and depths, and choosing the wrong one produces a clean report on a defective component.

Choosing the method

Method selection follows from four questions: what material, what flaw type is of concern, where is it likely to be, and what access is available. In broad terms:

• Surface-breaking cracks, ferrous material — magnetic particle, which finds tight cracks penetrant cannot enter
• Surface-breaking cracks, non-magnetic material — dye penetrant
• Surface cracks under paint or coating — eddy current, without stripping the finish
• Internal or subsurface flaws — ultrasonic, phased array or radiography; no surface method will detect them
• Flaw height and crack growth monitoring — time of flight diffraction
• Wall thickness and corrosion mapping — ultrasonic thickness measurement
• Loss of pressure boundary integrity — leak testing, with the technique matched to the acceptable leak rate
• Material grade in doubt — positive material identification

Where a specification names the method, we apply it. Where it states only an acceptance criterion, we select a technique capable of detecting flaws at that threshold and record the justification — and we will tell you when the method you have asked for cannot answer the question you are asking.

Methods

• Ultrasonic Testing (UT)Internal flaws and wall thickness using high-frequency sound. Detects subsurface defects no surface method can reach, from one side of the material.
• Phased Array Ultrasonics (PAUT)Multi-element probes steering and focusing the beam electronically, producing imaged weld volume data. Frequently accepted in place of radiography.
• Time of Flight Diffraction (TOFD)Sizing flaws by diffracted signals from their tips. The most accurate method for measuring through-wall flaw height and monitoring crack growth.
• Magnetic Particle Testing (MT)Surface and near-surface cracks in ferrous materials. Finds tight fatigue and creep cracks that penetrant would miss.
• Dye Penetrant Testing (PT)Surface-breaking defects in any non-porous material, including stainless, aluminium and other non-magnetic alloys.
• Eddy Current Testing (ECT)Surface cracks detected through paint and coatings without stripping, plus conductivity measurement and alloy sorting.
• Visual Testing (VT)The foundation of every inspection programme, and the method that finds most defects when applied properly to a written procedure.
• Hardness TestingVerification of post-weld heat treatment and sour service compliance, portable on installed plant.
• Positive Material Identification (PMI)XRF and optical emission spectrometry confirming the alloy matches the specification, including carbon for L-grade verification.
• Ferrite MeasurementPhase balance in duplex and austenitic welds, measured non-destructively on the production component.
• Leak Testing (LT)Bubble, pressure decay, vacuum decay and tracer gas methods spanning six orders of magnitude in sensitivity.
• Helium Leak TestingMass spectrometer detection to 1×10⁻¹² mbar·l·s⁻¹, for leaks far below what pressure testing can resolve.
• Vacuum Box TestingWeld seams and tank floors accessible from one side only, where the item cannot be pressurised.
• Heat Exchanger Tube TestingLocating individual leaking tubes in a bundle so repair is targeted rather than speculative.
• Thermographic InspectionInfrared survey of electrical and mechanical plant, identifying hot spots under load before failure.
• Contamination TestingFree iron, halide and low-melting-point metal contamination on stainless and duplex surfaces.

Personnel qualification

NDT results depend more on the technician than on the equipment. An instrument reports a signal; deciding whether that signal is a flaw, a geometric echo or a surface condition is interpretation, and it is where inspections succeed or fail. Our technicians are qualified to ISO 9712 and ASNT SNT-TC-1A Level II, with PCN and NAS 410 qualification where the work requires it, and Level III oversight of procedure approval and technique validation.

When NDT is applied

• During fabrication, at the stages defined in the inspection and test plan
• At pre-service acceptance, before equipment is handed over or commissioned
• Through in-service inspection programmes on a defined interval
• During shutdowns and turnarounds, where access is available and time is short
• After repair, weld repair or replacement of a pressure-retaining component
• Following an overload, impact or process upset
• As part of failure investigation, to establish extent and mechanism

Accreditation and approvals

ITMAD is accredited to ISO/IEC 17020 as an inspection body, is an ADNOC approved inspection contractor, and is listed on the Abu Dhabi City Municipality register of Approved Third Party Inspection Bodies. Certificates are issued in the format required by the governing authority, including Dubai Municipality and the Dubai free zone authorities, and inspection is carried out across Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and the northern Emirates. Work is carried out at your site, in fabrication yards, at refineries and offshore, across the UAE and the wider GCC.

What you receive

• Reports identifying each item examined, referenced to weld number, drawing or line number
• The method, technique, equipment and procedure applied
• Calibration records and reference block traceability
• Indications recorded with location, dimension and character
• Accept or reject status against the governing code or specification
• Technician qualification level and certification reference
• Consolidated reporting where several methods are applied to the same scope