Why ease of use is becoming the measure  of real performance

Skills shortage and growing pressure on NDT - why automation and training must evolve together

What pressure does the shortage of skilled NDT professionals put on technology providers like NSI?

“There is constant pressure to stay up to date with technology while also supporting a workforce that is increasingly stretched. Customers are asking for more automation and easier-to-use equipment to increase efficiency and better use their people. The goal is often to move operators away from repetitive tasks and into more complex decision-making roles, while the equipment handles more of the routine work.

At the same time, industries like aerospace are becoming more complex, and there simply aren’t enough skilled people available. As a result, training remains critical. From our side, the pressure is to deliver automated, intuitive equipment while also supporting customers with training so they have the right mix of skill levels.” 

Are customers aware of these certification requirements?

“Yes, customers are generally aware of the certification levels, but finding and developing the proper skill set remains a major challenge. Many customers try to grow that talent internally, and that’s not easy. NSI training helps close this gap by providing structured, industry-aligned NDT training programs that ensure technicians develop the skills needed to meet both current and future requirements.”

Why are there so few new people entering the NDT field?

“NDT is a very small and largely invisible community. There’s very little marketing around it, and most people only hear about it through word of mouth. In the US, young people are exposed early to careers in healthcare, construction trades, or the military, but NDT is rarely presented as an option. Even though NDT is embedded in almost all forms of manufacturing, the number of NDT professionals within any given company is small, so the field itself remains largely unseen.”

Where systems fail in daily operation – when purchase decisions and training fall short

Where do systems most often fail users in practice?

“In many cases, the failure starts with the initial purchasing decision. Customers don’t always buy the right system with the proper capabilities for their application. Often, decisions are driven primarily by price rather than by quality or technical requirements. 
We see customers who have already purchased equipment and later realize that it simply doesn’t meet their needs. At that point, they’re forced to revisit the decision and repeat the process, which costs time and money.

Even when a customer selects the right equipment, the next challenge is training and understanding how to use its features fully. Many companies don’t invest enough in training. They don’t always recognize that building people and optimizing equipment go hand in hand. Without that investment, even capable systems fall short of their potential.

North Star Imaging helps mitigate some of these common pitfalls by offering advanced industrial X-ray and CT inspection systems along with comprehensive training, preventive maintenance, and on-site support so customers can realize the full value of their investment.”

Designing systems that work with people – letting technology absorb complexity instead of operators

How do you approach designing systems that work with people, not against them?

“When you design systems that truly work with people, you have to start by understanding the application and the workflow inside the manufacturing environment. Drawing on more than 20 years in manufacturing across different processes - from chemical processing to welding and inspection - I’ve seen how easily systems become overcomplicated. We tend to add steps and exceptions over time, and that creates complexity.

Small design choices with real daily impact

Can a small design change really make a difference in daily use?

“Yes, absolutely. A good example comes from earlier system designs, where the placement of the X-ray tube and the way operators accessed the system created unnecessary difficulty. In high-volume environments, operators are constantly loading and unloading parts or spending time setting up one-off samples that require careful positioning.

We redesigned the door and viewing window to give operators better visibility of the sample during setup. That simple change made a significant difference. Operators could position and center parts more quickly, rotate and manipulate them with better line of sight, and avoid mistakes like bumping a part into the X-ray tube. It improved both speed and confidence. Something as basic as better visibility had a meaningful impact on ease of use and overall efficiency.”

What ease of use will mean next – from standalone inspection to integrated production

What will ease of use mean as systems become more intelligent and automated?
“As technology continues to evolve, inspection systems will become more integrated into everyday production. Today, many X-ray systems still sit off to the side, used as standalone tools. In the future, more of these systems will align and become part of the continuous manufacturing process, especially as quality requirements continue to rise across industries such as aerospace, medical, and defense.

With lighter materials, additive manufacturing, and more complex designs, the link between quality and safety will only become stronger. That will drive greater use of automated inspection and higher expectations for reliability and consistency.”

How do you see NSI and Comet shaping this next stage?

“The next stage will focus on smarter systems and better data use. Equipment analytics will play a larger role, allowing customers to monitor system health, plan preventive maintenance, and reduce unplanned downtime. This is where solutions like BLOX become important, giving customers visibility into system performance and helping them act before issues arise.

As automation increases, the role of the operator will continue to shift. Operators will spend less time handling parts and more time supervising systems, reviewing data, and making informed decisions. Instead of reacting to problems, they’ll be working proactively, supported by dashboards and real-time insights. That combination of automation, data, and human decision-making will define what ease of use really means in the years ahead.”

Ease of use is no longer about convenience. It is about uptime, confidence, and consistency in daily operation. As inspection becomes more automated and connected, the systems that succeed will be those designed around how people actually work. That is where long-term performance is decided.