From the Editor's Desk

A proper scrutiny of welded joints lays stress on finding out the joint's soundness - quality, its mechanical properties, compositional variations, micrographic consistency and so on, and then predicts on the viability of the joint. Non-destructive testing of welded joints of finished, near finished components or a part thereof has become quality control’s master stroke, so to speak, in the fabrication industry in general. Near surface, sub-surface or deep inside - across all these areas material unsoundness can prevail. Under the application of load dislocation condensed voids become micron size 'engineering flaws’ which need to be located and arrested, if possible, thereby improving the life performance of the material. Flaws become critical in time and consequently brittle failure follows soon. Flaw detection by Non-destructive testing now needs no introduction. Author S. S. Ananthan’s paper “Non-destructive Testing of Welds” would no doubt generate interest, both at the basics and user’s levels, for many a technologist.