Early Adopters Like OCTI See the Benefits of Kodak Industrex Digital Technology

Orange Coast Testing, Inc. (OCTI) in Santa Ana, California is a highly regarded inspection and testing company servicing a large client base located mainly in the western region of the United States. The company specializes in non-destructive testing including radiography, liquid penetrates, magnetic particle, pressure testing and weldrelated inspections, as well as eddy current inspections. OCTI conducts inspections for a broad variety of industries including: aerospace, aviation, electronics, satellite components, power and pressure vessel companies, and wheel manufacturers. Since their inception in 1991, OCTI has also been recognized and accredited by the performance review institute (NADCAP) non-destructive testing.

OCTI wanted to stay competitive in service offerings for their customers. With the Kodak Industrex ACR2000i product in place, they are now on the leading edge of testing and training facilities providing digital imaging services." - Dan Guerrero, Willick Engineering, Kodak Industrex Products Dealer.  With a new purchase of a Kodak Industrex ACR2000i, they are now on the leading edge of testing and training facilities providing digital imaging services

CR Technology, Born in Medical, Bred for Industrial 

When Paul May, President of OCTI, started fielding inquiries from customers about new NDT computed radiography (CR) he knew he needed to take a closer look at this digital technology. "A lot of my customers were already aware of technical advances in digital medical radiography. They would go to a doctor's office and see firsthand just how easy it was to work with the digital medical x-ray applications. So I thought if it was a new trend in the medical field, why not in the NDT industry?"

Today, only a small percentage of NDT testing organizations have made the transition into digital technology. Now OCTI has joined the ranks of these early adopters by offering advanced digital x-ray technology to their customers. "Like a lot of NDT inspection companies we've primarily used film technology," says May. "We also work with real-time radiography equipment, which produces 3-D video images, but we found that the image resolution wasn't very good. With our digital system we're now able to better serve our customers in turnaround time and resolution."

Evaluating Digital NDT Systems 

After conducting nearly two years of product and technology research, May decided to purchase the Kodak Industrex ACR 2000i Digital System. "I had been shopping around for a while and looked at a number of systems offered. I attended trade shows to learn more about the new systems, and was given a number of demonstrations by the dealers, which allowed us to gain some hands-on experience. Dan Guerrero of Willick Engineering impressed me during the Kodak Industrex ACR 2000i Digital System demonstrations. He listened carefully to learn about our implementation needs and answered our questions directly, whether the answer was a positive or a negative. I liked that integrity,” adds May.

"After looking at all of the systems, I felt that the Kodak system delivered the image quality and resolution we needed. They really went out of their way to work with me to establish financial terms that helped us acquire the system. The dealer who sold us the system, Willick Engineering, even offered to loan us his own demo system to use until our new one arrived. It was a nice gesture, but we didn't need to do that since our system was delivered promptly."

Orange Coast Testing Inc.

Benefits

After using the Kodak Industrex ACR 2000i Digital System for two months, OCTI noticed a significant increase in productivity and decrease in material costs and waste.

The system:

• Delivered instant digital x-ray images in minutes (at least 10 times faster than standard film methods).
• Produced sharp, digital images that were easily examined from all angles using a very robust, easy-to-use software interface.
• Allowed customers quick access to high-quality x-ray images via e-mail, eliminating any additional delivery costs and time delays.
• Provided users with faster and more accurate measurements of selected image characteristics using the system's digital micrometer to reference actual size.
• Efficiently displayed thickness levels using one single digital exposure instead of multiple film exposures saving significant material costs of two to three additional film exposures per part.

Future Plans: Taking it to the Streets

"In the lab I would recommend it for x-rays on composites, or any type of forensic evaluation, especially where you're looking closely for voids and cracks, " says May. "But, what's also great for us is the system is highly portable. So far, the ACR 2000i hasn't had any limitations that would keep us from considering taking it out into the field to expand our capabilities."

For More Information

To learn more about the KODAK INDUSTREX High-Performance Digital Systems and other KODAK INDUSTREX NDT products, visit http://ndt.carestreamhealth.com

About Carestream Health, Inc.

Carestream Health, Inc., is a leading provider of dental and medical imaging systems and healthcare IT solutions; molecular imaging systems for the life science research and drug discovery/development market segments; and x-ray film and digital x-ray products for the non-destructive testing market. The company was formed in 2007 when Onex Corporation (TSX: OCX.TO) purchased Eastman Kodak Company’s Health Group. For more information about Carestream Health, contact your Carestream Health representative or visit www.carestreamhealth.com.