Acoustic emission - An NDT technique evolving into a versatile industrial monitoring method

The successful use of acoustic emission (AE) as a nondestructive testing technique (NDT) for machine condition and process monitoring is based on the high sensitivity of AE techniques to the background noise sources. Its use for rotating machine monitoring is becoming well established since it offers high sensitivity to faults and conducts quick measurement which give easily interpreted readings. However, the use of AE for process monitoring still represents a great challenge because of the diversity of applications and the specific nature the applications require. But increasing awareness of the AE technique is likely to broaden the fields of applications and encourage quick development of specific solutions for these applications.