New nondestructive-testing technology offers promise for finding defects during production of aerospace castings, detecting much smaller defects and recognizing damage accumulation much earlier than with traditional NDT technologies. Positron Systems is commercializing this NDT under a Phase Two Small Business Innovative Research grant by the National Science Foundation. Its aim is to develop an Induced Positron Annihilation (IPA) system for inspecting titanium- and nickel-alloy castings during manufacturing, and it is conducting its research with a castings and forgings manufacturer that serves the aerospace market.

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