Solutions for Every Critical Application
Our nondestructive testing technology adapts to the unique demands of each industry. From nuclear reactor vessels to aerospace landing gear, ABI® delivers the data you need to make confident decisions.
Aerospace
ABI® technology enables aerospace operators to evaluate structural components in-situ without part removal or service interruption. By measuring current mechanical properties — yield strength, fracture toughness, and stress-strain behavior — maintenance engineers can make data-driven replacement decisions. Field studies have demonstrated meaningful extensions in component service life while maintaining or improving safety margins.
Relevant Publications & Documents
Nondestructive Detection and Assessment of Damage in Aging Aircraft
Demonstrates ABI® on aging aircraft structural components, establishing the aerospace application case with data on fatigue damage detection in aluminum and titanium alloys.
Fracture Toughness of Alloy 718 Welded Structures
DOE-funded study extending ABI® validation to Inconel 718 — the nickel superalloy used in aerospace gas turbine engines — including welded structures at temperatures up to 650°C.
Computer Controlled Indentation System (NAVAIR SBIR)
NAVAIR SBIR program documenting development of a ruggedized ABI® system specifically designed for Navy and defense aerospace applications.
Nuclear Energy
ABI® technology was first applied to DOE nuclear materials characterization and has since become a trusted tool for in-situ assessment of reactor pressure vessel steels during scheduled outages, providing critical data on irradiation embrittlement, thermal aging, and weld integrity without destructive sampling. ABI® testing has been used in NRC-regulated nuclear applications and is compliant with ASTM E636-14 for supplemental reactor vessel surveillance.
Relevant Publications & Documents
In-Situ Measurements for Nuclear Plant Life Extension
Presents the ABI® system in the context of nuclear power plant life extension and thermal annealing programs, demonstrating nondestructive monitoring of RPV embrittlement.
Effects of Irradiation Temperature on Embrittlement of RPV Steels
Uses ABI® to characterize how irradiation temperature affects embrittlement in reactor pressure vessel steels by measuring DBTT shifts — critical data for license renewal decisions.
Through-Thickness Variations in SA508 Gr.3 Pressure Vessel Steels
KAERI/ORNL collaborative study demonstrating ABI® can detect spatial gradients in yield strength and flow properties across the thickness of reactor pressure vessel forgings.
DOE SBIR — SSM® Validation for Nuclear Pressure Vessels
DOE-funded final report establishing the commercial SSM® system's validation for nuclear pressure vessel applications with comprehensive test data across alloy classes.
ASTM E636-14 — Supplemental Surveillance Tests for Reactor Vessels
The primary ASTM standard governing supplemental nuclear reactor vessel surveillance testing, with which ABI®/HTTM is explicitly compliant.
Manufacturing
In manufacturing environments, ABI® provides rapid, nondestructive verification of material properties at any stage of the production process. The technology can verify incoming material certifications, validate heat treatment results, characterize weld quality with millimeter-scale spatial resolution, and support failure analysis — all without consuming material or interrupting production.
Relevant Publications & Documents
Tensile Properties and Fracture Toughness of Cold Worked A36 Steel
NC State/IGCAR study showing ABI® correctly tracks strength increases and toughness decreases caused by cold working — directly relevant to manufacturing process validation.
Measuring Mechanical Properties of Welds by Field Indentation
Establishes ABI®'s capability to characterize weld microstructural zones with millimeter-scale spatial resolution in HSLA steel welds — enabling weld quality assessment.
Yield Strength and Flow Properties in Spot Welds at Various Strain Rates
Demonstrates ABI® measurement on resistance spot welds with strain-rate sensitivity data — relevant to automotive manufacturing and crashworthiness validation.
Welding Procedure Qualification Using Nondestructive SSM® Technology
Demonstrates SSM® technology for welding procedure qualification and weld integrity assessment in the European industrial context.
Oil & Gas
ABI® provides field-deployable nondestructive measurement of yield strength and fracture toughness across the full oil and gas value chain — from upstream pipelines to downstream refineries.
For the thousands of miles of undocumented pipelines in the United States, ABI® can satisfy the nondestructive testing requirements of 49 CFR §192.607 for material property verification — without pipeline shutdown or destructive sampling. The technology's capability for pipeline applications has been established through DOT/OPS-funded research, a six-laboratory interlaboratory study that included PRCI, and use by pipeline operators across multiple states.
In refineries, ABI® testing addresses critical integrity challenges for pressure vessels, columns, reactors, heat exchangers, and piping circuits that operate under high temperatures, cyclic loading, and corrosive environments. Refinery equipment often lacks complete material test reports (MTRs) due to age, ownership changes, or undocumented repairs. ABI® testing delivers verified mechanical properties — including fracture toughness for API 579/ASME FFS-1 Level 3 assessments — directly on in-service equipment during turnarounds or while operating, eliminating the need for destructive sampling and the associated repair costs. This is especially valuable for aging refinery assets where hydrogen damage, temper embrittlement, and thermal aging may have degraded original material properties.
Relevant Publications & Documents
Integrating ABI® with ASME B31G for Corroded Pipeline Assessment
Demonstrates a complete fitness-for-purpose workflow combining in-situ ABI® yield-strength measurements with ASME B31G corrosion assessment calculations — potentially saving millions per assessment.
Nondestructive Fracture Toughness of In-Service Pipelines
Demonstrates ABI®'s dual capability for pipeline operators: both yield strength and fracture toughness from a single in-situ test on operating pipelines.
In-Situ Monitoring of Hydrogen Embrittlement in Ferritic Pipelines
Demonstrates ABI® can detect and quantify hydrogen-induced strength changes and toughness degradation in ferritic pipeline steels — critical for sour service environments.
PRCI L52280 — Six-Laboratory Interlaboratory Study
Six-laboratory interlaboratory study, including PRCI, where independent labs tested identical pipeline steels, establishing formal precision and repeatability data for ABI® in pipeline applications.
Accurate MAOP Determination for Oil and Gas Pipelines
Explains why ABI® is a field-deployable technique providing the yield strength data required for accurate MAOP calculation under 49 CFR Parts 192 and 195.
49 CFR §192.607 — Pipeline Material Verification Requirements
The federal regulation establishing nondestructive testing requirements for pipeline material verification — requirements that ABI®/SSM® satisfies for yield strength and grade determination.
Marine & Defense
ABI® technology supports naval and marine structural integrity programs through field-portable testing that can be performed in shipyard, dockside, or at-sea environments. The technology has been developed for defense applications through a NAVAIR SBIR program and validated on materials used in naval construction including high-strength steels, weldments, and offshore structural components.
Relevant Publications & Documents
Computer Controlled Indentation System (NAVAIR SBIR)
NAVAIR SBIR program documenting development of a ruggedized ABI® system specifically designed for Navy and defense applications in field environments.
ABI® Testing of A350 Steel Flanges for Offshore Qualification at -46°C
Demonstrates that ambient-temperature ABI® measurements can reliably predict low-temperature fracture behavior for offshore and arctic service qualification.
Characterization of Gradients in SA-533B Steel Welds
Demonstrates ABI®'s capability to map property gradients across narrow weld heat-affected zones — identifying toughness minimums critical for structural integrity of welded naval components.
Research & Academia
ABI® provides researchers with a rapid, nondestructive method for characterizing mechanical properties from small specimens, limited-access areas, or unique sample geometries that preclude conventional tensile testing. The technology has been independently validated by multiple academic and national laboratory research groups and supports advanced studies in irradiation effects, novel alloy development, and materials aging.
Relevant Publications & Documents
Nondestructive Monitoring of Structural Materials Using ABI®
The landmark independent validation paper — NC State/IGCAR (India) tested multiple alloy classes with no commercial relationship to ABI® Technology, confirming accuracy across diverse materials.
Automated Ball Indentation® to Measure Flow Properties and Fracture Toughness
The seminal ASTM STP paper introducing the ABI® methodology — validated against conventional tensile tests on A212 pressure vessel steel, establishing the core data analysis framework.
Indentation-Energy-to-Fracture (IEF) Parameter for DBTT Characterization
Introduces a novel method for extracting ductile-to-brittle transition temperature directly from ABI® data without requiring separate Charpy specimens — enabling research on limited material.
Stress-Strain Curves and Fracture Toughness from -130°C to +288°C
The most comprehensive single validation document for ABI® temperature performance, covering the full range relevant to nuclear, pipeline, and cryogenic research applications.