About Us

After years of dedicated effort, the VUT NDT programmes are now consolidating to be well-established careers for many students nationally and internationally.  These programmes are the only ones offered by a tertiary institution in South Africa.  They provide solid theoretical and practical education to optimize the application of NDT in industry. These programmes seek to promote the understanding of the various NDT methods in their use in the inspection of components, hence operational safety.  This includes increasing the awareness of modern NDT methods which integrate materials testing in all phases of production, in-service monitoring, and environmental diagnostics.

The National Diploma in Non-Destructive Testing was first offered in the early 1980s at the Vanderbijlpark Campus of the then Vaal Triangle Technikon (VTT). At the time, less than 20 White students were sponsored by companies to study NDT at VTT. The program was structured, such that for the 1st, 3rd and 5th semesters, students had a full-time contact study; while the 2nd, 4th, and 6th semesters, they were at their respective companies for experiential training.

In the mid-1990s the sponsored students dried-up and for a couple of academic years, the programme had no student intake. In the early 2000s, the Executive Dean of the Faculty of Applied and Computer Sciences, Prof BR Mabuza revived the programme, starting with a cohort of about 35 students in 2003.

The qualifications currently offered are the Diploma in Non-Destructive Testing (NQF6), which consists of five-semesters contact time (two and half years) and one-semester experiential training period and also the Advanced Diploma in Non-Destructive Testing (NQF7), offered over two-semesters (one year).  The present permanent post establishment consists of five full-time Junior Lecturers.  They are supported by a Senior Lecturer, the Head of Department, and the Executive Dean. There are four state-of-the-art, fully equipped laboratories catering for the basic and advanced NDT methods.

In their Diploma studies, our students are introduced to NDT projects which have the description that seeks to answer the following basic questions.

(a) What problem is addressed?

(b) Why is this work important?

(c) What new aspect will be addressed?

(d) How will objectives be achieved?

(e) Can the project be accomplished in the given time frame?

Both VUT NDT programmes has been approved by the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), quality evaluated by the Council on Higher Education (CHE) through the Higher Education Quality Sub-Framework (HEQSF) and are registered qualifications with the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA).

Research 2017 – 2019

NDT staff members are involved in research in a number of various capacities and at various levels. Our NDT programmes and research go hand-in-hand and our department is driven forward by its research. The research ambition of the department of Non-Destructive Testing and Physics is motivated by the challenges facing Non-Destructive Testing Technology (NDTT). The department is taking special pride in pioneering new frontiers in Non-Destructive Testing in order to create new ideas and enhance Non-Destructive Evaluation Education. The department is also identifying multidisciplinary NDT solutions in order to promote the safety of humankind when operating machinery. The multidisciplinary research collaborations have included Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, and Information Technology staff.

The broad focus research area for the department is as follows; “Theoretical, experimental and numerical applications of NDT methods”.

Conference Papers and Posters

Nolting V., Ferromagnetism in magnetic 4f-systems.

The Proceedings of SAIP2016, the 61st Annual Conference of the South African Institute of Physics.

ISBN: 978-0-620-77094-1

Publication Date: 24 December 2017

Ngobeni MC., Welding Quality Inspection.

South African Institute for Non-destructive Testing Golden Conference held at the Accolades Conference Centre, Midrand, February 7 – 8,  2018.

Nkwanyana ZSS., Evaluating the effectiveness of digital Radiographic Testing methods in Detection of defects on aircraft landing gears.

South African Institute for Non-destructive Testing Golden Conference held at the Accolades Conference Centre, Midrand, February 7 – 8,  2018.

Nolting V., Using the Barkhausen Effect to Measure the Microstructure of Ferromagnetic Materials.

South African Institute for Non-destructive Testing Golden Conference held at the Accolades Conference Centre, Midrand, February 7 – 8,  2018.

Sikakana QI., What is the ‘value-add’ of a Non-Destructive Testing / Evaluation Tertiary Qualification.

South African Institute for Non-destructive Testing Golden Conference held at the Accolades Conference Centre, Midrand, February 7 – 8,  2018

Shavhani K., and Mabuza BR., Using Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing Technique for damage detection of a flat boat hull.

12th European Conference on Non-Destructive Testing, Gothenburg, Sweden, June 11 – 15, 2018

Nkwanyana ZSS., and Mabuza BR., Conducting a Comparative Study on Conventional and Digital Radiographic Testing Methods in Detection of Defects in Industrial Components.

12th European Conference on Non-Destructive Testing, Gothenburg, Sweden, June 11 – 15, 2018

Nolting V., and Mabuza BR., Using the Barkhausen Effect to Measure the Microstructure of Ferromagnetic Materials. 12th European Conference on Non-Destructive Testing, Gothenburg, Sweden, June 11 – 15, 2018

Mabuza BR., Analysis of inclined crack in thin-walled circular tube under mixed-mode I + II fracture.
18th International Conference on Experimental Mechanics, Brussels, Belgium, July 1 – 5, 2018.

Nyambeni N., and Mabuza BR., Considerations of Failure Analysis in a Multi-layered Composite Structure under Thermomechanical Loading.
18th International Conference on Experimental Mechanics, Brussels, Belgium, July 1 – 5, 2018.

Molefe L., and Mabuza BR., Defect Characterization in Shafts Using conventional and Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing.
18th International Conference on Experimental Mechanics, Brussels, Belgium, July 1 – 5, 2018.

Sigoba T., Howse M., Sikakana QI., Corrosion monitoring with Acoustic Emission of steel embedded in concrete that is subjected to different environmental conditions.

Proceedings of the 31st International Congress and Exhibition on Condition Monitoring and Diagnostic Engineering Management 2-5 July 2018 Sun City, Rustenburg, South Africa; 301-311

Seminars and Workshops

Sikakana QI, Customized Introductory Physics for career-focused programmes to enhance student success: Position paper. CAD Annual Academic Staff Development Conference, Riverside Sun, Vanderbijlpark.  November 13 – 14, 2019.

Course Programmes

Diploma in NDT

Contact Us

Head: Department of Non Destructive Testing & Physics

Dr Ike Qhubekani Sikakana

Faculty of Applied and Computer Sciences

Vaal University of Technology

Private Bag X021

Vanderbijlpark 1900

Fax: (016) 950 9793/9794

E-mail: Asanda Mosani