NDT technicians are expected to have a basic knowledge of product technology; yet, given the multitude of backgrounds that technicians have and numerous industries which use NDT, many technicians only receive a basic introduction to product technology during their formal classroom hours. Areas of metallography such as crystal structures and alloying are beyond the scope of most NDT training courses.

This presentation focuses on some of these areas to help technicians gain a broader understanding of metallurgy and forming processes. Thomas Fletcher discusses metals and alloys, giving descriptions of crystal structures and alloying, with a bias on steels. Fletcher reviews the different crystal structures that can occur and how the alloying elements affect the structure, and the differences between alloys. He also reviews other forming processes and how they vary and can be altered within the process and discuss these processes’ advantages and the typical defects.