20th January 2025
Dr. Ehsan Dehghan-Niri, from the Arizona State University, kindly shared with us his insight about the potential of CIVA software and the TraiNDE UT and TraiNDE RT simulators to enhance training in NDE.
Dr. Ehsan Dehghan-Niri, you work at Arizona State University and have been the main advocate for stating the Certification to Degree (C2D) Program. Could you tell us what the mission of Arizona State University and the C2D program is?
Our traditional training programs are severely outdated. Despite the rapid advancements in technology, training in this field has not reached its fullest potential. In the Certification to Degree (C2D) program, we are aiming to revolutionize workforce development and training in the field of advanced manufacturing and nondestructive testing by making it Flexible, Scalable, and Accessible. This program will use advanced Cyber hands-on tools such as VR to enhance the hands-on training.
Please refer to the following news and website to get more information:
https://fullcircle.asu.edu/fulton-schools/leading-the-charge-how-asu-is-reshaping-manufacturing-training/
https://c2d.engineering.asu.edu/
What is your role at Arizona State University?
I am an Associate Professor in the School of Manufacturing Systems and Networks at the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, as well as the Director of the Intelligent Structures and Nondestructive Evaluation Laboratory. Additionally, I serve as the lead Principal Investigator for the Certification to Degree (C2D) consortium at ASU.
You have been using the TraiNDE UT and RT simulators as well as CIVA Expert and CIVA Education. What are your main applications for these?
The CIVA simulation software is a vital component of our training program, enhancing visualization and enabling students to grasp complex concepts in ultrasonic and radiographic testing. Additionally, the TraiNDE platform will further enrich hands-on training by providing students with the opportunity to develop skills in calibration and testing through simulated scenarios.
Do you think it possible to use TraiNDE UT and RT for exams and certifications?
I strongly believe that TraiNDE has the potential to be integrated into NDT certification and training programs. While we currently lack specific data quantifying its impact on hands-on training, we are confident that it can significantly enhance students' competencies and overall understanding of key concepts.
What is your feedback on the TraiNDE UT and RT simulators, and what main improvements would you expect in the future?
We plan to integrate TraiNDE into our training sessions scheduled for March, May, and June, and I anticipate it will significantly improve the efficiency and effectiveness of our training program. The platform has great potential to enhance understanding and competency in NDT practices.
To maximize its impact, I believe TraiNDE and similar educational tools should offer cloud-based or remote access options. This would greatly expand the scale and accessibility of NDT training programs, enabling broader participation and flexibility. Additionally, the current high cost of the platform may pose a barrier for many training programs. Reducing the cost or offering more affordable options would make these tools more accessible to a wider audience, allowing students to gain significant benefits from these advanced educational resources.
Could you describe the main advantages of CIVA for your NDT simulation needs? Which main improvements would you expect from the software in the future to support your current work at ASU?
The visualization capabilities of CIVA Expert and CIVA Education stand out as the most impactful feature for our NDT training, particularly in ultrasonic testing. Many concepts, such as sound direction, and their interactions with defects, are traditionally explained through drawings or diagrams. CIVA provides 3D visualizations of ultrasonic beams and their interactions with various discontinuities. This enables students to better grasp these concepts as they can manipulate components, defects, transducer parameters, and locations while visually observing the effects in real time.
Although CIVA Education is already an excellent educational tool, the following enhancements could significantly improve its impact on NDT training:
- Increased Accessibility: Lower the cost to make the software more affordable for training programs. Consider bundling it with ultrasonic testing training materials like a book or offering cloud-based access to expand its reach.
- Additional Features: Integrate features that mimic common UT system capabilities, such as full rectification options (available in CIVA Expert), and enhance defect simulation by allowing more precise modeling of cracks and other complex discontinuities (available in CIVA expert).
These improvements would make CIVA Education an even more powerful resource for NDT education and training.
Have you used or will you use modelling tools for POD studies (MAPOD) ? Have you heard about the "Reliability in NDE" training offered by EXTENDE, and do you think it would be interesting for you to explore this topic further?
At this time, we are not planning to use the Probability of Detection (POD) feature, as it is only available in the professional version of CIVA.
Regarding the "Reliability in NDE" training offered by EXTENDE, it sounds like an interesting opportunity to deepen our understanding of NDE reliability studies. If the training aligns with our current needs and goals, we would consider exploring it further in the future.