Industrial Radiography Market

Industrial Radiography Market and Top Companies

General Electric:

General Electric (US) is one of the world’s largest multinational conglomerates, operating as an infrastructure company worldwide. The company develops and manufactures products that are used in the generation, transmission, distribution, utilization, and control of electricity. GE operates through 8 business segments: Aviation, Power, Healthcare, Oil & Gas, Capital, Lighting, Transportation, and Renewable Energy. The company provides industrial radiography solutions under the Oil & Gas business segment.

Comet Group:

Comet Group (Switzerland) is a globally leading technology firm developing and producing innovative high-tech components and systems based on x-ray, radiofrequency, and e-beam technology. The company markets its components, systems, and services under the COMET, YXLON, and ebeam brands. The company operates through four business segments, which include Plasma Control Technologies, X-Ray Systems, Industrial X-Ray Modules, and e-beam Technologies. The e-beam Technologies segment develops, manufactures, and markets metal-ceramic X-ray sources and portable X-ray modules for non-destructive testing and security inspection, as well as e-beam sets for the eco-friendly sterilization of surfaces. COMET, YXLON, and e-beam are the company’s three strong brands, which serve different markets. Its products are used in automotive, aerospace, electronics, energy, semiconductors, and solar industries, as well as in airport security applications.

Fujifilm Holdings Corporation:

FUJIFILM Holdings (Japan) is a holding company of two operating companies Fujifilm and Fuji Xerox. The company is constantly transforming itself to cope up with the changes in the business environment where the market for photographic materials is rapidly shrinking with the rise of digitalization. Fujifilm operates through three segments, Imaging Solutions, Document Solutions, and Healthcare and Material Solutions. The Healthcare and Materials Solutions segment develops, manufactures, markets, and services equipment and materials for medical systems, life science products, pharmaceutical products, graphic art products, flat panel display materials, recording media, electronic materials, and related products, primarily for commercial enterprises. The company operated through 279 consolidated subsidiaries globally as of 2019.

Nikon Corporation (Japan)

Nikon Corporation is one of the players in the field of advanced optoelectronics and precision technologies. The company operates through four business segments, namely, Imaging Products Business, Precision Equipment Business, Industrial Metrology and Others, and Healthcare Business. It provides industrial radiography-related products and solutions through the Industrial Metrology and Others segment. The products and solutions from the Industrial Metrology segment are used for applications in industries such as automotive, aerospace, and electronics manufacturing.

Shimadzu Corporation (Japan)

Shimadzu Corporation is a major manufacturer of precision tools and equipment. The company also specializes in developing, manufacturing, and selling analytical and measuring instruments, medical systems, and aircraft and industrial equipment. The company operates through 5 business segments, namely, Analytical & Measuring Instruments, Medical Systems, Industrial Machinery, Aircraft Equipment, and Other Products. The products and solutions related to industrial radiography are offered under the Analytical & Measuring Instruments segment. This segment is divided into several sub-segments. General analytical instruments are mainly used for pharmaceutical, chemical, and life science purposes. Surface analyzers are mainly used for electronics, metals, and nonferrous metals. Drain and exhaust gas monitors are primarily used for factories and thermal power stations. Moreover, testing and non-destructive inspection machines are used for various materials.

Industrial Radiography Market and Top End-user Industries

Automotive & Transportation

The automotive sector is developing rapidly and is focusing more on high-value proposition along with cost reductions. Industrial radiography tools have become invaluable in these efforts as they provide manufacturers the ability to engineer products of higher quality with tighter tolerances, while also providing them a way to inspect the products during the production process. Industrial radiography is used for the measurement of the internal and external geometry of critical parts to compare with the original CAD model. Industrial radiography techniques have the following applications, resistance spot weld inspection, MAG weld inspection, inspection overlapped laser welds, and the inspection of glued joints. Industrial radiography is very valuable during the development phase. It involves inspection that is generally performed on casting components, plastic components, cast wheels, engine components, tires, fuel injectors, and the components of braking assembly among others.

Aerospace

Industrial radiography plays a critical role in the aerospace industry as any fault in the equipment can put lives at risk every day; therefore, high precision is important in this sector. The aerospace industry involves the extensive use of industrial radiography techniques. The complex technology and structural characteristics of aerospace components are critical with respect to both safety and performance. Sometimes it becomes very difficult to detect flaws and defects in these components, which can result in huge failures causing consequences far beyond commercial loss.

Petrochemical & gas

The petrochemicals and gas industry is one of the major end users in the industrial radiography market in terms of market share. Workplace safety is of utmost importance in this industry hence, radiographic techniques are used to keep constant checks on the equipment. In the petrochemicals and gas industry, industrial radiography is mainly used for inspecting the welds of pipelines and pressure vessels. Industrial radiography testing in this end user includes monitoring pipelines, storage tanks, and refining equipment for measuring internal corrosions without externally damaging the material. The monitoring is carried out according to safety and environmental regulations to extend the life and productivity of assets, minimize repair costs, manage risks, and avoid catastrophic disasters.

Power Generation

The power generation sector has seen a worldwide increase in the use and demand for energy production, which has increased the number of power plants worldwide and boosted the demand for industrial radiography testing equipment in the market. The industrial radiography market in this sector is driven by service providers who continuously inspect the power plants of both conventional and nuclear sites. A few of the main parts for inspection are boilers, heaters, turbines, generators, feedwater heaters, reactor vessels, and condensers. Industrial radiography provides inspection solutions for fossil fuel, nuclear, wind, and solar applications. It helps in maximizing efficiency, minimizing downtime, and enhancing productivity.

Manufacturing

Industrial radiographic inspection and testing are important in manufacturing plants. Further, consumer durable goods, non-durable goods, electronic components, and equipment have to undergo regulatory standard testing before being launched. There is a huge demand for industrial radiography inspection equipment and services from industries such as mining, iron foundry, piping, tube manufacturing, heavy engineering, shipbuilding, and metal. To monitor and regulate the equipment according to standard values, industrial radiography techniques are frequently used in all manufacturing plants. The different segments that the manufacturing end user can be divided into are mining industry, metal industry, foundry, shipbuilding, and pipe & tube manufacturing.

Industrial Radiography Market by Imaging techniques

Film-Based Radiography

In film-based radiography, a film is exposed to radiations such as x-rays and gamma rays that are bombarded on the item being inspected. The development time of the image in this technique is longer compared with other techniques. However, the technology is better understood and known by people. The process control is simpler in comparison to other forms of radiography. Film-based radiography measures defects using a transparent base and an emulsion layer. Further film-based radiography is a volumetric testing method. The film used in it is lightweight, flexible, and suitable for various applications. All films such as spot films, laser films, video films, are direct exposure films are used with the transparent base and emulsion layer.

Digital Radiography

Digital radiography is the latest development, A digital image-capturing device is used in digital radiography instead of X-ray films. The image quality can be enhanced using computer processing. The image gets stored in a digital format; hence, a database can be maintained for future referrals. Digital radiography is used in various industries: petrochemicals & gas, power generation, manufacturing, aerospace, automotive & transportation, and others. The advantage of this technique is that the images can be made more precise at every stage. An ideal imaging system should develop a high-quality image with minimal radiation exposure, which can be achieved in digital radiography.