Element Materials Technology (Element) has invested in increased immersion ultrasonic testing (IUT) capabilities to support its aerospace NDT offering in Monterrey, Mexico

While Element already provides IUT services at its laboratories in Houston, Texas; Hartford, Connecticut; Rancho Dominguez, California; and Sheffield in the UK, Element Monterrey's acquisition of IUT tanks makes it the only Nadcap and GE approved independent materials testing laboratory in Latin America to offer the service.

The Monterrey laboratory provides comprehensive testing for the aerospace industry, including nondestructive testing such as macro etch and fluorescent penetrant inspection; destructive testing, such as stress rupture, creep, tensile, hardness, and chemistry testing; and metallurgical materials testing. Working closely with Element laboratories in the southern United States, the Monterrey team is well-placed geographically to provide efficient turnaround time on all testing and analysis.

Rick Sluiters, EVP Aerospace at Element, said: "Our IUT offering is one that our customers across North America and Europe value highly and we have recognized a level of demand in Mexico that makes this an important investment to meet increasing client needs. We are committed to maintaining a high level of service, as well as our technical proficiencies and our improved capacity will allow us to maintain the turnaround our customers expect."

Element has over 80 years' experience in both commercial and military aerospace testing and dedicates more than 3,000 technicians, engineers and scientists to the sector. The company has 29 Nadcap-accredited laboratories with 46 Nadcap accreditations, and its customer approvals, technical expertise, and geographical footprint is unrivalled in the aerospace testing, inspection and certification industry.