Given below are the status of various equipment and consumables being manufactured in India:

i. X-RAY MACHINES: Almost all types of basic Industrial X-RAY Machines upto the capacity of 300 kVA and 10 mA are manufactured locally. The indigenous demand at the moment is of about 20 machines and is almost satisfied indigenously.

Consumables for the above:

Hindustan Photo Films, a Government of India Enterprise started importing Jumbo Rolls and cutting them to various sizes from the year 1985. The same was plagued by insufficient supply and lack of resolution compared to high definition imported films. The same has led to more or less stoppage of resolution compared to more or less stoppage of their operations as far as Industrial X-Ray films are concerned. Some other groups are planning to manufacture the same in collaboration with the international giants and the same may materialise. There are two more companies importing jumbo rolls and slitting them to requirements.

As far as consumables like lead letters, screens, densito meters, viewers, badges, survey meters etc., the country is totally self sufficient. We are even able to export part of the production.

The film developing and processing equipments are being made in India for atleast 2 decades and hence we are totally self sufficient.

ii. ISOTOPE RADIOGRAPHY EQUIPMENTS: The extensive work done by Bhabha Atomic Research Centre has enabled India to be self sufficient in various types of Radio-active Isotopes. While Isotopes are the basic requirements for Radiography, the projectors even though looking relatively simple play a critical part from safety considerations, convenience of operations and reliability. The projectors have still to be imported completely while a group of the Atomic Energy and department is trying to develop the same and have developed lead bodied projectors which though cheaper are very inconvenient to operate because of the large size and heavy weight. Annually there is a demand for about 100 projectors and hence the same is not enough to motivate industries to locally produce them as well because of complexities of regulations regarding the use and process of spent uranium metal which is found to be most ideal for Radioactive protection. The consumables for the above like pigtails, cranking units are being manufactures locally to some extent but this being high risk area, people still prefer to import this.

The other consumables are same as X-Ray consumables as mentioned above and hence there are no more comments.

iii. ULTRASONIC FLAW DETECTORS: Sometime in early 70s a Government of India Unit and Private entrepreneur made beginning by making thermionic valve units which look very much like the radar receivers of World War II. These equipments were basically developed for the urgent needs of Indian Railways which were starved of funds and could not organize import licences in a big way. The units served well in checking locomotive and wagon axles which were more than 2.5 m. Long and did not have problem with the dead zones of the probe and instruments. For critical requirements of other industries as well as the Atomic Energy Departments, imports was the only solution. Beginning 80s, indigenous solid state Flaw Detectors with better capabilities appeared in the market and to some extent reduced the pressure for importing these instruments. A Flaw Detector is as bad as the transducer but the development of good transducers was a very slow process because there are no written down manufacturing processes. However, with the available raw materials and components, the transducer manufacturers learnt the finer points day by day and now India can boast of developing special transducers and other special transducers are not only being substituted for the imported units but have been finding markets abroad as well. The standard transducers made in India is perhaps as good as the best available internationally.

Regarding Portable Ultrasonic Flaw Detectors, the present market is about 200 units per year and out of which hardly 10/15 instruments are imported. The rest of the demand is met indigenously with a range of instruments from light small units to bulky table top units. Performance wise, known international brands and the Indian instruments have compared very well in the tests.

iv. ULTRASONIC TEST SYSTEMS: This was the monopoly of foreign suppliers till the late 80s. With the knowledge of microprocessors spreading wide within the country because of Computer and Software explosion in India, It was quite comfortable for the indigenous manufacturers to develop software and hardware for any automated application. As the position stands now, the indigenous manufacturers have almost taken over the following industries for On-line Production Testing:

• API Grade Pipes
• Nuclear Industry Pipes
• ERW Pipe Lines
• Rail Track Testing

v. MAGNETIC PARTICLE TESTING: Earlier the Magnetic Particle Testing was known by the name of American manufacturers who introduced magnetic particle testing in India. Being basically simple electrical system, the indigenous manufacturers were not slow in learning about how the system worked and developed with indigenous materials, equipments. The only difference is perhaps the Magnetic Materials available abroad. These materials available abroad. These materials with a high permeability and low hystersis losses could make the Magnetic Particle Equipment of the same rating about 25% lighter than the Indian equivalent equipment. However, labour cost for transporting is not a problem in India and the NDT community have accepted these equipments with a great zeal.

There are many automated applications possible with Magnetic Particle Testing and the indigenous manufacturers have already made their inroads in designing and needs for testing Automobile parts etc., are now locally available.

The consumables for the above are Fluorescent Dyes and Magnetic Powder. I am given to understand that one of the indigenous manufacturer of Magnetic Powder is so successful that they export 100% of their production to various critical application oriented Industries in Europe. I also understand that they cannot produce the entire needs of their customers in Europe. This is no doubt a feather in the cap of the indigenous industry. The magnetic Particles manufactured by other manufacturers also are quite good and suitable for all the critical applications. As far as the fluorescent dyes needed for the above concerned, India is a massive exporter of such dyes and hence they are readily available for the formulators for use with the Magnetic Particles.

Vi. DYE PENETRANT INDUSTRY: As mentioned above the reflection and glow of fluorescent dyes is very important apart from the smallest particle size almost to the Molecular level give the best penetration in cracks and the indigenous industry is totally self sufficient in all the chemicals which are involved in the Dye Penetrant Industry.

Even the Ultra violet lamps and the UV energy measurement are possible with indigenous equipments which are quite good and reliable.

Vii. EDDY CURRENT INSPECTION: Even though this NDT Technique can be applied for a number of applications, in India till 1980 its use was restricted mainly to Airlines and for inspection of Heat Exchanger Tubes in Power Plants.

Now with coming up of a number of Plants for Production of Tubes and Bars there is a need for continuous Online Inspection System using Eddy Current Testing.

An Eddy Current Company established about 15 years back is doing a good job for the basic Eddy Current Test Equipments and also they provide Online Inspection System for not much critical requirements. There has been more emphasis on Eddy Current Testing because of the availability of Computer Technology which gives much precise output for various Test requirements. In this field a famous German pioneer in Eddy Current Technology has established a joint venture in India and have been offering Online Test Systems with increasing indigenous inputs. It is expected that in another three years time this venture would be also producing most of the system components and might cater to the International requirements of the German Company.

I am not touching other NDT methods as there is hardly any production for the same in India.