Radiography Simulator: Make and Review an RT Exposure Without a Source

Radiographic testing (RT) is the method where practice is hardest to arrange: every real exposure needs a source or an X-ray tube, a controlled area, licensed people and processing time. The radiography simulator in Atlantis Practical NDT has 48 jobs. You choose the source and the technique (single wall single image, double wall single image or double wall double image), place the image quality indicator (IQI) and the film or detector, make the exposure, process it and review the image. No radiation is involved at any point.

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The RT practical, step by step

  1. Read the work order: the component, the procedure and the objective.
  2. Run the pre-exposure checks, which take the place of the calibration step in the common procedure.
  3. Choose the source and the technique, SWSI, DWSI or DWDI, to suit the geometry in front of you.
  4. Place the IQI and the film or digital detector. The IQI is projected as a real body, so its image depends on where you put it.
  5. Make the exposure, then process the film or read the CR or DDA image. Open the darkroom door while film is being processed and the film is spoiled and its review withdrawn.
  6. With a gamma source, retract it and survey to confirm it has returned. Skip the survey and the post-check stays open.
  7. Review the image, write your interpretation and submit the training report, which carries the exposure record.

How the radiographic image is built

Attenuation comes from tabulated coefficients in NIST XCOM data, with build-up, so material and thickness change the exposure the way they should. The finite size of the source produces penumbra, which is why source size and geometry affect sharpness. The detector is modelled either as film, through its H&D characteristic, or as computed radiography or a digital detector array. What you get is an image you can judge for density and IQI sensitivity before you start looking for indications, which is the order a real film review follows.

Why radiography suits simulated practice

Reviews of virtual and mixed-reality training find its strongest case where danger or cost make conventional practice impractical, and radiography is the clearest example in NDT. A real repetition spends source time and closes an area to everyone else; a simulated one costs almost nothing. Trainees can repeat exposure set-up, IQI placement and darkroom discipline until the sequence is habit, then spend hands-on time with real sources on what only real equipment can teach. The survey after a gamma exposure is drilled the same way: the practical is not finished until the source return has been confirmed.

Where the RT jobs run

RT jobs run in the shared catalogue, from bench specimens in the NDT lab to weld coupons and fabrication joints in the welding workshop. Each job pins the revision of its specimen, procedure and equipment, and the learner record lists the settings, the checks and, for radiography, the exposure record, so an instructor can see exactly how an image was made before discussing what it shows.

What the radiography simulator cannot teach

The radiation dose display is a fictional exercise, not an exposure chart, and simulator practice does not meet any radiation safety training requirement: real source work stays under your employer's licence, its radiation safety programme and its supervision. A screen also cannot teach film handling under a safelight, working a collimator or a crawler, or reading real film on a real viewer. Interpreting real radiographs of real flaws needs real images, reviewed with a qualified interpreter.

How RT simulator practice fits SNT-TC-1A

For radiography, SNT-TC-1A recommends 40 training hours for Level I and 40 more for Level II, with 210 and 630 hours of experience in the method; the employer's written practice sets what is binding. Practical NDT exposures can count as organised training where the written practice allows web-based or computer-based training. They are not experience, which means work performed in the work environment, and they do not count toward any radiation safety qualification.

Test yourself with the free RT Level II practice questions.

Frequently asked questions

Is there any radiation in the radiography simulator?

No. Sources, exposures and processing are simulated, and the dose display is a fictional exercise rather than an exposure chart.

Which radiographic techniques can I practise?

Single wall single image, double wall single image and double wall double image, with film or CR and DDA detectors, IQI placement, processing and image review.

Does simulator practice count toward radiation safety training?

No. Radiation safety training and source work are governed by your employer's licence and radiation safety programme. The simulator practises technique and discipline, not regulatory qualification.

Next steps

Practical NDT is a training simulation, not a validated engineering tool. It runs in a standard browser, works offline once downloaded, extends to standalone headsets and is integrated with the Atlantis LMS and ERP, so learners reach it from the client portal with one sign-in. Practice in it does not replace the practical examination or the experience hours your written practice requires.

Speak to an ASNT NDT Level III

Discuss your inspection requirements with Atlantis NDT. Include the asset, method, location and documents you need reviewed.