Radiography Test Equipment Market

Market Overview

The global radiography test equipment market size was valued at USD 893.2 million in 2021. It is projected to reach USD 2105.8 million by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 10.4% during the forecast period (2022-2030). 

Radiography is a nondestructive examination technique that includes the use of x-rays or gamma rays to understand the internal structure of any component. Radiography has various benefits over other nondestructive assessment methods. This technique can be used in various materials and is very reproducible, and the information gathered can be kept for later analysis. In addition to being significant, radiography is also one of the popular techniques and has a variety of benefits over other ways. Radiography test equipment is used in many fields, including engineering, forensics, and security.

Market Dynamics

Global Radiography Test Equipment Market Drivers

Advent of Portable Radiography Equipment

The industry is now dominated by portable radiography equipment, particularly in the automotive and offshore oil and gas industries. End users have recently expressed much interest in automated portable radiography equipment because it is more versatile. Given that most of the inspection is done in various locations, there is a greater demand for developing portable and miniature testing equipment, such as that used to test automobile components. In addition, these gadgets are portable and do not require installation, eliminating installation expenses.

Additionally, compared to traditional equipment, portable radiographic testing equipment is less expensive and provides a higher return on investment. A single gadget can test numerous items at various places. Standard radiographic film or a plate with detectors that digitize the picture for display on a computer screen can be utilized with portable radiography devices. The power of portable radiographic imaging equipment can be maximized thanks to recent advances in software. The new software offers a variety of sophisticated picture-capturing and evaluation options, as well as data management that complies with DICOM/DICONDE standards.

Global Radiography Test Equipment Market Restraint

High Risk of Radiation

Radiography is an essential component of non-destructive testing, sometimes known as NDT. However, radiography generates rapid dose rates. Thus a person unintentionally exposed to the primary beam or near an unshielded source may experience an injury-causing dose within minutes or even seconds. Working in challenging circumstances may lead to operational circumstances where the principle of keeping doses as low as reasonably practicable is compromised or not met. Such factors point to the necessity of attaining a high level of professionalism in radiography, utilizing equipment made to the highest standards, and working in a setting that encourages a safe culture. Industrial radiography sources produce dose rates of hundreds of milligrams per hour (mGy/h) at one meter when they emit X-rays and gamma radiation. Following exposures of a few seconds, these high dose rates at close ranges might seriously result in severe damage, such as radiation burns.

Global Radiography Test Equipment Market Opportunities

Growing Applications in Aerospace Sector

The aerospace sector includes radiography test equipment, primarily utilized in the production and maintenance of both military and commercial aircraft. Aircraft applications include the detection of internal flaws in thick and complex shapes, in metallic and non-metallic shapes, as well as the quality of crucial aerospace components, structures, and assemblies. The main drivers influencing the radiography market in the aerospace sector are the rising importance placed on safety requirements, dwindling service intervals, low emission targets, and the introduction of new materials and processes. In the aerospace industry, digital radiography is gradually displacing conventional radiography, and the latter is anticipated to dominate the market, except for a few essential high-resolution imaging applications.

Regional Analysis

The global radiography test equipment market is bifurcated into four regions, namely North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and LAMEA.

North America Dominates the Global Market

North America is the most significant shareholder in the global organic radiography test equipment market and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 9.8% during the forecast period. Along with extensive research and development efforts that have contributed to the widespread acceptance of non-destructive testing, the region is home to some leading market participants. With 28 labs across North America, NTS offers specialized testing to help medical device and equipment manufacturers quickly bring their products to market by meeting FDA, product safety, and other crucial certifications. Testing ranges from larger equipment to smaller implants inserted into human bodies and requires reliable testing techniques. For instance, the business offers computer tomography (CT) of hearing implants, component analysis, and conventional radiography.

The US government intends to make significant investments in the infrastructure market. In the transportation sector, where industry players can target potential customers, local infrastructure expenditure is anticipated to be the greatest in the nation, according to Bank of America. This will increase prospects for the country's radiography test equipment. The oil and gas industry also dominates Canada's GDP in exports and capital investments. The main drivers for the Canadian oil and gas business include enticing government incentives to stimulate drilling, expanded use of long horizontal wells, and multistage fracturing in shale resources.

Asia-Pacific is expected to grow at a CAGR of 11.4%, generating USD 681.16 million during the forecast period. Additionally, there are many manufacturers of radiography test equipment in the area, including Canon, Hitachi, and Hamamatsu Photonics KK. For instance, the FT160 XRF analyzer with three basic configuration options was introduced by Hitachi High-Tech Analytical Science Corporation in February 2020 to study nanometer-scale coatings. The FT160 is a benchtop EDXRF (energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence) analyzer designed to give high sample throughput with reliable findings for any user. The FT160 series can be used to measure semiconductor, circuit board, and electronic component markets.

In addition, nations like China and India are anticipated to dominate the region's building sector. A pandemic effect that has been anticipated is the slowing in project execution and the restricted number of new project launches in 2020. Due to project delays, the market demand for these products has temporarily fallen but is expected to rise over the forecast period. By providing enterprises with incentives, including land and electricity at competitive rates, power, and new and renewable energy, the Chinese government intended to establish three sizable manufacturing zones for power and clean energy equipment.

Europe exhibits a demand for radiography test equipment, which is primarily attributable to the increased usage by industries, including the aerospace and automotive sector, as a result of growing safety concerns. The German government's recent plans to put six million electric vehicles on the road by 2030. In addition, behind the oil and gas industry, the German power sector is one of the primary sources of demand for testing equipment. Due to the advantages granted, the super-deduction tax relief in the United Kingdom is anticipated to accelerate the post-covid business recovery. For instance, companies that purchase qualifying new plant and machinery assets will be entitled to claim a 130% capital allowance on such investments and a 50% first-year allowance on qualifying particular rate assets. This new tax break is meant to encourage investment in machinery and plant assets that increase productivity and support business expansion.

According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, the UK now ranks first in the world for the net value of plant and machinery allowances because of this new support (OECD). This can encompass anything from office chairs to solar panels to foundry equipment and almost definitely includes analytical equipment as well. Following the proposed regulation, more capital is anticipated to be invested in equipment purchases, leading to increased demand for radiographic test equipment.

The increase in oil and gas and power generating projects, strict government regulations, and maintenance optimization by various sectors to maintain the safety and effective functioning of the machinery all contribute to the growth of the Latin American radiography testing equipment market. The increased demand for extending the life of outdated infrastructure also contributes to the expansion. However, a scarcity of certified and skilled workers limits market expansion. An expansion in the use of sophisticated radiographic testing apparatus is projected to present a wide range of chances for the players shortly. Significant oil finds are being made in Chile, which will likely lead to a rise in the use of radiography testing equipment in the region's oil and gas industry.

Growth is seen across the Middle East and Africa in developed nations like the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and other African regions. Power plant construction projects in the United Arab Emirates, such as nuclear, coal, and oil-based power plant replacements, are expected to enhance radiography testing demand during the projected period. The Tanzanian Mining Commission in Dodoma received 24 handheld X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) X-MET8000 Geo Expert analyzers from Hitachi High-Tech Analytical Science's official African distributor, United Scientific (Pty) Ltd., to accurately test minerals before export.

Segmental Analysis

The global radiography test equipment is segmented by technology and the end-user industry.

Based on technology, the global radiography test equipment market is bifurcated into film radiography, computed radiography, direct radiography, and computed tomography.

The direct radiography segment is the highest contributor to the market and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 12.3% during the forecast period. Instead of an IP or conventional film, direct radiography employs a digital detector array, sometimes referred to as a flat panel detector. Directly or indirectly, the detector transforms the X-rays into a digital image that may be displayed practically immediately. This function is used in "real-time" radiography, a quick but efficient way of product assessment. In a perfect world, flat panel detectors may be used countless times. It provides a very effective and affordable solution because neither chemical processing nor scanning is necessary. Direct radiography typically needs a lower radiation dose than CR, especially films.

Consequently, less exposure time is needed to achieve the same level of image quality. The dynamic range of direct radiography is also very high, and bit depths typically range from 8 to 16. Grey-scale transforms and filters can be used to improve and modify the images produced. Its uses include positioning numerous small specimens on a single 14" x 17" detector or positioning the detector inside or around a larger specimen. Direct radiography also enables automation through specimen manipulation between the source and the detector since it does not require a technician to remove the IP (or film to be processed). By producing better images instantly and having up to three times the dosage efficiency of computed radiography, digital radiography enhances workflow. Digital radiography is quickly becoming the favored option for non-destructive testing operators, gratitude for continued technological developments and price reductions.

In conventional radiography methods, the film is replaced with a phosphor imaging plate in computed radiography (CR). While slower than direct radiography, this method is substantially faster than film radiography. It first indirectly records the picture of a component on a phosphor plate before transforming the image into a digital signal that can be viewed on a computer screen. Although it can be improved with the right equipment and approaches, image quality is only fair (i.e., adjusting contrast, brightness, etc., without compromising integrity). The image plate in computed radiography is cleared after the scanning procedure and is prepared for a new exposure. Imaging plates can capture thousands of exposures when appropriately utilized, which results in significant savings on film and processing costs. Improved signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), increased sharpness, a speedier high-quality plate, and meeting several ASTM International and European Committee for Standardization criteria are expected to open doors for CR systems in various industries.

Based on the end-user industry, the global radiography test equipment market is bifurcated into aerospace and defense, energy and power, construction, oil and gas, automotive, manufacturing, and other end-user industries.

The aerospace and defense segment owns the highest market share and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 11.6% during the forecast period. The aerospace sector is thought to include radiography test equipment, mainly used in the production and maintenance of both military and commercial aircraft. Numerous radiography techniques, including computed, direct, and real-time, are utilized in the aerospace industry depending on the evaluated component's kind, manufacturing process, size, and engineering requirements. Applications for radiography in the aircraft industry include identifying internal flaws in thick and complex shapes, both metallic and non-metallic, and the integrity of essential aerospace components, assemblies, and structures. The aerospace sector's market is primarily driven by a rising emphasis on safety requirements, dwindling service intervals, low emission targets, and the introduction of new materials and techniques.

Computed radiography testing equipment is a crucial piece of non-destructive testing (NDT) equipment for the aerospace industry because it is regularly used to guarantee the integrity and safety of manufactured parts and assemblies. Except for a few crucial high-resolution imaging applications, conventional radiography is increasingly being replaced by digital radiography in the aerospace industry, which is anticipated to dominate the market broadly. The National Aerospace and Defense Contractors Accreditation Program (NADCAP) claims that the introduction of uniform, legally binding standards for the accreditation of standard contractors have also contributed to this trend.

Automobile inspection is looking for defects in automobile parts and components. A typical preventive strategy against breakdowns and potential derailments is radiography testing. In order to identify flaws in brakes, driveshafts, steering parts, connecting rods, wheels, engine mounts, pistons, and cylinder blocks, radiography testing is utilized in the automotive sector. The introduction of radiographic testing in the automotive sector is boosted by intense competition among automakers to overcome preexisting design constraints and product liability, including pricey recalls. The CT was introduced into BMW's procedures primarily to examine vehicle parts. The business had previously employed CT for many years to evaluate the performance and quality of particular auto parts. As a result, the non-destructive investigation of individual car parts was established several years before the initial application of CT in the automotive sector. For a variety of reasons, automotive businesses require this level of information. For instance, the inspection of punch screw connections and welds and the vehicle's body condition before and after the painting is essential.

Recent Developments

• October 2022- Hamamatsu Photonics announced U.S. FDA clearance for the NanoZoomer S360MD Slide scanner system for surgical pathology diagnostics.