A milestone in non-destructive testing
A Quebec-based company, Pragma has become a technological leader in non-destructive evaluation, adopted by automotive and space industry giants.
Its PragmaFlex brings about further innovation, being the first NDE instrument designed with industry 4.0 in mind.
The PragmaFlex portable non-destructive test console boasts a robust powder-coated aluminium enclosure, an ultrawide touch screen with chemically enhanced glass and a silicone rubber keypad with backlight. Designed to withstand rough environments, it seems virtually indestructible. However, its uniqueness lies in its ability to combine an unprecedented range of functionalities. “PragmaFlex brings together all our ideas and engineering aspirations!” says François Mainguy, founder and CEO of Pragma. The solution is the sixth generation of portable instruments he has designed. “and my Masterpiece!” he says with a chuckle.
The Quebecker, a well-known expert in the field of non-destructive testing, has over 25 years’ experience in the field. His background includes a degree in applied physics and in electrical engineering. Since 2001, he has been an entrepreneur bringing together all the competencies required to achieve his NDT vision. He created Pragma, his third enterprise, in 2013 in Quebec. His mentor Mike Reilly – a global reference in the field – plays an active role and is also a shareholder in the company.
“In 10 years, we have become a global technology leader followed attentively” says the founder. The company – only a small team of 20 people – offers a range of solutions from portable instruments to large robot systems. It can count among its customers German automotive industry giants (Audi, Porsche, Mercedes …) and US space industry (Northrop Grumman, Blue Origin). Pragma has also developed key partnerships with worldwide metrology compa nies. The latest result of its expertise, PragmaFlex was launched last July, during the 13th European Conference on non-destruc tive testing in Lisbon. “The market response has been very posi tive. For the first time in my career, sales pitches have been really easy!” he chuckles.
The key argument in favour of this solution is its great flexibility (hence the “flex” of PragmaFlex). This is a unique quality in non-de structive inspection, explains François Mainguy, “because there is a high level of fragmentation in the field.”
Thanks to its numerous connector interfaces, the PragmaFlex instrument allows to operate a multitude of positioning devices such as a CMM arm, for both 3D scanning and 3D NDT.
The Pragma3D software is powerful to simulate the inspection and give instructions to deployed inspectors on the field.
In fact, there is not just one method for observing the surface and the core of a material, but many, from various sciences (see "Key to the Skies" article). Most of the time, a combination of several methods is used. Downstream, this diversity implies a multitude of cutting-edge tools and peripherals designed by various specialist companies. It also requires many types of data, multiple interfaces, and communication protocols. Mastering such diversity was quite a challenge. Pragma succeeded by adding flexibility to every aspect of its solution.
PragmaFlex can be used to perform not one but several non-de structive testing methods [ultrasonic testing, phased array ultrasonic testing, eddy current testing, electromagnetic acoustic transducer testing…]. What’s more, says the CEO: “It is possible to combine elec tronic PCBs of different methods. So, for instance, we can do eddy current and ultrasound at the same time.”
To manage the data and present it in a unified interface, the Quebec company has been drawing on its software expertise. Pragma3D (also available separately) aims to be the “SolidWorks of NDT” a col laborative and integrating 3D engineering reference software. “CAD and metrology have integrated shared file formats, data fusion and 3D display, but NDT hasn’t. We developed Pragma3D so that our field of specialty can catch up.”
Integrating and processing all this data requires solid electronics. The CEO reassures us: “The power and performance of PragmaFlex are equivalent to those of a high-performance engineering laptop”. Moreover, if the solution is pushed into intense calculations (3D in real time, in particular), the aluminium case has been selected for its efficiency in dissipating heat.
Once the core of the system is in place, all you need to do is connect the tools and peripherals. Here too, its flexibility is unique: “PragmaFlex is the first instrument that can be connected to all kinds of devices – laser trackers, optical scanners, CMM arms, robots, collaborative robots, etc.”
The case houses a wide range of connectors (USB, HDMI, GPIO, etc), including several LEMO standards (“We’re in the business of quality instruments, so, we choose reliable and robust connectors!”).
The NDT technician inspects a landing gear based on the instructions.
Flexibility brings another benefit: you can configure PragmaFlex to suit your needs. This also makes the cost of the solution more flexible – from 25,000 dollars for the basic configuration to several hundred thousand dollars if a range of instruments, trackers, robots, etc. are added.
For François Manguy, this is another decisive breakthrough. “Historically, the choice of NDT was rather binary: either portable instruments costing tens of thousands of dollars, or a deployed robotic solution costing up to one or two million dollars! PragmaFlex offers at last a scalable alternative. “
All in all, this means that Pragma can target a very broad customer base. Large companies integrate it into their automated production lines to check the quality of their production. Smaller NDT labs, with much more varied missions, benefit from its portability (and its 16-hour autonomy provided by its two Li-lon batteries) to take it to their customers. Even to the top of wind turbines, one of the current applications.
The flexibility of PragmaFlex doesn’t end there. The Quebec engineers have fulfilled another of their aspirations – to integrate the solution into industry 4.0.
“It is an important movement in non-destructive testing, like elsewhere” explains the CEO. “There is a growing shortage of qualified staff for handling the instruments, and fewer and fewer of them are able to travel around the world. So, we need to make their use simpler, automate, carry out remote tests, cooperate … PragmaFlex meets all these needs: it is the world’s first portable NDE 4.0 plat form.”
What does this mean? Industry 4.0 is first and foremost about collecting, merging and sharing data. As we saw above, PragmaFlex is an open platform that breaks silos and unifies, in a single diagnostic, data from several modalities and tools from multiple brands. What’s more, it runs on Windows 11 IoT Enterprise, an OS designed specifically for seamless, robust and secure exchanges between “objects” (sensors, instruments, factories, etc).
NDE 4.0 also implies communication and collaboration. PragmaFlex can be connected via Ethernet, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, it has audio-video input/output and can be equipped with the Teams platform. It is also compatible with Microsoft’s HoloLens augmented reality headset – providing state-of-the-art training and assistance. While Pragma can count on the qualities of its new spearhead, it is also buoyed by developments in the industry. The NDT market is still a niche, but it’s one that is growing all the time:
“5 to 6% annual growth for the past 25 years”, adds François Mainguy.
What are the reasons for such growth? Increasingly stringent requirements and regulations in terms of quality, compliance and safety. The growing number of materials, alloys, processes. Pressure to expand the lifespan of assets (lower costs, less environmental impact), leading to extra attention to quality and a boom in preventive maintenance.
More and more tests, more and more test instruments.
Pragma is riding a wave of growth. But getting carried away is out of the question: the Quebec company has promised to launch a second portable platform before the end of the year.
One inspection, a hundred methods
Non-destructive testing involves detecting and locating any defects on the surface and inside of materials or structures without impairing their function or integrity. Defects include microcracks, inclusions, porosity, deformations, and anything that could compromise quality, safety or non-compliance with requirements.
Visual inspection (using optical equipment such as microscopes and endoscopes) seems the most obvious. However, a multitude of other methods – based on various physical principles – are possible, alone or in combination. Most of these methods and their variations involve subjecting any object to a “stimulus” and measuring – with a dedicated instrument – the minute variations that the defects cause.
The objects can be subjected to:
- sound waves: ultrasound, guided waves, acoustic resonance…
- X-rays or gamma rays : radiography
- a magnetic field: electromagnetism, eddy currents, magnetoscopy, magnetic leakage flux, etc.
- heat (infrared, thermography, laser thermography, etc.
- laser beams (optical scanner, laser tracker, etc.)
- vibration
- fluids (penetrant testing, sealing, etc.)
And much more!
